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Tend Habit tracker

Data Management

Your habit data is valuable. This guide explains how to protect your data, transfer it between devices, and manage your habit history.

Backup and Restore

Why Backup Your Data?

Regular backups ensure you never lose your habit tracking progress. Backups are essential for:

  • Device changes - Moving to a new phone or tablet
  • App reinstalls - Recovering data after reinstalling Tend
  • Data protection - Safeguarding against accidental deletion
  • Multiple devices - Syncing habits across devices

Accessing Import/Export

  1. Open Settings (tap the gear icon in the top right)
  2. Tap Import/Export

Import/Export Screen

Exporting Your Data

How to Export

  1. In the Import/Export screen, tap Export Calendar Data
  2. Choose a location to save the backup file
  3. The app will create a file containing all your data
  4. You’ll see a success message when complete

What Gets Exported?

Your export file contains:

  • All habit configurations (names, icons, colors, schedules)
  • Complete completion history for all habits
  • Notification settings for each habit
  • App settings and preferences
  • Archive status for habits

Export File Format

The export creates a JSON file that includes:

  • Habits data
  • Calendar marks (completion records)
  • Notification schedules
  • User settings

This file is portable and can be imported on any device running Tend.

Best Practices for Backups

Frequency

  • Export weekly if you track habits daily
  • Export before major changes (deleting habits, clearing data)
  • Export before device changes or app updates

Storage

  • Save to cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)
  • Keep multiple backup versions
  • Name files with dates (e.g., “tend-backup-2024-02-08.json”)

Security

  • Backup files contain your personal habit data
  • Store in secure locations
  • Don’t share backup files publicly

Importing Data

How to Import

  1. In the Import/Export screen, tap Import Calendar Data
  2. Select your backup file
  3. The app will process the import
  4. You’ll see a summary of imported items

Import Behavior

When you import data:

  • Habits are merged - New habits are added, existing ones are updated
  • Completions are preserved - Your current progress is kept
  • Duplicates are handled - The app intelligently merges duplicate habits
  • Settings are updated - Imported settings override current ones

Import Success Message

After a successful import, you’ll see a message showing:

  • Number of habits imported
  • Number of calendar marks (completions) imported
  • Number of notifications imported
  • Number of settings imported

Example: “Imported 5 habits, 120 calendar marks, 8 notifications, and 4 settings”

Troubleshooting Imports

Import Failed

If import fails:

  • Verify the file is a valid Tend backup
  • Check the file isn’t corrupted
  • Ensure you have storage space available
  • Try exporting a new backup and importing that

Missing Data After Import

If some data is missing:

  • Check if habits are archived (Settings > Archive)
  • Verify the backup file was complete
  • Look at the import summary for counts

Duplicate Habits

If you see duplicate habits:

  • The import merged similar habits
  • Check habit names and settings
  • Archive or delete unwanted duplicates

Managing Archived Habits

Viewing Archived Habits

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Archive

Archive Screen

What Are Archived Habits?

Archived habits are habits you’re no longer actively tracking but want to keep for historical purposes. They:

  • Don’t appear in your main habit list
  • Retain all completion history
  • Can be restored at any time
  • Are included in exports

Archiving a Habit

To archive a habit:

  1. Long-press on the habit in your main list
  2. Select Archive Habit
  3. Confirm the action

The habit is moved to the archive and removed from your active list.

Restoring Archived Habits

To restore an archived habit:

  1. Go to Settings > Archive
  2. Find the habit you want to restore
  3. Tap on it
  4. Select Unarchive Habit
  5. Confirm the action

The habit returns to your active list with all its history intact.

When to Archive vs. Delete

Archive when:

  • You’ve completed a time-limited goal
  • Taking a break from a habit
  • Seasonal habits (e.g., “Swim daily” in summer)
  • Want to keep the history for reference

Delete when:

  • The habit was created by mistake
  • You’ll never need the data again
  • You want to completely remove all traces

Clearing Habit Data

What Is Clear Data?

The “Clear Data” option removes all completion marks for a specific habit while keeping the habit configuration.

How to Clear Data

  1. Long-press on a habit
  2. Select Clear Data
  3. Confirm the action

When to Use Clear Data

Use this feature when:

  • Starting a habit fresh after a long break
  • Resetting progress for a new challenge
  • Removing test completions
  • Correcting tracking mistakes

What Happens

After clearing data:

  • The habit remains in your list
  • All completion marks are deleted
  • Habit settings are unchanged
  • Notifications remain configured

Transferring Data Between Devices

Moving to a New Device

  1. On your old device:

    • Export your data
    • Save the file to cloud storage or email it to yourself

  2. On your new device:

    • Install Tend
    • Open the app (it will be empty initially)
    • Import your backup file
    • All your habits and history will appear

Syncing Multiple Devices

Tend doesn’t have automatic cloud sync, but you can manually sync:

  1. Primary device: Export data regularly
  2. Secondary device: Import the latest export
  3. Repeat as needed to keep devices in sync

Important: Manual syncing can lead to conflicts if you track on both devices between syncs. Choose one primary device for tracking.

Data Privacy and Security

What Data Is Stored?

Tend stores locally on your device:

  • Habit names and configurations
  • Completion dates and times
  • Notification schedules
  • App settings and preferences

Data Privacy

  • All data is stored locally on your device
  • No data is sent to external servers
  • Exports are under your control
  • You decide where backups are stored

Deleting All Data

To completely remove all data:

  1. Delete all habits individually, or
  2. Uninstall the app (removes all local data)

Note: There is no “delete all data” button. This is intentional to prevent accidental data loss.

Best Practices

Regular Maintenance

Weekly:

  • Review your active habits
  • Archive completed or paused habits
  • Export a backup

Monthly:

  • Check archived habits
  • Clean up old backups (keep recent ones)
  • Review statistics to identify patterns

When Changing Devices:

  • Export before removing the old device
  • Verify import on new device
  • Keep old device until confirmed

Organizing Your Data

  1. Use meaningful habit names - Makes backups easier to review
  2. Archive regularly - Keep active list focused
  3. Date your backups - Easy to identify the latest version
  4. Store backups securely - Cloud storage with encryption
  5. Test imports occasionally - Verify backups work

Avoiding Data Loss

Do:

  • Export before major changes
  • Keep multiple backup versions
  • Store backups in cloud storage
  • Verify exports completed successfully

Don’t:

  • Rely on a single backup
  • Delete habits without exporting first
  • Store backups only on the device
  • Ignore export errors

Troubleshooting

Can’t Find Exported File

Check these locations:

  • Downloads folder
  • Documents folder
  • The location you selected during export
  • Cloud storage sync folders

Export/Import Not Working

Try these steps:

  1. Restart the app
  2. Check storage permissions
  3. Ensure sufficient storage space
  4. Try a different save location
  5. Update to the latest app version

Lost Data After Update

If data is missing after an app update:

  1. Check if habits are archived
  2. Look for automatic backups
  3. Import your most recent manual backup
  4. Check if you’re viewing the correct date

Backup File Won’t Open

If you can’t import a backup:

  • Verify it’s a Tend export file (.json)
  • Check the file isn’t corrupted
  • Try opening in a text editor to verify it contains data
  • Use a different backup if available

Remember: Your habit data represents your commitment and progress. Regular backups ensure this valuable information is never lost!