title: Backup & Restore

description: Save and restore your keyboard configuration

category: Troubleshooting

difficulty: beginner

Backup & Restore

Protect your keyboard configuration by creating backups that can be restored later or transferred to another device.

Quick Summary

What	How

Backup	Settings > Profiles > Export
Restore	Settings > Profiles > Import
Format	JSON file

What Gets Backed Up

Full Profile Backup

Component

Included

Settings	All preferences
Theme	Colors, appearance
Customizations	Per-key actions
Extra Keys	Bottom row setup
Layouts	Installed layouts, order
Personal Dictionary	Optional

Backup Contents

{
  "version": 1,
  "exported": "2024-12-15T10:30:00Z",
  "profile": {
    "name": "My Profile",
    "settings": { ... },
    "theme": { ... },
    "customizations": { ... },
    "layouts": [ ... ],
    "dictionary": [ ... ]  // If included
  }
}

Creating a Backup

Step 1: Open Profiles

1. Open Settings
2. Navigate to Profiles
3. Tap Export Profile

Step 2: Choose What to Include

Option

Description

Include Dictionary	Personal words
Include History	Clipboard history
Include Language Packs	Downloaded packs

Step 3: Save File

1. Choose location (Downloads, Cloud, etc.)
2. Enter filename
3. Tap Save

Step 4: Verify Backup

• Check file exists in chosen location
• File should be several KB to MB depending on contents

Restoring from Backup

Step 1: Access Import

1. Open Settings > Profiles
2. Tap Import Profile
3. Browse to backup file

Step 2: Choose What to Restore

Option

Description

Replace All	Overwrite current config
Merge	Add to existing config
Preview	See contents first

Step 3: Confirm Import

1. Review what will be changed
2. Tap Import
3. Restart keyboard if prompted

Automatic Backups

Enable Auto-Backup

1. Go to Settings > Profiles
2. Enable Auto-Backup
3. Choose frequency:

- Daily

- Weekly

- On change

Backup Location

Auto-backups are stored in:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/app.cleverkeys/backups/

Or cloud location if configured.

Manage Auto-Backups

Setting

Options

Keep	Last 5, 10, 20 backups
Location	Local, Google Drive
Include Dictionary	Yes/No

Transfer to New Device

Method 1: File Transfer

1. Export profile on old device
2. Transfer file (USB, email, cloud)
3. Import on new device

Method 2: Cloud Storage

1. Export to Google Drive
2. On new device, import from Drive

Method 3: QR Code

1. Generate QR code from profile
2. Scan on new device
3. Profile imports automatically

Backup Best Practices

• Regular backups: Weekly or after major changes
• Multiple copies: Keep backups in different locations
• Test restores: Occasionally verify backups work
• Before updates: Backup before app updates
• Before reset: Always backup before resetting

[!TIP]

Enable auto-backup to ensure you always have a recent backup available.

Troubleshooting Backups

Import Fails

Issue

Solution

File corrupt	Try different backup
Version mismatch	Update app first
Permission denied	Grant storage permission

Settings Not Applied

1. Force stop keyboard
2. Re-enable in system settings
3. Try import again

Partial Restore

If only some settings restored:

1. Check what was included in backup
2. Try Replace All instead of Merge

Export Individual Components

Dictionary Only

1. Settings > Privacy
2. Export Dictionary
3. Imports as separate file

Theme Only

1. Settings > Theme
2. Export Theme
3. Share with others

Customizations Only

1. Settings > Customization
2. Export Customizations
3. Apply to other profiles

Common Questions

Q: How large are backup files?

A: Typically 10KB-1MB without dictionary, up to 5MB with large dictionary.

Q: Can I share backups with others?

A: Yes, but personal dictionary may contain private words.

Q: Will backup work across app versions?

A: Yes, backups include version info for compatibility.

Q: Can I edit backup files manually?

A: Yes, they're JSON. But be careful not to corrupt the format.