diff --git a/native/backup/backup-handler.js b/native/backup/backup-handler.js
--- a/native/backup/backup-handler.js
+++ b/native/backup/backup-handler.js
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
   const currentUserID = useSelector(
     state => state.currentUserInfo && state.currentUserInfo.id,
   );
+  const isBackupEnabled = useSelector(
+    state => state.localSettings.isBackupEnabled,
+  );
   const loggedIn = useSelector(isLoggedIn);
   const isStaff = useIsCurrentUserStaff();
 
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     (async () => {
-      if (!loggedIn || !(isStaff || isDev)) {
+      if (!isBackupEnabled || !loggedIn || !(isStaff || isDev)) {
         return;
       }
 
@@ -54,7 +57,14 @@
         Alert.alert('Backup protocol result', message);
       }
     })();
-  }, [currentUserID, isStaff, loggedIn, uploadBackupProtocol, userStore]);
+  }, [
+    currentUserID,
+    isBackupEnabled,
+    isStaff,
+    loggedIn,
+    uploadBackupProtocol,
+    userStore,
+  ]);
 
   return null;
 }
diff --git a/native/redux/action-types.js b/native/redux/action-types.js
--- a/native/redux/action-types.js
+++ b/native/redux/action-types.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import type { AppState } from './state-types.js';
 import type { DeviceCameraInfo } from '../types/camera.js';
 import type { ConnectivityInfo } from '../types/connectivity.js';
+import type { LocalSettings } from '../types/local-settings-types.js';
 import type { GlobalThemeInfo } from '../types/themes.js';
 
 export const updateDimensionsActiveType = 'UPDATE_DIMENSIONS';
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
   'UPDATE_THREAD_LAST_NAVIGATED';
 export const setStoreLoadedActionType = 'SET_STORE_LOADED';
 export const setReduxStateActionType = 'SET_REDUX_STATE';
+export const setLocalSettingsActionType = 'SET_LOCAL_SETTINGS';
 
 export const backgroundActionTypes: Set<string> = new Set([
   saveMessagesActionType,
@@ -62,4 +64,5 @@
     }
   | {
       +type: 'SET_STORE_LOADED',
-    };
+    }
+  | { +type: 'SET_LOCAL_SETTINGS', +payload: LocalSettings };
diff --git a/native/redux/redux-setup.js b/native/redux/redux-setup.js
--- a/native/redux/redux-setup.js
+++ b/native/redux/redux-setup.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
   setReduxStateActionType,
   setStoreLoadedActionType,
   type Action,
+  setLocalSettingsActionType,
 } from './action-types.js';
 import { remoteReduxDevServerConfig } from './dev-tools.js';
 import { defaultDimensionsInfo } from './dimensions-updater.react.js';
@@ -128,6 +129,9 @@
       },
     },
   },
+  localSettings: {
+    isBackupEnabled: false,
+  },
 }: AppState);
 
 function reducer(state: AppState = defaultState, action: Action) {
@@ -298,6 +302,11 @@
       });
     }
     return state;
+  } else if (action.type === setLocalSettingsActionType) {
+    return {
+      ...state,
+      localSettings: { ...state.localSettings, ...action.payload },
+    };
   }
 
   if (action.type === setNewSessionActionType) {
diff --git a/native/redux/state-types.js b/native/redux/state-types.js
--- a/native/redux/state-types.js
+++ b/native/redux/state-types.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import type { NavInfo } from '../navigation/default-state.js';
 import type { DeviceCameraInfo } from '../types/camera.js';
 import type { ConnectivityInfo } from '../types/connectivity.js';
+import type { LocalSettings } from '../types/local-settings-types.js';
 import type { GlobalThemeInfo } from '../types/themes.js';
 
 export type AppState = {
@@ -59,4 +60,5 @@
   +inviteLinksStore: InviteLinksStore,
   +lastCommunicatedPlatformDetails: LastCommunicatedPlatformDetails,
   +keyserverStore: KeyserverStore,
+  +localSettings: LocalSettings,
 };
diff --git a/native/types/local-settings-types.js b/native/types/local-settings-types.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/native/types/local-settings-types.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// @flow
+
+export type LocalSettings = {
+  +isBackupEnabled: boolean,
+};