Signal introduces both free and paid secure backup options
Open-source messaging platform Signal has announced new free and paid plans to securely backup your messages and media. The feature is opt-in and requires you to download the latest beta release on Android.
Signal says limiting the release to Android allows them to "test this feature in a limited setting, before it rolls out to iOS and Desktop in the near future."
The free plan allows users to back up all their text messages and up to 45 days of media. If you want to extend that limit, you will need to sign up for a $1.99 subscription that grants you full media backups up to 100GB.
Signal says that "storing and transferring large amounts of data is expensive." Since the company does not collect or sell data, the $1.99 sub allows them to cover the costs.
The secure backup feature will work on the same "zero-knowledge" principle that the company follows. It means all backup archives, "are stored without a direct link to a specific backup payment or Signal user account."
Signal generates a 64-bit recovery key on your device that is not shared with their servers and is the only way to "restore access to your messages." The company cannot help you recover this key if you happen to lose it.
To opt into the new feature, you will need to download the latest beta version of the app from the Play Store. You will see the option to enable it in the Signal settings menu. For now, the feature is only available on beta versions of its app on Android, but it will roll it out across all platforms soon.
The technology they are currently using for the "initial version of secure backups will also serve as the foundation for more secure backup options in the near future."
Signal also hinted at more robust options being added in the "near future," such as saving "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."
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