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Backup & Restore

Timesheet backs up your full local database — tasks, projects, breaks, notes, expenses, tags, rates, templates, automations, ToDos — to your iCloud Drive as a portable backup file. Backups are timestamped so you can roll back to any prior state. Optional end-to-end encryption protects the file body with a passphrase only you know.

Backup and restore are local-first, so they work without any Timesheet.io subscription. You only need an Apple ID with iCloud Drive enabled.

How to back up​

  1. Open More → Backup (or Backup in the iPad sidebar).
  2. Confirm iCloud Drive is turned on. If it's off, Timesheet shows a prompt with a shortcut to the iCloud Drive setting.
  3. Tap Back up now.

The new backup file is saved into your iCloud Drive → Timesheet → Backup folder. You can open the Files app any time to see the list, copy a file out, or share it.

Keeping the folder tidy​

Timesheet keeps your most recent backups (the last 10 by default) and quietly removes older ones after each successful backup. If you tap Back up now twice without any data changing in between, the second tap is skipped — no duplicates clutter your iCloud Drive.

Reminders​

A monthly reminder nudges you when it's been a while since your last backup. Tap Backup Reminder in the More menu to change the cadence or turn it off. If iCloud Drive is off on your device, the reminder is held back until you turn it on.

Encrypted backups​

By default, backup files are plain text — anyone with access to your iCloud Drive folder (Family Sharing members, someone using a shared Mac, anyone holding an unlocked device) could open them and read project names, customer names, notes, and rates.

Encrypted backups scramble the file with a passphrase only you know. Without that passphrase, the file is unreadable — even to Timesheet, even to Apple.

Rolling out cross-platform

The setup option is hidden in the current release while we bring matching encryption support to the Web and Android apps. If you already have encrypted backups from a previous version, restoring still works — Timesheet will prompt you for the passphrase as usual. The "Encrypt backups" toggle returns once Web and Android can read the same files.

Enabling encryption​

  1. Open More → Settings → Backup encryption.
  2. Toggle Encrypt backups ON.
  3. Enter a passphrase. The sheet asks twice to catch typos.
  4. Confirm.

From that point on, every new backup writes an encrypted file. Existing plain backups are left in place — Timesheet doesn't re-encrypt or delete them. If you want only encrypted copies, clear out the plain files manually from iCloud Drive after the first encrypted backup succeeds.

Disabling encryption​

Toggle Encrypt backups OFF. Your passphrase is removed from this device, and future backups go out unencrypted. Backups you already made stay encrypted — they still need the original passphrase if you want to restore them later.

How safe is it?​

Timesheet uses industry-standard encryption, the same family that banks and password managers rely on. Each backup is sealed with your passphrase using best-practice settings recommended by security researchers. Without the passphrase, even Timesheet can't decrypt the file.

Your passphrase is stored only on your device, kept inside the secure area iOS reserves for passwords and credit cards. Each Timesheet account on a shared device has its own slot — signing out and signing in as someone else doesn't share your passphrase.

Don't lose the passphrase

There's no way to recover an encrypted backup without the passphrase. If you forget it and don't have a plain backup, the file is unrecoverable. Save the passphrase in a password manager (1Password, Apple Passwords, Bitwarden) the day you enable encryption.

Restoring a backup​

  1. Open More → Backup.
  2. Tap Restore.
  3. Pick the backup file from the iCloud Drive picker. Timesheet opens straight to your Timesheet backup folder.
  4. Confirm — restoring replaces all current data with the backup's contents.
  5. If the file is encrypted and Timesheet doesn't already know the passphrase (e.g. you're restoring on a freshly-installed device), you'll be asked to enter it.

Restore is all-or-nothing. If something fails partway through (wrong passphrase, corrupted file, disk full), Timesheet rolls back to your previous data — you can't end up half-restored. Before touching anything, Timesheet also saves a copy of your current data under the name pre-restore-snapshot. If a restore worked but turned out to be the wrong backup, restore that snapshot to undo.

Restoring an encrypted backup on a device with encryption off​

This works the same way. Timesheet notices the file is encrypted, asks you for the passphrase, and uses it just to read the file. Future backups on that device stay unencrypted unless you turn encryption on too.

Restoring across devices​

Backups move freely between:

  • iPhone ↔ iPad — same Apple ID, same iCloud Drive, same file.
  • Different Apple IDs — copy the file out of iCloud Drive (in the Files app, long-press → Move) and import it on the destination device. The backup file is self-contained; the destination account doesn't have to match the source.

The receiving device needs a Timesheet build at the same or higher schema version than the file's. Older builds refuse files they can't reason about safely.

What's in a backup​

Everything Timesheet keeps on your device is in the backup:

  • Tasks, including break time, expenses, and notes
  • Projects with their rates, tags, location settings, and salary
  • ToDos
  • Tags, rates, task templates, automations

Your sign-in details and security keys aren't in the file — they re-sync automatically the next time you launch Timesheet on the restored device.

Troubleshooting​

  • "Back up now is greyed out." iCloud Drive is off on your device. Open iOS Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and turn on iCloud Drive. Come back to Timesheet and try again.
  • "It keeps asking for my passphrase." The passphrase you typed doesn't match this file. There's no "forgot passphrase" option — encrypted backups can't be recovered without it. Try other passphrases you might have used; a common cause is a backup made on a different Apple ID.
  • "Restore says the file is invalid." iCloud Drive sometimes truncates downloads on a flaky connection. Switch to Wi-Fi, open the Files app, long-press the backup file, and tap Download to force a fresh copy.
  • "My pre-restore snapshot is gone." The snapshot is overwritten by each new restore. If you want to keep a particular one, open the Files app and copy it somewhere safe before restoring again.
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