Despo
Legal

Backups

Habits stay on your device by default. When you want a copy elsewhere, Android uses your Google Drive and iPhone uses iCloud: your accounts, not a Despo server.

Last updated August 28, 2026

How backups work

Despo is local-first. Nothing is uploaded until you connect a backup. Appearance and reminder settings stay on the device even when habits and checkmarks are backed up.

Android

Optional Google Drive backup. CSV files in a Despo folder, grouped by year.

iPhone

Optional iCloud Sync so habits stay in step across devices on the same Apple ID.

Android

Google Drive

Sign in with Google. The app on your phone only asks Google for permission to files it creates (drive.file). Backups are stored as CSV under Despo / [year] / Despo-backup-[timestamp].csv. We never see those files.

  1. Open Despo → Settings → Data → Google Drive.
  2. Tap Connect Google Drive and choose the Google account you want to use.
  3. Tap Backup now. Files appear in Drive in the Despo folder, inside a folder for the current year.
  4. Restore latest replaces habits and checkmarks on this device with the newest Drive backup. Export first if you want to keep what is on the phone.

Official Google Drive links

iPhone

iCloud

Turn on iCloud Sync to keep habits and checkmarks aligned on devices signed into the same Apple ID. We do not operate a separate Despo cloud. Apple stores iCloud data under your Apple Account.

  1. Open Despo → Settings → Data → iCloud.
  2. Tap Turn On iCloud Sync. Use the Apple ID already signed in on the device.
  3. Other iPhones with Despo and the same Apple ID can pick up habits and checkmarks once sync is on.
  4. Turn Off iCloud Sync stops new updates. Delete iCloud Data turns sync off for Despo on this Apple ID; local habits on this device stay.

Official iCloud links

Restore

  • Android. Settings → Google Drive → Restore latest. This overwrites habits and checkmarks on the device.
  • iPhone. Install Despo, sign into the same Apple ID, and turn on iCloud Sync so habits can catch up from iCloud.
  • If both a CSV export and a cloud backup exist, decide which copy you want before restoring. Restoring replaces what is on the phone.

CSV export (any platform)

Settings → Data → Export saves a CSV you can keep in Files, email, or another folder. Import accepts Despo CSV, some other tracker CSVs, and a Loop Habit Tracker database. CSV is the backup that does not need Google or Apple.

Delete backups

Disconnecting Drive or turning off iCloud in the app does not always wipe files already in your Google or Apple account. To remove those copies, follow Account deletion, or use the official Drive and iCloud delete guides linked above.

Privacy details: Google Privacy Policy · iCloud & Privacy · Despo Privacy Policy.