Where Does Delta Chat Store Backups and Profiles?
Delta Chat profiles live per account in its app data folder, while manual backups export as dated archives you store yourself.
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Delta Chat is email under the hood, so your messages exist on the server too. What lives only on the device is the profile: keys, local state, and media cache. The desktop app keeps one folder per profile in its data directory, and the mobile apps mirror that layout in private storage.
The supported safety net is a manual backup from inside the app, which writes a dated archive wherever you choose. Run one before device moves and before beta updates. Profile folders can be copied between desktops in a pinch, but the in app backup plus restore is the path that actually gets tested.
Where Delta Chat stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\DeltaChat
One folder per profile with the account database inside. Use the in app backup to export a dated archive to your own storage, and restore it through add profile on the new machine.
~/Library/Application Support/DeltaChat
Same per profile layout as Windows. Copy the backup archive off the Mac, since a profile folder alone restores poorly without the export step.
~/.config/DeltaChat
Identical structure under XDG config home. The backup flow in settings is the same on all desktop platforms.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move Delta Chat to a new phone?
Copy the backup file to the new device, install Delta Chat, choose add profile, and restore from the backup. Reconnect each transport afterwards, since passwords and sessions need fresh logins.
Is the manual backup still needed with multi device sync?
Manual backups protect against exactly that: lost devices, failed transfers, and corrupted profiles. Automatic sync covers daily use, snapshots cover disasters. Keep at least one recent file outside the phone.
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