Chat backups doesn't produce a backup file

[steelowheel]

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

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Bug description

The Chat backups doesn't produce a backup file.

Steps to reproduce

• Go to Settings → Chats → Chat backups
• Tap Turn on, choose folder, and allow Signal to access files in the selected folder
• Write down the passphrase, tick the box and tap Enable backups
• Tap Create backup

Actual result: The backup process starts normally and the progress bar runs in a typical speed. After ~10 minutes the progress bar is at ~30...40% and suddenly starts to run very fast, reaching 99.9% within the next minute or so. After that the screen goes briefly blank and then returns back to the chats view. No error message. The chosen backup folder is empty and my phone's internal storage's free space is the same as it was in the beginning of the backup process. Signal's Chat backups shows Last backup: never.

Some more info: my backup file is usually ~19GB, and I have ~30GB free space of internal storage on my phone. My last backup file was made with an earlier version of Signal, in 25 Jan 2024. Overall this is somewhat similar to #13402 but I don't get error message and for me the highest percentage is 99.9%. I have tried choosing some other folder as it was suggested here: #12404 (comment) and tried using some other location than Documents, as tipped here: #12404 (comment). Also I've tried these steps: #12404 (comment).

Expected result: Successful backup, with a backup file saved to the specified location in the internal storage

Device info

Device: Oneplus 7T HD1903
Android version: 10
Signal version: 6.46.7

Link to debug log

https://debuglogs.org/android/6.46.7/02b23931298cd69ededf631ab1de51556a995deb7d00a48e1edef1e3a2ec43cc

The above log is me trying to use Documents folder. I also tried my usual backup folder: Backup/Signal backup/, here's debug log of that:
https://debuglogs.org/android/6.46.7/9e5da18a73d18c81cb4ebd6291ec4739a08ac867e2938af307837ae8b141313c

[steelowheel]

Same issue with 7.0.0 (beta).

[steelowheel]

Same with 7.0.2 (beta). Debug log here:

https://debuglogs.org/android/7.0.2/42d8e27bc2a9dfc677792dbf3c911971cdf1831b83ca8e2332db83076d61575b

[steelowheel]

Still the same problem with 7.1.3 (not beta - I left the beta program)

Debug log:

https://debuglogs.org/android/7.1.3/f84a8e0008f4914e1d4435ecef0c60c7d52918d88f5ba224bd9760144fff4eaf

This is getting scary. I haven't been able to do a backup in nearly two months. Please, can somebody help me? Can I help myself in this one, in any way?

[cody-signal]

Hi there, sorry you're encountering and this and that we've been slow to respond. I looked over your log and I see you are encounter a really weird sqlite error/crash. I'll raise with the team.

[steelowheel]

Any update to this?

[steelowheel]

The issue persists. Signal version 7.7.2, debug log:

https://debuglogs.org/android/7.7.2/0a331a2c2fb259d80bda31433206878249fd29d59c613fe1ae9b0f8d115ca16c

[HorayNarea]

This happens to me too but only when I try to do backups to an SD card, if I choose a folder on the internal storage it works fine.

If I remember correctly, it started happening sometime in march.

[steelowheel]

This happens to me too but only when I try to do backups to an SD card, if I choose a folder on the internal storage it works fine.

If I remember correctly, it started happening sometime in march.

Thanks. Started in January on my device. I do my backups to internal storage, as there's no sd card reader on my phone. I haven't been able to do a backup in over four months, and this is giving me anxiety. I hope this'll get solved soon.

[steelowheel]

Version 7.9.6, no luck.

https://debuglogs.org/android/7.9.6/36e9454a81b3448f91c0e47988c8641b2a002a3cd4239c5a634745f83babe8d9

[steelowheel]

@cody-signal Hello, would you have any news on this matter?

[steelowheel]

Version 7.14.2 and I tried something else: backing up to an external usb jumpdrive, connected to the usb port. Unfortunately it didn't help. The process went the same way it has been going since February 2024, and there was no backup file in the end.

Debug log here:
https://debuglogs.org/android/7.14.2/9e2cf49a6571c0785028bbd5fdda9047efce56abfd6bcd295ff403f540a6d7b7

[dcjkfgdjhd]

Not sure if it is the same issue, but backup also has stopped working for me recently.

Signal stats say it occupies 9.7 GB of my storage space, and I have 26 GB of free storage on the phone.

Starting the backup process, after only something like 3% of it, Signal already occupies about half of these 26 GB, and a while later it always fails because the phone completely runs out of memory (this is confirmed by both a Signal popup and a system error message both stating the same thing).

After failing the backup, Signal apparently deletes its temporary files correctly, and I am back to 26 GB of free storage. No backup file is left.

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Seriously, Signal's memory management is completely broken. The problem has been known for years, and the devs have done nothing about it, so it keeps getting worse. I predict that this will be Signal's undoing in the medium-term future.

[steelowheel]

@dcjkfgdjhd if it's possible, can you submit a debug log, please? It would help the devs.

I don't get any error popups from Signal or from system. In my case the screen just goes briefly blank. I don't know if yours is the same case as mine, but it surely sounds like very similar.

[dcjkfgdjhd]

Hi, I will be travelling for several weeks and cannot currently provide this. Will retest after I return.

[dcjkfgdjhd]

Hi, I will be travelling for several weeks and cannot currently provide this. Will retest after I return.

I am back and tried it again today. This time, the backup went through (apparently) successfully.

However, the backup file is 26.3 GB, while Signal itself claims it occupies only 9.7 GB.

[steelowheel]

I am back and tried it again today. This time, the backup went through (apparently) successfully.
However, the backup file is 26.3 GB, while Signal itself claims it occupies only 9.7 GB.

Thanks for getting back to this issue, and great to hear you were able to do a backup!

Hmm, perhaps not the same issue as mine, after all. But sounds like something is wrong, so maybe consider posting a new issue topic, please.

[dcjkfgdjhd]

maybe consider posting a new issue topic, please.

There is already #11509, but noone seems to care.

[steelowheel]

It seems a new backup system is on the horizon: #11509 (comment)