Signal is a very useful app that can be used on multiple devices. However, if you bought a new phone you may want to retrieve or transfer your message history. Today we will give you the steps to do it on Android, iOS and PC .

Index(  )

1. In what situations is the Signal backup not recoverable?
   1. Not having the previous device
   2. By formatting the device
   3. You changed your phone number
2. What requirements must your device meet to be able to recover the Signal backup?
   1. They have stable internet connection
   2. Possibility of receiving an SMS message
   3. The updated Signal app
3. Procedure to restore Signal messages saved in the backup
   1. An Android
   2. Con iOS
   3. From the desktop
4. How can you turn back up your messages on Signal?

In what situations is the Signal backup not recoverable?

Backup recovery in Signal is a procedure that any user can access. But due to the privacy provided by the app, there are certain situations in which it is impossible to restore them :

Not having the previous device

Not having the old device you used Signal with is a problem we can’t solve . If you do not have the previous equipment, you have no choice but to try to receive help from the companies of the operating system you used (Android or iOS).

Hopefully maybe they can solve the problem. In any case, the truth is that when you change your number in Signal you will be automatically closing all activities with your previous phone. That includes calls and messages .

By formatting the device

Another situation impossible to avoid is the formatting of the equipment. This erases all data on the device, with no method to recover it . That is why all manufacturers place a warning when doing so.

You changed your phone number

Finally, we have the possibility that you have changed your phone number. This becomes a problem because Signal (like Telegram) uses it to identify you and recognize who you are .

That system is inviolable. Therefore, when you change your phone number, you cannot access the data of the previous one, since for Signal you are not the owner of that number.

What requirements must your device meet to be able to recover the Signal backup?

Assuming that you are not in any of the situations that we described in the previous section, you still need to meet three requirements. You have to comply with all of them, since each one is equally important as the other . Otherwise, Signal won’t be able to restore anything.

They have stable internet connection

It is essential that you have a good internet connection. That’s because many installations happen during recovery, each requiring you to be connected.

In turn, the better the connection, the shorter the system takes to execute each of the processes . If it is too slow or unstable, it could take a long time or even stop mid-procedure.

Possibility of receiving an SMS message

As important as the internet connection is the normal signal of the device, since Signal will send you a verification code there to authorize the recovery of the history .

If you do not have a good signal, the code may arrive when its validity has expired. We must also highlight that you must place it on your new mobile and also on the old one.

The updated Signal app

The last essential requirement is that you have the Signal application updated . It must be in its most recent version, since only then will you avoid any inconvenience. If you turned off automatic updates on your phone, do this:

• Open the Play Store.
• Press your profile image.
• Choose “Manage apps and devices”.
• Go to “Available updates”.
• Look for “Signal” and click on the “Update” button, which will be on the right.

Of course, it can happen that the application does not appear in the list. If so, it means that you already have the latest available version installed .

Procedure to restore Signal messages saved in the backup

Now that we have made all the clarifications, we can proceed to explain how to restore the messages. For this case we have put together three procedures depending on the type of device you use Signal on .

An Android

With Android the process is very simple. Of course, before doing anything else you must have the Signal app installed on your new mobile . Download and install it. Subsequently, follow these steps:

• Click on the “Transfer or restore account” option (which appears when you open the application).
• Now click on “Activate permissions” and then on “From Android device”.
• Press the “Continue” button.
• On the other phone, go to Signaland the “Settings” section.
• Click on “Account”, then on “Transfer account” and finally on “Continue”.
• Bring both phones closer to each other.
• Click on “Accept” in the notification that will appear on the new phone.
• Verify that the same code appears on both mobiles and press “Continue” on both.
• Press “Continue with the registration” on the new mobile and “Done” on the old one, and you will be done.

Con iOS

The procedure to recover message history on iOS is just as easy . First you must open the app, and proceed as follows:

• Select the “Transfer data from iOS” option.
• Click on “Next”.
• On the other phone, also press “Next”.
• Bring both phones closer and use the second to scan the QR code that appears on the first.
• Wait for the message that the process has been completed to appear.

From the desktop

In this case there is no direct method, since Signal Desktop does not support the transfer of chats between devices . But there is an alternative:

• Close Signal on your old device and unlink it from Signal Desktop.
• Open the app on the new phone and pair it with the computer. That’s it!

How can you turn back up your messages on Signal?

In addition to everything we’ve already covered, you can configure Signal to make a backup every so often . In this case the steps are:

• Click on the icon in the upper left corner of the app.
• In the menu choose “Chats”.
• Scroll down to the bottom and tap “Chat Backups”.
• Click on “Activate”, choose a folder on your mobile and press “Allow access”.
• Now click on “Allow”.
• Write down the code that appearssomewhere .
• To finish, press “I have written down this password” and “Activate”.