Messaging application Signal has rolled out end-to-end encrypted backups for chats on its service. The backups will save an archive of a user’s Signal messages, refreshing the backup every day so that the user can restore their messages even if they lose access to their phone.
The feature is available in an opt-in mode, which means that users can choose not to keep a backup if they so wish.
If they opt in, they will be able to save messages for free and save media for the previous 45 days. If users want to save data beyond this period, they will have to sign up for a paid subscription.
For context, the free tier includes 100 MiB of message storage, and the paid tier has 100 GB storage limits. This backup does not include view-once messages or messages that a user may have scheduled to disappear after 24 hours.
How do these backups work?
Signal backups will use the same zero-knowledge proof technology that the company uses for Signal groups. “Backup archives are stored without a direct link to a specific backup payment or Signal user account,” the company explains.
For context, a zero-knowledge proof is a cryptographic method where one party can inform another that they have knowledge about a certain piece of data without revealing the data itself.
Users can access these backups through an exclusive 64-character recovery key that Signal generates on their device. “Your recovery key is the only way to ‘unlock’ your backup when you need to restore access to your messages. Losing it means losing access to your backup permanently, and Signal cannot help you recover it,” the messaging service points out. It recommends writing the key down somewhere to remember it.
While the company has currently enabled backups in the Beta version for Android, it plans to extend this to other interfaces in the future.
“Our future plans include letting you save a secure backup archive to the location of your choosing, alongside features that let you transfer your encrypted message history between Android, iOS, and Desktop devices,” it says.
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Why it matters:
Unlike traditional cloud backups that can be accessed by service providers or compromised through data breaches, Signal’s zero-knowledge approach means even Signal cannot access your backup data. The opt-in nature and recovery key system put users in complete control of their data.
Just like Signal, its key competitor WhatsApp also allows for an end-to-end encrypted backup. To create such a backup, users must create a password or use a 64-digit encryption key. However, this isn’t the only option to backup information on the app. WhatsApp also allows users to back up information to their Google account without any end-to-end encryption. This backup can be accessed directly when a user signs into their account, either on a new device or re-installs WhatsApp on their existing device.
Another significant difference is that, unlike…
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