Backup & Restore 💾

February 11, 2026 · View on GitHub

🌍 Languages: Deutsch · English

Secure your notes locally - independent from the server

📋 Overview

The backup system works completely offline and independent from the WebDAV server. Perfect for:

📥 Regular backups
📤 Migration to new server
🔄 Recovery after data loss
💾 Archiving old notes

📥 Create Backup

Step-by-Step

Open settings (⚙️ icon top right)
Find "Backup & Restore" section
Tap "📥 Create backup"
Choose location:
- 📁 Downloads
- 💳 SD card
- ☁️ Cloud folder (Nextcloud, Google Drive, etc.)
- 📧 Email as attachment
Done! Backup file is saved

File Format

Filename: simplenotes_backup_YYYY-MM-DD_HHmmss.json

Example: simplenotes_backup_2026-01-05_143022.json

Content:

{
  "version": "1.2.1",
  "exported_at": "2026-01-05T14:30:22Z",
  "notes_count": 42,
  "notes": [
    {
      "id": "abc-123-def",
      "title": "Shopping List",
      "content": "Milk\nBread\nCheese",
      "createdAt": 1704467422000,
      "updatedAt": 1704467422000
    }
  ]
}

Format details:

✅ Human-readable (formatted JSON)
✅ All data included (title, content, IDs, timestamps)
✅ Version info for compatibility
✅ Note count for validation

📤 Restore Backup

3 Restore Modes

1. Merge ⭐ Recommended

What happens:

✅ New notes from backup are added
✅ Existing notes remain unchanged
✅ No data loss

When to use:

Import backup from another device
Recover old notes
Restore accidentally deleted notes

Example:

App:    [Note A, Note B, Note C]
Backup: [Note A, Note D, Note E]
Result: [Note A, Note B, Note C, Note D, Note E]

2. Replace

What happens:

❌ ALL existing notes are deleted
✅ Backup notes are imported
⚠️ Irreversible (except through auto-backup)

When to use:

Server migration (complete restart)
Return to old backup state
App reinstallation

Example:

App:    [Note A, Note B, Note C]
Backup: [Note X, Note Y]
Result: [Note X, Note Y]

⚠️ Warning: Automatic safety backup is created!

3. Overwrite Duplicates

What happens:

✅ New notes from backup are added
🔄 On ID conflicts, backup wins
✅ Other notes remain unchanged

When to use:

Backup is newer than app data
Import desktop changes
Conflict resolution

Example:

App:    [Note A (v1), Note B, Note C]
Backup: [Note A (v2), Note D]
Result: [Note A (v2), Note B, Note C, Note D]

Restore Process

Settings → "📤 Restore from file"
Select backup file (.json)
Choose mode:
- 🔵 Merge (Default)
- 🟡 Overwrite duplicates
- 🔴 Replace (Caution!)
Confirm - Automatic safety backup is created
Wait - Import runs
Done! - Success message with number of imported notes

🛡️ Automatic Safety Backup

Before every restore:

✅ Automatic backup is created
📁 Saved in: Android/data/dev.dettmer.simplenotes/files/
🏷️ Filename: auto_backup_before_restore_YYYY-MM-DD_HHmmss.json
⏱️ Timestamp: Right before restore

Why?

Protection against accidental "Replace"
Ability to undo
Double security

Access via file manager:

/Android/data/dev.dettmer.simplenotes/files/auto_backup_before_restore_*.json

💡 Best Practices

Backup Strategy

Regular Backups

Daily:   ❌ Too often (server sync is enough)
Weekly:  ✅ Recommended for important notes
Monthly: ✅ Archiving
Before updates: ✅ Safety

3-2-1 Rule

3 copies - Original + 2 backups
2 media - e.g., SD card + cloud
1 offsite - e.g., cloud storage

Backup Locations

Local (fast):

📱 Internal storage / Downloads
💳 SD card
🖥️ PC (via USB)

Cloud (secure):

☁️ Nextcloud (self-hosted)
📧 Email to yourself
🗄️ Syncthing (sync between devices)

⚠️ Avoid:

❌ Google Drive / Dropbox (privacy)
❌ Only one copy
❌ Only on server (if server fails)

🔧 Advanced Usage

Edit Backup File

The .json file can be edited with any text editor:

Open with: VS Code, Notepad++, nano
Add/remove notes
Change title/content
Adjust IDs (for migration)
Save and import to app

⚠️ Important:

Keep valid JSON format
IDs must be unique (UUIDs)
Timestamps in milliseconds (Unix Epoch)

Bulk Import

Merge multiple backups:

Import backup 1 (Mode: Merge)
Import backup 2 (Mode: Merge)
Import backup 3 (Mode: Merge)
Result: All notes combined

Server Migration

Step-by-step:

Create backup on old server
Set up new server (see QUICKSTART.en.md)
Change server URL in app settings
Restore backup (Mode: Replace)
Test sync - All notes on new server

❌ Troubleshooting

"Invalid backup file"

Causes:

Corrupt JSON file
Wrong file extension (must be .json)
Incompatible app version

Solution:

Check JSON file with validator (e.g., jsonlint.com)
Verify file extension
Create backup with current app version

"No permission to save"

Causes:

Storage permission missing
Write-protected folder

Solution:

Android: Settings → Apps → Simple Notes → Permissions
Activate "Storage"
Choose different location

"Import failed"

Causes:

Not enough storage space
Corrupt backup file
App crash during import

Solution:

Free up storage space
Create new backup file
Restart app and try again

🔒 Security & Privacy

Data Protection

✅ Locally stored - No cloud upload without your action
✅ Optional encryption (v1.7.0+) - Password-protect backup files
✅ Human-readable - Plain JSON format when unencrypted
⚠️ Sensitive data? - Enable encryption or use external tools (e.g., 7-Zip)

Recommendations

🔐 Store backup files in encrypted container
🗑️ Regularly delete old backups
📧 Don't send via unencrypted email
☁️ Use self-hosted cloud (Nextcloud)

📊 Technical Details

Format Specification

JSON structure:

{
  "version": "string",        // App version at export
  "exported_at": "ISO8601",   // Export timestamp
  "notes_count": number,      // Number of notes
  "notes": [
    {
      "id": "UUID",           // Unique ID
      "title": "string",      // Note title
      "content": "string",    // Note content
      "createdAt": number,    // Unix timestamp (ms)
      "updatedAt": number     // Unix timestamp (ms)
    }
  ]
}

Compatibility

✅ v1.2.0+ - Fully compatible
⚠️ v1.1.x - Basic functions (without auto-backup)
❌ v1.0.x - Not supported

📚 See also:

QUICKSTART.md - App installation and setup
FEATURES.md - Complete feature list
DESKTOP.md - Desktop integration with Markdown

Last update: v1.8.1 (2026-02-11)