signalapp / signalapp/Signal-iOS

Restoring backup with paid plan doesn't retrieve all backed up media

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Swift
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Description

  • I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
  • I am submitting a bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended
  • This isn't a feature request or a discussion topic

Bug description

I am trying to move from Android to iOS and I have subscribed to the Signal Secure Backup Premium Plan on both platforms. I backup the data on the Android and then it says the Backup is 6 Gigabyte in size, when I try to restore it only ~70 Megabyte of the Media are restored (it seems to only be the media of the last 45 days). It is somewhat similar to Issue 6249 but the fix there doesn't work for me. I also tried to backup the data on multiple different Android devices and the same issue persists.

Steps to reproduce
  • Install Signal from the AppStore
  • Initial start with the restore backup option
  • Fill in phone number and recovery key
  • Backup is identified and restore process starts with restoring messages
  • Medias are then restored in background
  • The Media restoring process says ~70 MB of Media will be restored (although the Backup is 6 GB in size)

Actual result: Only a fraction of medias are restored and there is no option to complete a full restore or restart it
Trying to display a media in an old chat shows "this media is unavailable"
Tried uninstalling Signal and restarting restore multiple times with the same result

Expected result: A full restore should occur

Screenshots
Image Image
Device info

Device: iPhone 13 Pro Max

iOS version: 26.5

Signal version: 8.16

Link to debug log

iOS Debug Log: https://debuglogs.org/ios/8.16.0/1b5725982e7608d3ea30efc597d90b35ca7cc988593353e4859da7a15f4cdba8.zip
Android Debug Log: https://debuglogs.org/android/8.15.3/45204f6f9eb06efc9b5210a87a29a74638a5e3b94fcb373d926a697862bcf548

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reviewing the linked iOS and Android debug logs alongside the initial restore flow, focusing on where the reported backup size becomes the smaller media-restore amount. Reproduce the Android-to-iOS restore with an older media item, then verify that the completed restore makes the backed-up media available in old chats.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
android, ios, swift
Domain
mobile-dev
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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