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

[Dawnexa]

• 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

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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

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

[sashaweiss-signal]

Thanks for this detailed report, it's super helpful. We're looking into it, and I'll circle back with more details.

[sashaweiss-signal]

Hey @Dawnexa, it looks like the media is missing from the remote Backup, which is why the iOS device isn't downloading it. I'd like to understand more about why the media is missing from the remote Backup (which the Android should have uploaded).

• It looks like this Android device was set up by importing a local, on-disk Backup. Is that correct? Does that Android device have all of the media present in Signal: i.e., can you scroll back far in some old chats and see all your old media?

• Does the Android device show your paid-tier subscription on it as well, when you go to Backup Settings?

[Dawnexa]

Hey @sashaweiss-signal!

• It looks like this Android device was set up by importing a local, on-disk Backup. Is that correct? Does that Android device have all of the media present in Signal: i.e., can you scroll back far in some old chats and see all your old media?

Yes I can scroll up to media I had in the chat almost 3 years ago and yes it was set up by importing a local on disk backup.

• Does the Android device show your paid-tier subscription on it as well, when you go to Backup Settings?

Yes it does, in the Backup Settings.

[sashaweiss-signal]

Thank you! We suspect this is a bug on the Android-exporting side, and we'll dig in. The detailed report is extremely useful, and we really appreciate it. (Especially the logs from both devices!)

[Dawnexa]

Should I also open an issue in the Android repository? Or is this issue here in the iOS repository enough for it to be tracked?

[max-signal]

No need to open an issue in the Android repository.