signal-backup-decode VS TextSecure

https://www.yoranbrondsema.com/post/the-guide-to-extracting-statistics-from-your-signal-conversations/ https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/irbxii/how_can_i_export_and_save_signal_chats/ https://rado0z.github.io/Decrypt_Android_Database http://jhnet.co.uk/articles/signal_backups https://pypi.org/project/signal2html/ https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/kx31hw/signalbackup_a_tool_to_save_your_signal/ https://github.com/manwefm/signal-backup https://github.com/bepaald/signalbackup-tools https://gitlab.com/splatops/cntn-signalbackup-tools https://github.com/xeals/signal-back https://github.com/pajowu/signal-backup-decode https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/cyyncx/application_to_open_signal_backups_on_windows/ https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/8mfawf/comment/e84rkia/ https://www.incredigeek.com/home/extract-encrypted-signal-backup/ https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/n3mwfx/backup_file/ https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/fxyowe/decrypting_backup_for_import_to_android_messages/ https://kabanashvili.com/blog/post/backup-and-decrypt-signal_1f91be7ok9jvmqrf

> I'm confused at what is stopping you from doing this?

As far as I know the backup is encrypted.

> Are you not able to import these backups into the desktop client?

No, the desktop client is not standalone, and ONLY syncs with the a phone to get content. Moreover, if you don't use the client for a period (2-3 weeks in my experience?) it de-syncs that desktop client. Re-connecting that desktop to your phone will only sync messages starting as-of the connection, so there's no way to get the desktop app to pull your whole history. (This is another gripe I have about their sacrifice of actual usability for security that only helps a few very specific use-cases.)

You're probably rigth about hacking something together. Someone has created a library [0] allegedly for decoding the backup files. Friday night is D&D night though, so I haven't had the chance. :-)

[0] https://github.com/pajowu/signal-backup-decode

The backups are using protobuf, I use https://github.com/pajowu/signal-backup-decode to decode the backup file. You end up with a sqlite database and some files. Afterwards, I run queries via nodejs against sqlite to produce the HTML, that is a bit quick and dirty at the moment and not open source so far.

You can also try https://github.com/pajowu/signal-backup-decode, the author is active (replied to issues 12 days ago). On the previous repository, the author appears to be inactive (I should have checked, my bad).

https://github.com/pajowu/signal-backup-decode (last updated march 2021)

I use signal-backup-decode to explore my backups, but that's a command line tool that decrypts the backup with the secret key and exports the actual content as a database and a set of files for images, attachments, etc.

I'm not sure I can help, but can you update your post with more info? Does the official backup give you an error? You should be able to back up and then copy the files to your computer and use a tool like this to decode into plain text.

That should work with signal. There are tools to decrypt the backup and access the database. For example this: https://github.com/pajowu/signal-backup-decode

I have to agree here. At least on Android you can extract the database

Does not mean you can not extract the database. Given you have the password for it. Sadly only for Android so far it seems.

Moxie's reasons for disallowing Signal distribution via F-droid always rang a little flat to me ( https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/127 ). Lots of chatter about the supposedly superior security model of Google Play Store, and as a result fewer eyes independently building and testing the Signal code base. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but independent and reproducible builds seem like a net positive for everyone. Always struggled to understand releasing code as open source without taking advantage of the community's willingness to build and test. Looking at it in a new light after the XZ backdoor, and Jia Tan's interactions with other FOSS folk.

Signal has documentation on how to reproduce their Play Store builds and compare them with what you've installed locally:

https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/blob/main/reprod...

There's nothing on Signal blog as of yet, but Signal's git repository was tagged with v7.0.0 yesterday and we can see from the commit history since the previously tagged version (v6.74.4) that there will be a setting to hide one's phone number [1], as well as disabling the previous default behavior of advertising that one is on Signal to all their contacts already using it [2].

[1] https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/commit/8797236b5... (PNP stands for "Phone Number Privacy")

[2] https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/commit/6097e6c30...

Signal works the same but without the user tracking from Meta/Facebook. Many people use it as well but I'm surprised that a majority sticks to WhatsApp.

Telegram and Signal solve this.

Sadly yes: Looks like an open issue 13290 for Signal, sounds like they were/are indeed still interacting through google's push notification service, wat, and per a link at that issue it was a chore for Tutanota to break away once they realised it was a problem some years ago (though at least they thought about it years ago? wtf Signal...)

Here is one: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/tree/main/reprod...

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