Where Does Delta Chat Store Profiles and Messages?
Delta Chat account folders on desktop, and the unencrypted backup file mobile users should handle with care.
Last updated
Delta Chat keeps one SQLite database per account, each in its own numbered folder with a blobs/ directory for media: %APPDATA%\DeltaChat\accounts on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/DeltaChat/accounts on Mac, ~/.config/DeltaChat/accounts on Linux.
Stuck on Flatpak or an odd build? Open the in app log folder (View, Developer, Open current log folder) and go up one level to find accounts/. Backups deserve caution: the exported archive is not encrypted and includes private keys, so encrypt it yourself and delete it after restoring.
Where Delta Chat stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\DeltaChat\accounts\[Account-ID]
Each numbered account folder holds one SQLite database plus blobs/ (media, avatars, attachments). Portable builds still write traces to Roaming and %TEMP%.
~/Library/Application Support/DeltaChat/accounts/[Account-ID]
Same per account SQLite plus blobs/ layout (follows the Electron convention). If the folder is not where expected, use the in app log folder trick and go up one level.
~/.config/DeltaChat/accounts/[Account-ID]
Same layout for AppImage, deb and Arch builds. Flatpak sandboxes elsewhere, so use View, Developer, Open current log folder and go up one level to locate accounts/.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move Delta Chat to a new computer?
Use Settings, Chats, Export Backup on the old machine (it writes a delta-chat date archive), then Restore from Backup on the new one. Copying raw account folders works only between identical builds, so prefer the backup flow.
Are Delta Chat backups encrypted?
No. The archive is a plain TAR with your database, media and private keys. Encrypt it yourself for transit, restore promptly, and delete the file afterwards rather than leaving it in Downloads.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.