Signal introduces free and paid chat backup plans with strong privacy safeguards

signal

Privacy-focused open-source messaging platform Signal has announced new free and paid plans to securely back up chats and media. The feature is opt-in and requires you to download the latest beta release on Android. This allows Signal users to back up their text conversations for free, along with media from the past 45 days. If a user wants to extend that limit, a $1.99 subscription grants them full media backups up to 100GB.

Signal Secure Backups: Plan details, how to use it

The free tier of Signal's backup plan offers 100MB of storage for text messages and media files on the app from the last 45 days. According to the company, it is sufficient for "even heavy" users, as this storage capacity is achieved by compressing messages, allowing users to maintain their conversations and media without additional costs.

Moreover, Signal has introduced a paid option for users who need extensive backup capabilities with more than 45 days of message storage. It costs $1.99 (about Rs 175) per month, offering 100GB of storage space. This is Signal’s first paid feature, and the company said it’s charging users to assist with the cost of storage in a privacy-preserving way.

Currently, the backup feature is available only on the beta version of Signal's Android app. It can be enabled from the app's settings page and backs up messages daily in an end-to-end encrypted form. The company has confirmed that it will roll out the feature across all platforms, including iOS and desktop. Moreover, Signal plans to add more flexibility, such as saving backups to preferred storage locations and enabling cross-platform chat transfers.