Signal has rolled out its first paid feature—secure, end-to-end encrypted backups of your chats and media—for US$1.99 per month, allowing users to retain message history and media older than 45 days up to 100 GB; a free tier still covers the most recent 45 days of media and 100 MB of text, with archives stored entirely anonymously via a recovery key that users must safeguard, now available in Android beta, with iOS, desktop support, and user-choosable storage destinations promised soon
Sources: The Verge, TechCrunch, Signal Blog
Key Takeaways
– Signal’s first-ever subscription feature balances user privacy with practical storage needs via a paid tier.
– The zero-knowledge, recovery-key model ensures Signal cannot access user backups—even if users lose their key.
– Rollout begins on Android beta, with broader multi-platform support and customizable storage options promised ahead.
In-Depth
Signal just released a thoughtful, privacy-safe way to support longevity in secure messaging: encrypted backups you can trust—even when moving between devices or recovering from a lost phone. Its first paid feature—priced at just $1.99 per month—lets you back up your text history and media older than 45 days, up to 100 GB, in a fully anonymized, end-to-end encrypted setup.
Meanwhile, the free tier still gives users the basics: up to 100 MB of text and the most recent 45 days’ worth of photos, videos, and files. So even heavy users likely won’t need to pay—though now there’s a simple, optional way to have peace of mind when moving between phones or after an accident wipes your device.
The technical architecture delivers on Signal’s privacy mission. Backups are tied to a 64-character recovery key generated on your device—Signal doesn’t see it, and if you lose it, you lose your backup. No payment or messaging history is linked to your identity. Daily automated backups make it easy, and the zero-knowledge model keeps everything airtight.
Right now, it’s live in the Android beta; iOS and desktop support—including letting you choose where backups are stored—will roll out in due course. It’s a smart, conservative move: practical, privacy-forward, and modestly monetizing to cover real costs—without ads, without data mining.
In short, Signal is quietly reinventing secure messaging with a feature that’s long overdue—silently backed, user-controlled, and just a couple of dollars a month if you want storage beyond the basics.