6 ms·

Nice. Now please finally give us iOS cloud backups before i break or loose my phone and years of conversations get evaporated.

simonklitj 3y ago
Just happened to me a couple of months ago. Cannot agree with you more.
JoshTriplett 3y ago
I'd settle for full sync of chats between my own devices. If I can sync between my laptop and my phone, that's sufficient, since I already back up my laptop.
infotainment 3y ago
The lack of any kind of backup/export for iOS is the main thing keeping me from recommending Signal. Sadly, from what I’ve seen in similar threads online, it seems the devs are opposed to backups in principle (they believe that chats should be ephemeral and backing up is antithetical to this).
- erichocean 3y ago
  > The lack of any kind of backup/export for iOS is the main thing keeping me from recommending Signal. "No one can read your chats, including you." — Signal
- jtriangle 3y ago
  Run a windows VM, install signal desktop, bob's your auntie.
  - infotainment 3y ago
    This is basically what I do, just replace Windows vs Mac. Still, I feel it's much more inconvenient than it really needs to be; the correct UX is a button press.
- nar001 3y ago
  The devs are working on a cloud backup solution so not quite true, but it's also the one thing that's keeping me from recommending Signal https://signalupdateinfo.com/news/cloud-backups.html https://signalupdateinfo.com/news/cloud-backups.html
laktak 3y ago
You may be able to install something like https://github.com/mollyim/mollyim-android https://github.com/mollyim/mollyim-android in the EU ... eventually.
harry8 3y ago
Counterpoint: I don't want backups for IM. I don't want my counter-parties to have backups for e2e encrypted IM. I don't want IM to last. Why record every conversation on your permanent record? It's nuts. For me, having a searchable record of everything said defeats the whole purpose if IM and e2e encryption. I'm sure the NSA like it. Reasonable people may differ on it.
- Zuiii 3y ago
  > I don't want my counter-parties to have backups for e2e encrypted IM. That's not your choice to make.
  - harry8 3y ago
    Are you happy with anyone you talk to secretly bugging the conversation and transcribing it? I don't want to be randomly assaulted on the street, also not my choice to make. Doesn't make it ok imho.
    - int_19h 3y ago
      They can do that in any case if they want to, just by taking photos of their phone screen.
    - worez 3y ago
      what's stopping someone from just showing another person their phone screen with your messages?
- nikisweeting 3y ago
  Ok but I can already do it on desktop (and it's even easier on Android), it's only missing on iOS. So this point is kinda moot... The encryption key is in cleartext on desktop and the SQLite db is right next to it: ~/Library/Application Support/Signal/config.json
gitaarik 3y ago
Why iOS cloud backup? Why not a universal backup way, OS / cloud vendor independent?
- v7p1Qbt1im 3y ago
  I‘ll take it. Even offline backups would be an improvement. For people worried about having not consented to other peoples backup. They could implement ephemeral-only chats, or backup-excluded chats where both parties have to agree to changes.

simonklitj 3y ago

Just happened to me a couple of months ago. Cannot agree with you more.

JoshTriplett 3y ago

I'd settle for full sync of chats between my own devices. If I can sync between my laptop and my phone, that's sufficient, since I already back up my laptop.

infotainment 3y ago

The lack of any kind of backup/export for iOS is the main thing keeping me from recommending Signal. Sadly, from what I’ve seen in similar threads online, it seems the devs are opposed to backups in principle (they believe that chats should be ephemeral and backing up is antithetical to this).

erichocean 3y ago
> The lack of any kind of backup/export for iOS is the main thing keeping me from recommending Signal. "No one can read your chats, including you." — Signal
jtriangle 3y ago
Run a windows VM, install signal desktop, bob's your auntie.
- infotainment 3y ago
  This is basically what I do, just replace Windows vs Mac. Still, I feel it's much more inconvenient than it really needs to be; the correct UX is a button press.
nar001 3y ago
The devs are working on a cloud backup solution so not quite true, but it's also the one thing that's keeping me from recommending Signal https://signalupdateinfo.com/news/cloud-backups.html https://signalupdateinfo.com/news/cloud-backups.html

laktak 3y ago

You may be able to install something like https://github.com/mollyim/mollyim-android https://github.com/mollyim/mollyim-android in the EU ... eventually.

harry8 3y ago

Counterpoint: I don't want backups for IM. I don't want my counter-parties to have backups for e2e encrypted IM. I don't want IM to last. Why record every conversation on your permanent record? It's nuts. For me, having a searchable record of everything said defeats the whole purpose if IM and e2e encryption. I'm sure the NSA like it. Reasonable people may differ on it.

Zuiii 3y ago
> I don't want my counter-parties to have backups for e2e encrypted IM. That's not your choice to make.
- harry8 3y ago
  Are you happy with anyone you talk to secretly bugging the conversation and transcribing it? I don't want to be randomly assaulted on the street, also not my choice to make. Doesn't make it ok imho.
  - int_19h 3y ago
    They can do that in any case if they want to, just by taking photos of their phone screen.
  - worez 3y ago
    what's stopping someone from just showing another person their phone screen with your messages?
nikisweeting 3y ago
Ok but I can already do it on desktop (and it's even easier on Android), it's only missing on iOS. So this point is kinda moot... The encryption key is in cleartext on desktop and the SQLite db is right next to it: ~/Library/Application Support/Signal/config.json

gitaarik 3y ago

Why iOS cloud backup? Why not a universal backup way, OS / cloud vendor independent?

v7p1Qbt1im 3y ago
I‘ll take it. Even offline backups would be an improvement. For people worried about having not consented to other peoples backup. They could implement ephemeral-only chats, or backup-excluded chats where both parties have to agree to changes.