Backup & Import

Cakeday supports three data flows: full backup, portable export, and share-package import. Each format is designed for a different job.

Full Backup (.cakeday)

.cakeday is the official full-backup format and the best choice for device migration or long-term archiving. It preserves:

Contact records
Custom groups
High-resolution avatars
Per-contact notification and calendar-sync settings
App-level reminder defaults, theme, display preferences, and date format settings

This is the closest option to a full restore.

General Export (JSON / CSV)

General Export (JSON) and General Export (CSV) are designed for portability and manual processing. They keep core fields such as:

Name
Group name
Solar or lunar calendar type
Birth year, month, and day
Zodiac sign
Notes

These formats do not include avatars, custom group styling, per-contact reminder configuration, or app-level preferences.

.cakeshare is optimized for person-to-person sharing. A share package can include contacts, avatars, and group information, and it supports encryption with an optional additional password.

When you import a .cakeshare file, Cakeday opens a per-person selection flow. You can choose exactly which people to add and review duplicate warnings before import. For protocol details, see the CakeShare guide.

Import Modes

When importing .cakeday, JSON, or CSV, Cakeday offers two import modes:

Overwrite Import: Replaces the current local database with the imported data.
Incremental Import: Adds new data while keeping the current local records in place.

Overwrite import is appropriate for migration and recovery. Incremental import is better for merging in new people.

iCloud and Overwrite Import

If iCloud Sync is currently enabled, overwrite import completes the local restore first and then pauses iCloud Sync. This gives you time to review the imported state before you decide when to re-enable sync and merge behavior.

That workflow is safer for high-impact restores because the cloud copy remains available as a rollback reference.

Duplicate Detection and Post-Import Handling

Cakeday detects duplicates using these fields:

Name
Calendar type (solar or lunar)
Month and day
Leap-month flag

Birth year is not part of the duplicate key, so two entries with the same name and month/day are still treated as duplicates even if their years differ.

During longer imports, the app shows visible progress. After import, Cakeday refreshes search indexes, widgets, and related extension data so the new state becomes visible across entry points as quickly as possible.

System Calendar Sync