diff --git a/native/account/restore-backup-error-screen.react.js b/native/account/restore-backup-error-screen.react.js
--- a/native/account/restore-backup-error-screen.react.js
+++ b/native/account/restore-backup-error-screen.react.js
@@ -106,8 +106,15 @@
     navigation.navigate(LoggedOutModalRouteName);
   }, [navigation, loggedIn, logOut, dispatch, dispatchActionPromise]);
 
-  const deviceTypeWarning = React.useMemo(() => {
-    if (deviceType === 'secondary') {
+  const userFriendlyErrorMessage = React.useMemo(() => {
+    if (errorDetails === 'no_backup_data') {
+      return (
+        <Text style={styles.section}>
+          Your user data backup is not ready yet. Make sure the Comm app on your
+          primary device has been updated to the latest version, then try again.
+        </Text>
+      );
+    } else if (deviceType === 'secondary') {
       return (
         <Text style={styles.section}>
           Your backup appears to be corrupt. Be careful with your primary
@@ -121,13 +128,13 @@
         </Text>
       );
     }
-  }, [deviceType, styles.section]);
+  }, [deviceType, styles.section, errorDetails]);
 
   return (
     <AuthContainer>
       <AuthContentContainer style={styles.scrollViewContentContainer}>
         <Text style={styles.header}>Restoration failed</Text>
-        {deviceTypeWarning}
+        {userFriendlyErrorMessage}
         <View style={styles.errorDetailsContainer}>
           <Text style={styles.errorDetailsHeader}>Error message:</Text>
           <Text style={styles.errorDetails}>{errorDetails}</Text>
diff --git a/shared/backup_client/src/lib.rs b/shared/backup_client/src/lib.rs
--- a/shared/backup_client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/shared/backup_client/src/lib.rs
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@
     }
 
     let response = request.send().await?;
+    if response.status() == StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
+      return Err(Error::NoBackupData);
+    }
 
     let result = response.error_for_status()?.bytes().await?.to_vec();
     Ok(result)
@@ -402,6 +405,8 @@
   WSClosed,
   Unauthenticated,
   InvalidRequest,
+  #[display(fmt = "no_backup_data")]
+  NoBackupData,
 }
 
 impl Error {
diff --git a/web/account/restoration.react.js b/web/account/restoration.react.js
--- a/web/account/restoration.react.js
+++ b/web/account/restoration.react.js
@@ -160,6 +160,24 @@
     }
   }, [dispatch, dispatchActionPromise, loggedIn, logOut]);
 
+  const userFriendlyErrorMessage = React.useMemo(() => {
+    if (errorDetails === 'no_backup_data') {
+      return (
+        <div className={css.modalText}>
+          Your user data backup is not ready yet. Make sure the Comm app on your
+          primary device has been updated to the latest version, then try again.
+        </div>
+      );
+    } else {
+      return (
+        <div className={css.modalText}>
+          Your backup appears to be corrupt. Be careful with your primary
+          device, as you may lose data if you log out of it at this time.
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
+  }, [errorDetails]);
+
   return (
     <RestorationViewContainer
       title="Restoration failed"
@@ -167,10 +185,7 @@
       isError={true}
     >
       <div className={css.errorMessageContainer}>
-        <div className={css.modalText}>
-          Your backup appears to be corrupt. Be careful with your primary
-          device, as you may lose data if you log out of it at this time.
-        </div>
+        {userFriendlyErrorMessage}
         <div className={css.errorDetailsContainer}>
           <div className={css.errorDetailsHeader}>Error message:</div>
           <div className={css.errorDetails}>{errorDetails}</div>