What should you export before moving to a new diary app?
If you’re moving your diary to another app, export the entries and the files attached to them first, then keep a readable copy you can inspect without the old app. Before choosing a format, check what the new app can import: an archive that preserves structured entry data is useful for migration, while a PDF or text export is easier to browse but may leave out details or media. Save the original export unchanged and test a small sample in the destination app before moving everything.
Start with the destination app’s import options
Look up the destination app’s import instructions before exporting. Find out which formats it accepts, whether it can import photos and other attachments, and whether it can keep dates, tags, locations, and separate journals. Export features vary by app and platform, so a format offered on one device may not be available in the same way on another.
This check determines which file should be your main migration copy. If the new app accepts a structured archive from your current app, use that route and include its media files. If it accepts only a general format such as text or CSV, check which fields that route carries over. Don’t assume that a file that looks complete can be imported with all its details intact.
Save an archive with the entries and their media
For migration, prioritize an export intended to preserve entry data, along with the photos, videos, audio, or documents attached to entries. Keep the archive’s folder structure and any accompanying data file together. Avoid renaming or rearranging files until you know whether the destination app expects them in a particular structure.
As one example of why the format matters, Day One’s export guide describes its JSON export as a format for archiving and re-importing data to Day One or compatible apps. Its ZIP can include a JSON file and, optionally, media in separate folders. The same guide says its CSV export currently contains entry text and date, while its plain text or Markdown export does not include photos or photo references. These are details about Day One’s formats; another app may export different fields.
Check the export settings before starting. Choose all journals or the specific ones you intend to move, and include attachments if the option is available. If you’re exporting from a service that downloads media on demand, confirm that the files are available locally first. Day One’s web export instructions, for example, say users are prompted to download media that has not been downloaded locally before exporting.
Make a readable reference copy
If available, also save entries in a format you can open independently, such as PDF or Markdown. A readable copy can help you check whether the archive contains the entries you expect and can remain useful for browsing even if the destination app handles the import differently. Treat it as a reference copy unless the new app explicitly supports importing that format with the details you need.
Formats trade convenience for structure. A PDF can keep an entry’s text and images together on the page, but that does not make it a structured import file. Plain text may preserve wording while dropping photographs or formatting. A CSV may suit entries with simple fields, but check its column list before relying on it to preserve tags, locations, or attachments. Read the current export documentation for your app rather than assuming these examples apply to it.
Keep an app or device backup separate
An export for moving entries and a full device backup serve different purposes. A device backup may help restore information to a device, but it may not provide a file the destination diary app can import. For Apple’s Journal app, Apple’s instructions describe exporting entries as a ZIP that includes photos, locations, and other media added to entries. Apple also explains that including Journal entries in a computer backup requires an encrypted iPhone backup. Don’t treat that encrypted backup as a substitute for the app’s export when your goal is to move entries into another app.
Use this pre-move check
Before you consider the export ready, confirm each of these points:
An export’s ZIP contents can often be inspected without importing it. Look for the data file and media folders, and check that their sizes are plausible for the amount of material you expect. File presence alone does not prove that every attachment is linked to the right entry, so check a few entries after importing too.
Test the move with a small sample
If the destination app supports selective import, try a small group of entries first. Include more than one date and, if relevant, an entry with a photo or other attachment. After import, compare the sample against the original: dates, text, formatting, tags, and media. If anything is missing or changed, pause and check the destination app’s format requirements before importing the full archive.
Some destination apps cannot accept a source app’s proprietary archive. In that case, use the best documented format both apps support, and keep the original archive and readable copy as references. You may need to add some details again by hand; exporting those fields is not a guarantee the new app can map or preserve them.
A practical export set
For most moves, prepare three things: a structured export with media for migration, a readable PDF or text copy for reference, and a separate backup if you also want device-level recovery. Verify the destination app’s import limits and test a sample before relying on the transfer. This gives you a clear record of what the old app provided and a way to inspect what actually arrived.