Export journal entries before you need to

Most of the time you never think about how to export journal entries. Then you get a new phone, or an update goes wrong, or you just want a copy that’s yours. The best time to export is before any of that happens.

This page walks through exactly what Diary BFF’s export does, using the words you’ll see in the app.

Where it is

In Diary BFF, open Settings, then Export and import, then Export your diary. Exporting doesn’t need the full version.

What goes in the file

Every entry goes in: the writing, timestamps, your diary BFF’s replies, Sunday letters and your chats, packed into a JSON file you keep. That’s the whole night, not only the words you typed.

Photos and voice notes

You choose how they travel:

Pack into the file (recommended). Photos and voice notes go inside the file, so they restore offline on a new device. The file gets bigger.
Keep links only. A small file, but the photos still live in the cloud.

Lock the backup, or don’t

There’s an optional Password field. With a password, the file opens only with that password. Lose it and the backup can’t be opened.

Leave it blank and the file is plain text, readable by whoever opens it. That’s fine on your own phone; if you’re moving it anywhere else, add a password.

This password is separate from your diary’s PIN.

Saving it

Tap Export backup, then Save the file, and the share sheet opens so you can pick where it goes, like Files. The app tells you how many entries it exported, and whether the file has a password.

Bringing it back

On a new phone or after a reinstall, open Settings, then Export and import, then Import a diary, and choose the file. If you set a password, enter it. Entries already in your diary are skipped, and nothing already written gets overwritten, so importing the same file twice doesn’t double anything.

Before you delete anything

If you ever delete your account, the app offers Export a copy first. Deleting can’t be undone, so take the copy.

A good habit

Export before you switch phones.
Add a password if the file is leaving your phone.
Keep the password somewhere you’ll find it.

Try it tonight

Download Diary BFF, set a PIN, and write tonight. Your first reply comes with the app; more replies and the full Sunday letter are part of the full version.