How Signal, WhatsApp, Apple, and Google Handle Encrypted Chat Backups

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Signal

Signal supports a manual backup and restore option. Basically, messages are not backed up to any cloud storage, and Signal cannot access them.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp can optionally back up the contents of chats to either a Google Account on Android, or iCloud on iPhone, and you have a choice to back up with or without end-to-end encryption.

iMessage

[iMessage] backups... are not end-to-end encrypted by default. This is a loophole we’ve routinely demanded Apple close.

The good news is that with the release of the Advanced Data Protection feature, you can optionally turn on end-to-end encryption for almost everything stored in iCloud, including those backups (unless you’re in the U.K.).

Google Messages

You can optionally back up Google Messages to a Google Account, and as long as you have a passcode or lock screen password, the backup of the text of those conversations is end-to-end encrypted.