[grlass]

Signal keeps all downloaded media locally until you delete it.

They don't have the resources to store files on the cloud, even encrypted, and don't appear to have taken WhatsApp's approach of backing up unencrypted media and messages on user's third-party cloud services like Google Drive and iCloud.

You can mitigate this by having disappearing chats (current longest self-destruct time is 4 weeks), or by going to Settings->Data and Storage->Review Storage and deleting the largest files.

This isn't a great UX design, as users are not informed there is a problem, or how to solve it.

[nottorp]

Whatsapp can be configured to not save all the cat photos and memes to your library by default. You can still save the really good memes yourself if you want. Signal should just copy that feature.

Also, what good is secure encryption if i have to give out my phone number?

[tialaramex]

> Also, what good is secure encryption if i have to give out my phone number?

Actually how could you possibly deliver secure messaging if it doesn't work with simple identifiers you already have like your phone number? Everything should be secure, that's Signal's thesis.

This reminds me of the people who were convinced HTTPS should only be used for "important" stuff that "needs to be secure" like banking and so it's wrong to have HTTPS on your blog, or news site, or whatever.

[nottorp]

> Actually how could you possibly deliver secure messaging if it doesn't work with simple identifiers you already have like your phone number? Everything should be secure, that's Signal's thesis.

It's tying my Signal identity to my phone number. To speak in US terms, you're safe from your comms being intercepted by the KGB, but now you're a person of interest to the CIA :)

[Waterluvian]

I don’t want them keeping my data. I don’t want restoring data. I want the ability to purge 11gigs off my device.

When you select “delete all message history” it should free up the disk.