No way to recover from "Could Not Load Database"

[jsonfry]

• [x] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• [x] I am submitting a bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended
• [x] This isn't a feature request or a discussion topic

---

Bug description

When I open the app the app I get the error "Could Not Load Database" "Signal can't launch. Please send a debug log to...".

The problem is that I have no way to recover this, no option to start again, clear the database etc. Even with uninstalling the app fully (not just removing from homescreen) and reinstalling from the app store, the problem still persists. (Signal must be keeping some data around between installs).

Had this problem for many months, have emailed support a while ago but never heard back.

Steps to reproduce

For me,

• Open the app

Actual result: I see the error described above

Expected result: Ideally not corrupt the database 😅 but when you do, be given the option somehow to clear the database and start again, even if it means losing all messages.

Screenshots

Device info

Device: iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd Generation (A1876)

iOS version: 16.6 (20G75)

Signal version: 6.39

Link to debug log

https://debuglogs.org/ios/6.39.0/55f9af4b82e8c95383053a7fcf21a0bd2d2391cb094958b7339e898a4305576f.zip

[sashaweiss-signal]

Hi! We've seen rare reports of data persisting across uninstalls, which we were surprised by and are actively investigating.

Thanks for reporting, and we'll report back when we have an update.

[sashaweiss-signal]

@jsonfry, if you're open to helping us debug this issue, would you mind reaching out to Signal support (https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/requests/new) to connect with us? Please just reference this issue, and mention that I invited you to reach out, and we can go from there.

[jsonfry]

I have filled out the form, I look forward to hearing back from you!

[jsonfry]

Just wanted to check the support request had made it to you?

[Miguel-Signal]

@jsonfry Yes we received it! thank you.

[gonultasbu]

I think this issue is related with this as well:

https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-iOS/issues/5395

I am also having a slightly different issue with corrupted database, essentially bricking the app for me without any way to recover since 2023 May on iPhone.

Through personal research, I have come to the conclusion that Signal uses the local keychain on iOS devices, which is persistent and app removal does not remove the app data. If your Signal database is somewhat large, you can verify this by uninstalling the app and checking the storage statistics and see that data usage does not change. Local keychain cannot be modified and tampered by the end user, therefore removing the Signal database is not possible without going through a full factory reset, which is extremely frustrating because that does not even let me accept the data loss and go about using Signal again.

@sashaweiss-signal I would be willing to help you debug this problem, if needed. I have sent a debug log and further details to Signal support in May but have not heard a more detailed response since.

[jsonfry]

Yes that is exactly my experience too. Signal on my iOS device is unusable.

I’m not too bothered about losing the messages, so even a “wipe database” button (after pressing several warnings) would solve this for me.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[gonultasbu]

still active

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been closed due to inactivity.

[TarikBerk]

Having this issue right now and wonder if there’s a fix.

[robertsmd]

@Miguel-Signal @sashaweiss-signal @TarikBerk @jsonfry

I'm also having the issue. Would appreciate help.

[baknu]

Unfortunately, I am also running into this nasty issue since last week. It seems after an iOS update the Signal database got corrupt and the Signal app is unable to repair/recover it. Help would definitely be appreciated.