Signal Introduces Free and Paid Backup Plans for Your Chats
A Privacy Milestone in Secure Messaging
In a landmark move unveiled on September 8, 2025, Signal—long renowned for its unwavering commitment to user privacy—introduced built-in chat backup options: a free tier offering essential safeguards, alongside an optional paid plan providing expanded storage. This marks Signal’s first foray into monetized features beyond its donation-driven model.
What’s Included in the Free Tier?
For users who want just the basics, Signal now offers a free backup plan that covers:
- Up to 100 MB of compressed text message storage, which Signal assures is “sufficient for even heavy users.”
- Media from the last 45 days, such as photos, videos, and other attachments
These backups are opt-in and end-to-end encrypted—the only decryption key resides with the user, ensuring zero-knowledge privacy.
The Paid Plan: More Storage, More Convenience
For users seeking broader coverage, Signal offers:
- A paid subscription at US $1.99 per month (pricing may vary by region), unlocking up to 100 GB of storage—enough to archive full message histories and extensive media libraries beyond the 45-day window.
This is designed to fund the infrastructure costs without compromising Signal’s ad-free, privacy-first philosophy. Free and Paid Backup Plans
Under the Hood: How Secure Backups Work
Signal’s backups rely on several privacy-protecting design choices:
- A 64-character recovery key is generated on your device; it’s the only way to decrypt backups. Signal doesn’t have access to it, nor can they assist in recovery if it’s lost.
- Zero-knowledge architecture ensures backups aren’t linkable to your account or payment methods.
- Media files are double-encrypted and padded to obscure metadata like file size—further enhancing privacy.
Seamless, Daily-Updated, and Cross-Platform Ready
. This ensures a mostly up-to-date backup while excluding recently deleted content or messages set to vanish within 24 hours.
Signal plans to expand availability from the Android beta (current launch platform) to iOS and desktop in the near future. Soon, you’ll also be able to choose backup storage locations and move your history seamlessly across platforms.
Why This Matters
Solving a Long-Standing Gap
Previously, losing your device meant losing all Signal conversation history—there was no cloud backup. While you could transfer messages locally, it required keeping your old device in working order.
The new system finally addresses this gap by enabling dependable recovery without sacrificing Signal’s core privacy guarantees.
A Funding Model That Preserves Privacy
Unlike mainstream apps that rely on ads or user data, Signal’s nonprofit model depends on donations. The paid backup plan offers a sustainable revenue stream to support infrastructure costs—without compromising user privacy.
Privacy vs. Usability: A Thoughtful Balance
Privacy-first users are cautious about cloud backups; Signal’s zero-knowledge system reassures them. At the same time, users who need reliable cross-device access (journalists, professionals, or anyone with multiple devices) can benefit from convenient encrypted backups.
Potential Drawbacks & Things to Watch
- Recovery Key Loss — If you lose the 64-character recovery key, your backups are inaccessible. Signal can’t help retrieve them.
- Gradual Rollout — Currently available only in beta (Android); full release to iOS and desktop is still pending.
- Pricing Flexibility — Though announced at $1.99/month, regional pricing adjustments may occur.
- Existing Local Backups — Local backup options continue, with improvements coming soon, like faster and smarter incremental backups.
Looking Ahead
Signal’s secure backup architecture is just the beginning:
- Future support for choosing backup storage destinations (e.g. your own cloud or local server).
- True cross-platform restore capability, so you could restore Android backups to iOS and vice versa.
- Integration of dynamic media management, where older media stays in the cloud and downloads on demand, reducing local storage use
Community Reactions: A Snapshot
On community forums like Reddit and Privacy Guides, the innovation has generated positive responses:
“Half a dollar a month for 100 GB of E2EE storage seems very generous… Even at $2 or $3 a month it’d be good value for money.”
“Cross-platform compatibility… such that you can switch from Android to iOS without losing chats.”
Others have welcomed the continued support for local backups and hoped Signal maintains that option indefinitely.
Final Thoughts
Signal’s new Free and Paid Backup Plans Free and Paid Backup Plans backup plans represent a meaningful leap forward—providing balance between uncompromising privacy and user convenience. By offering a free tier that suffices for everyday users and a pay model that supports advanced needs, Signal is charting a thoughtful path forward as a donation-supported, privacy-focused messaging alternative. Free and Paid Backup Plans
