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Exactly! The lack of this feature is completely baffling.

bertmuthalaly 6y ago
On iOS now, if you’re setting up a new device, Signal will prompt you to transfer your messages from your old device. Not exactly a backup feature but it covers one use case (I don’t want to lose my chat history when I switch devices).
- codetrotter 6y ago
  I dont use Signal myself so I’m not inclined to put in the work for that but just wanted to point out that given what you said and the fact that Signal is open source [0] it should then be possible to figure out how they do transfers and adapt that code in order to sync data from Signal on iOS onto your computer. Unless it ties into some feature of iOS itself that provides data transfer between phones in which case it will be more difficult to work out. [0]: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-iOS https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-iOS
- saurik 6y ago
  Putting aside the complaints people have that this feature was flakey and didn't really work, this one use case isn't sufficient, as I usually switch to a new phone because my old one was destroyed... and I imagine this is the only reason people poorer than me get a new phone. Users need the ability to do non-transfer backups (which it sounds like this feature doesn't support). The reality is that my iTunes (encrypted) backup should include my chat message history. That the Signal client on iOS (and maybe even on Android, as while it has backup I think it is a bespoke backup) has decided that somehow Signal chat message history isn't something one can backup at all (much less do using the user's standard backup and restore process) is kind of ridiculous.
AnonC 6y ago
It won’t be baffling but appalling to see how the Signal team (moxie in particular) have responded to requests for a backup and restore feature. They’re user hostile and prefer to do things their way. On iOS, Signal has always prohibited its data from being backed up with iTunes (doesn’t matter whether your iTunes backup is encrypted and protected by a password or not). Even now there’s only a recent “transfer data” feature from one phone to another in real time.

On iOS now, if you’re setting up a new device, Signal will prompt you to transfer your messages from your old device. Not exactly a backup feature but it covers one use case (I don’t want to lose my chat history when I switch devices).

codetrotter 6y ago
I dont use Signal myself so I’m not inclined to put in the work for that but just wanted to point out that given what you said and the fact that Signal is open source [0] it should then be possible to figure out how they do transfers and adapt that code in order to sync data from Signal on iOS onto your computer. Unless it ties into some feature of iOS itself that provides data transfer between phones in which case it will be more difficult to work out. [0]: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-iOS https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-iOS
saurik 6y ago
Putting aside the complaints people have that this feature was flakey and didn't really work, this one use case isn't sufficient, as I usually switch to a new phone because my old one was destroyed... and I imagine this is the only reason people poorer than me get a new phone. Users need the ability to do non-transfer backups (which it sounds like this feature doesn't support). The reality is that my iTunes (encrypted) backup should include my chat message history. That the Signal client on iOS (and maybe even on Android, as while it has backup I think it is a bespoke backup) has decided that somehow Signal chat message history isn't something one can backup at all (much less do using the user's standard backup and restore process) is kind of ridiculous.

AnonC 6y ago

It won’t be baffling but appalling to see how the Signal team (moxie in particular) have responded to requests for a backup and restore feature. They’re user hostile and prefer to do things their way. On iOS, Signal has always prohibited its data from being backed up with iTunes (doesn’t matter whether your iTunes backup is encrypted and protected by a password or not). Even now there’s only a recent “transfer data” feature from one phone to another in real time.