Free up Signal storage
Signal stores messages, photos, videos, voice notes, and files on this phone. There is no separate cloud copy unless you turn on backups. Deleting media frees space, and the other person still has their own copy unless you use disappearing messages or Delete for everyone.
See how much space Signal is using
Android
- Open Signal and tap your profile photo.
- Tap Data and Storage > Manage storage > Review storage.
- Open Media, Files, Audio, or All.
iPhone
- Open the iPhone Settings app.
- Tap General > iPhone Storage.
- Tap Signal.
On iPhone, Signal does not offer the same Review storage list. Use All Media inside a chat, or delete messages, to free space.
Delete media from all chats (Android)
- Open Signal > profile > Data and Storage > Manage storage > Review storage.
- Select Media, Files, Audio, or All.
- Tap and hold an attachment, then tap more items or Select all.
- Tap Delete, then confirm Delete.
This removes the files from this phone. It does not delete them from the other person's phone.
Delete media from one chat
Android
- Open the chat.
- Tap the contact or group name.
- Tap Shared media.
- Open Media, Files, Audio, or All.
- Tap and hold items, then tap Delete.
iPhone
- Open the chat.
- Tap the contact or group name.
- Tap All Media.
- Open the Media or Audio tab.
- Select items and delete them, or tap and hold a message in the chat and choose Delete for me.
Limit how long Signal keeps messages (Android)
- Open Signal > profile > Data and Storage > Manage storage.
- Tap Keep messages and choose Forever, 1 year, 6 months, or 30 days.
- Or tap Conversation length limit and choose 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, or a custom number.
- If Signal asks, tap Delete to remove older messages now.
Shorter limits free space automatically. Anything past the limit is deleted on this phone.
Turn off media auto-download
Android
- Open Signal and tap your profile photo.
- Tap Data and Storage.
- Open When using mobile data, When using Wi-Fi, and When roaming.
- Turn off Images, Audio, Video, and Documents as needed.
iPhone
- Open Signal and tap your profile photo.
- Tap Settings > Data Usage.
- Choose which types can download: Images, Audio, Video, Documents.
- Set each type to Never, Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi and Cellular.
Voice messages, view-once media, and small stickers still download automatically. After this, larger files download when you tap them.
Delete old chats
Android
- On the chat list, tap and hold a chat.
- Select any others you want to remove.
- Tap delete, then Delete.
To wipe every chat on Android: profile > Data and storage > Manage storage > Clear message history > Delete.
iPhone
- On the chat list, swipe left on a chat.
- Tap Delete.
To wipe every chat on iPhone: profile > Settings > Chats > Clear Chat History > Delete Everything.
Deleting a group chat does not leave the group. You can find it again by searching the group name.
Clear Signal cache on Android
- Open your phone Settings > Apps > Signal.
- Tap Storage or Storage and cache.
- Tap Clear cache.
Do not tap Clear storage / Clear data unless you mean to reset Signal. That wipes local messages. Recover them only if you already have a backup and recovery key.
Reinstall the app if storage is still high
If you already cleaned media and Signal still looks huge, a fresh install can clear leftover cache and temp files that are hard to reach by hand.
- Turn on Signal Settings > Backups first, and save the recovery key. Without a backup, reinstalling deletes chats on this phone. iPhone cannot restore chats from an iCloud backup.
- Delete the app from your phone.
- Restart your phone.
- Install Signal again from the App Store or Google Play.
- Sign in and restore from backup if the app offers it.
This often frees a lot of space. You may need to download some media again after restore.
What to do next
After Signal is lighter, check your photo library for duplicates and similar shots. That is what Dedupo is for.
More app guides: Free up app storage.