Signal-Android

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• [x] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• [x] I am submitting a bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended
• [x] I have read https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/wiki/Submitting-useful-bug-reports
• [x] This isn't a feature request or a discussion topic

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Bug description

It is not possible to make a backup

Steps to reproduce

settings -> chats -> chats backup -> create backup =>failed on 99.9%.

(Einstellungen -> Chats -> Chat sichern -> Sicherung erstellen => Sicherung gescheitert

Screenshots

Device info

Device: Samsung S7 Android version: 8.0.0 Signal version: 6.26.4

Link to debug log

[](https://debuglogs.org/android/6.26.4/1a48bfc308cdb85d16566dc9be378613a22b77300167a4f0a0b99f098d38cc45)

Logs seem to indicate errors writing to disk, do you have enough free space?

I would say yes

any idea ?

Currently no. We're tracking this internally. Your logs are show the system failing while we tried read an attachment and write it to the backup file. Do you know if your backup file size is really large and that your file system is fat32 formatted?

while signal tries to backup on 99.9% the tmp is about 500MB. Not really large. File system is the Android internal, I cannot change.

@cody-signal : the backup folder can not be changed and I get not authorisation dialogue. is that behaviour normal ? thank you!

Hrm. Can you share a screenshot of the dialog?

Also, you can try disabling and re-enabling backups. Doing this WILL CREATE A NEW PASSPHRASE, so if you try it, make sure to record the newly generated passphrase.

I'd also double check in system settings that any storage related permission is allowed.

On my wifes phone this dialoge appears

App permissions are all enabled

I have just the same Problem since July. Tried similar solutions. Still no backup working yet/anymore.

@2023NK would you mind attaching a debug log? And a few quick questions:

1. Are you trying to save to a microSD card or some other file system that might be formatted as FAT32?
2. Did it ever work?
3. Do you have all storage access permissions enabled?

@2023NK would you mind attaching a debug log? And a few quick questions:

1. Are you trying to save to a microSD card or some other file system that might be formatted as FAT32?

2. Did it ever work?

3. Do you have all storage access permissions enabled?

in my case i can say:

1. no choice possible
2. no
3. yes

Same with me but it DID work before, for years. Why it stopped: no idea. Still trying to find out how to have no sensitive data in the debug log before uploading it. Any recommendations?

@2023NK We scrub on device all logs uploaded. If you do not wish to push a link publicly you can send it to me via email or to [email protected] and reference this github issue.

Hello Cody, I just sent it to [email protected]. Hoping you can find out what's the problem... 🤞🤞

A friend of mine is experiencing the same issue, creating a backup also fails at 99.9% before moving on to the verify stage.

She's also on Samsung (Galaxy S20FE) and using the latest version of signal (6.37.2).

She did have past successful backups, the last successful one was on October 19, 2022 (this is not a typo, it was in 2022, not 2023).

I noticed something strange in terms of data usage that I thought I'd add here as it might be related: While Signal reports 1GB of data usage, the Android setting report a much higher number (over 10GB). Here are the screenshots:

@bhn01 Is this the case for you too?

@lapseofreason thank you for your post. Unfortunately I can't check until next weekend.

If you happen to have a spare phone available (or one where you don't use signal) here is a workaround that worked for my friend:

1. Install signal on the other phone.
2. Transfer signal to the other phone over Wifi (https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007059752-Backup-and-Restore-Messages#android_transfer)
3. Re-install signal on the current phone.
4. Repeat step 2 to transfer back.

She only did steps 1 & 2 as she wanted to switch to a new phone (this is how she noticed that the backup was not working in the first place).

After switching to the new phone:

1. The backup now works.
2. The storage space seems now correct, a bit over 1 GB.

I have to jump in on this issue, unfortunately. Started two days ago, last successful backup was Wednesday 2:00am, Thurday and Friday both failed.

Debug log from manual trigger, failing at 99,9%: https://debuglogs.org/android/6.40.4/6c3ca30ab86cf488a1247f36f56b691cd00ace3355d56d5a595d1b4c3b9be2dd

Using internal storage (the phone does not even have an SD slot), Signal 6.40.4 on Android 11, Backup size (temp file) is 235 MB, free storage on device ~10GB. I tried removing and handing out again the file system (media) permission, to no avail, as well as changing the backup directory (thus losing the only proper backup from Wednesday as well).

It started failing out of thin air, as between the last useable backup on Wednesday and the failures on Thursday and Friday, I did not receive any message or media through Signal.

In another backup related bug, I found the info to look through all Signal Media and get rid of pictures that wouldn't show a preview etc. Did that but found nothing which fit that criteria.

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

Any solution for this issue? I have the same problem. Always stop at 99,9%. Samsung S20FE5G. Enough free space. Small Backup. Tried several folders internal and on SD.

@MattRabbit60 Can you post a debuglog?

Hi, Does this help? Meanwhile I did the following steps - not successfully:

• new installation on S20FE5G - NOK
• transfer to S7 (there backup was OK)
• again transfer to S20FE5G - NOK

This is, what I sent to Signal support. No answer!

--- Supportinformationen --- Filter: Signal Android Support Request - Something's Not Working Geräteinformationen: samsung SM-G781B (r8qxeea) Android-Version: 13 (G781BXXS9HXA6, TP1A.220624.014.G781BXXS9HXA6) Signal-Version: 7.0.2 Signal-Paket: org.thoughtcrime.securesms (doDiFGKPO1r) Registrierungssperre: true Region: de_DE

Diagnoseprotokoll: https://debuglogs.org/android/7.0.2/c12071e28bbf7aea2821da0b8155e78742b31117ac4e295defc8136b0729f0c1

Am 11. März 2024 20:12:11 schrieb Greyson Parrelli @.***>:

@MattRabbit60 Can you post a debuglog?

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@MattRabbit60 hi, took a look at your logs, looks like a permissions issue where the system's "External Storage" system app doesn't have permission to manage all files.

Can you try the following:

1. Open your system settings
2. Search for "All files access" and open that
3. Click on the 3 dots and click "Show system"
4. Find "External Storage" app
5. Make sure to "Allow access to manage all files"

Hi @clark-signal, Thanks. It worked. 👍 Backup now is possible.🙏 But I'm not aware having switched off the permission of external storage...

@MattRabbit60 I believe it's a bug on Samsung's end. Happy to hear it fixed it for you :)

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.