Backups & Sync

iCloud Sync is a Supporter feature on iOS. Open Settings → Device Sync on each supported device, choose iCloud, and use the same iCloud account to sync your service records, contacts, visits, and preferences. Photos have a separate Include images in sync switch. Without an internet connection, the status says Waiting for connection; your changes are saved on the device and sync when you're back online. If a device signs in to a different Apple Account, iCloud Sync turns off there before any records are read or sent, and they stay on the device; turn sync back on to choose how to combine it with that account’s iCloud data. That device also stops sharing Supporter status from your previous account; if it was bought with this device’s App Store account, use Restore Purchases. A device set up from another device’s backup syncs as its own device automatically. Calendar Sync is a separate, free feature that publishes your upcoming Follow-ups to a dedicated calendar; it does not sync your app records between devices. Cloud Sync, the other option in Settings → Device Sync, is end-to-end encrypted and also syncs between an iPhone and an Android phone (see “What is Cloud Sync?”). A device syncs with one option at a time, and only with your devices on the same option, so choose the same one on each. On Android, Supporters can also sync between Android phones and tablets with Google Drive Sync (see “How do I sync my data between Android devices?”). To move to a new phone, including from an iPhone to an Android phone, see “How do I move to a new phone or switch between iPhone and Android?”.

Google Drive Sync is a Supporter feature on Android, in beta. On each Android phone or tablet, open Settings → Device Sync, choose Google Drive, and turn on Sync with Google Drive, then choose the same Google Account in Google's window and allow WitnessWork to keep its data in your Google Drive. It syncs your service records, plans, contacts, visits, categories, mileage, profile, and shared preferences; photos have a separate Include images in sync switch. Each device has its own switch, and settings like data protection mode, analytics consent, and onboarding stay on each device. While WitnessWork is open, changes from your other devices arrive within about a minute, and otherwise the next time you open it; tap Sync now to check right away. On a new Android device, choose From Google Drive on the “Pick up where you left off” setup screen to restore your data, which also brings your Supporter status over once that Google Account is connected. If a device connects a different Google Account, sync turns off there before anything is read or sent, and your records stay on the device. Google Drive Sync syncs only with your other Android devices that use it. To sync between an iPhone and an Android device, use Cloud Sync in Settings → Device Sync instead (see “What is Cloud Sync?”). To move your records to another phone, use Cloud Sync, Backup in Settings → Account, or a backup file from Settings → Backup & Restore.

Each Android device keeps one copy of your WitnessWork data, plus optional photos, in a hidden app folder in the Google Drive of the account you connected. Only WitnessWork can open that folder: it doesn't appear in the Drive app or website, other apps can't read it, and WitnessWork can't see anything else in your Drive. Your data goes straight between your device and Google and never passes through WitnessWork's servers. Google stores it under your Google Account like your other Drive files; it isn't end-to-end encrypted. WitnessWork keeps only a one-way code for the connected account on the device, not your email. The folder counts against your Google storage. To remove it, turn off sync on every device, then in Google Drive on the web open Settings → Manage apps → WitnessWork → Options → Delete hidden app data. Disconnecting Google Drive in Settings → Device Sync stops access from that device and leaves the folder for your other devices. To remove WitnessWork's access for every device, remove it under Third-party apps & services in your Google Account. Your JSON backups from Settings → Backup & Restore are separate and stay wherever you save them.

Open Settings → Device Sync and read the status. Check that every device uses Google Drive and is connected to the same Google Account and that Google Play services is installed and up to date. If the status says to reconnect, tap Reconnect Google Drive and allow access again; Google asks again if access was removed in your Google Account settings. If your Google storage is full, your changes stay on this device until there's room; free up space or get more storage, then tap Sync now. Sync needs an internet connection; the status says Waiting for connection until you're back online, and changes made offline are sent then while WitnessWork is open. If it says Google Drive is busy, Google is limiting requests for a while; your changes stay on this device and sync tries again on its own. If a device uses a newer version of WitnessWork, update every device. Google Drive Sync requires Supporter access; if it lapses, sync pauses and resumes when access returns. Keep an exported backup and the device with your latest data before rebuilding Google Drive data. Contact private support from the Help Center if syncing still fails, and keep householder details out of public reports.

Calendar Sync is free on iPhone, iPad, and Android. This answer covers iPhone and iPad, and How does Calendar Sync work on Android? covers Android. During first-time setup, or from the invitation in the notifications tray after updating, tap Add to Calendar to create a WitnessWork calendar (in iCloud when available). You can also set it up anytime in Settings → Preferences → Calendar Sync: allow full calendar access, then create a WitnessWork calendar or choose a calendar used only for WitnessWork. Updates need iCloud sign-in and an internet connection, even for Google or Outlook calendars. To use Google or Outlook, create a calendar with that provider, add the account in iPhone Settings → Apps → Calendar → Calendar Accounts, and turn on its calendars. Your default calendar and calendars stored only on this device can't be selected. Once a calendar is selected, every upcoming Follow-up is added automatically, including ones you already saved, as a 30-minute event. Calendar Sync adds all of your upcoming Follow-ups or none; to stop adding them, turn it off in Settings → Preferences → Calendar Sync. Past Follow-ups, service Plans, and recurring Plans aren't added. Each event gets the same alert as its Follow-up's Notify Me reminder, and no alert when Notify Me is off. Your calendar provider may add its own default alerts; for Google, remove them under that calendar's Event notifications in Google Calendar settings. Make changes in WitnessWork, because calendar edits, including alerts, may be replaced on the next update.

By default, published events contain a generic Follow-up title, the appointment time and duration, and a link that opens the Visit in WitnessWork. Include names and addresses is optional and applies across your devices; turning it on adds those details to published events. Visit notes and Follow-up topics are never exported. Your chosen calendar provider may sync events to other devices, shared calendars, and widgets, so check that calendar's sharing settings before including details. WitnessWork manages only events it marked as its own and does not import your personal calendar appointments. A private iCloud record stores device names and opaque identifiers, publishing ownership, the connected calendar's name and account label, shared options, and event identifiers. Appointment content stays in the chosen calendar account. Each device's calendar identifier and connection state stay local and are separate from app-data sync and backup files.

Exactly one device publishes your Follow-ups to avoid competing updates. The first device to connect becomes primary. On iOS devices using the same iCloud account, open Settings → Preferences → Calendar Sync to register each device, view the Primary device list, and choose a primary. Calendar Sync itself does not require Supporter. Follow-ups edited on another device reach the primary through existing app-data sync, which still requires Supporter and sync turned on in Settings → Device Sync; open WitnessWork on the primary to publish them. After a transfer, the new primary needs access to the same calendar account and full calendar permission. If a transfer is pending, reopen WitnessWork on the previous primary so it can finish its interrupted operation. There is no automatic timeout takeover if that device is permanently unavailable; use private support under Still need help? in the Help Center. Removing a stale device from the list does not delete its app records or calendar events.

If Calendar Sync stops updating, a Calendar updates paused notification appears in the notifications tray (the bell on Home): right away when something needs you, such as calendar access, or after a day for problems that often clear on their own, like no internet connection. Tap it for the fix, or choose Turn Off if you no longer want Follow-ups in your calendar. You can also open Settings → Preferences → Calendar Sync and read the displayed error. If WitnessWork needs calendar access, tap Open iPhone Settings, tap Calendars, and choose Full Access; Add Events Only isn't enough. When you come back to WitnessWork, setup or updates continue on their own. For connection problems, check your internet connection, iCloud sign-in, and calendar account, then tap Try Again. If setup says no calendar account can hold a WitnessWork calendar, turn on iCloud Calendars in iPhone Settings, then tap Try Again. Use Sync now on the primary device after your calendar account and app data finish syncing. A missing calendar must be reconnected or replaced; calendars renamed outside WitnessWork may need to be chosen again. When a previously published future event is missing, updates pause even if this device published it: calendar sync delays, deletion, and moving an event can look the same. Wait for the calendar account to finish syncing and confirm you chose the same dedicated calendar. Move any WitnessWork events you moved elsewhere back before retrying. Restore missing events is an explicit recovery option after those checks; it can create duplicates if copies are still downloading or remain elsewhere. A past Follow-up is not initially added. For pending device transfers, reopen the previous primary. If the problem continues, use the Help Center's private support option and include the app version, device and operating-system version, and the error shown. Keep contact details, calendar screenshots, notes, and backups out of public reports.

In Settings → Preferences → Calendar Sync, choose Turn Off Calendar Sync, or choose Turn Off on a Calendar updates paused notification. On the primary device, the one that updates your calendar, you can keep the events already added or remove them. Remove Events removes the marked events from the selected calendar, including previously exported history; unrelated events and the calendar itself remain. Turning it off on the primary stops updates from every device. On any other device, Calendar Sync turns off on that device only and the events stay. Events you keep, or that are left after uninstalling, are no longer updated until you set Calendar Sync up again. Uninstalling WitnessWork does not remove calendar events. You can remove an unused dedicated calendar in your calendar app after checking that it contains nothing you want to keep. Turning off Calendar Sync does not delete your Contacts, Visits, or Follow-ups in WitnessWork.

Calendar Sync is free on Android. During first-time setup, from the invitation in the notifications tray, or in Settings → Preferences → Calendar Sync, tap Add to Calendar or Choose a calendar, then allow calendar access. Create a WitnessWork calendar on this device, or choose an existing calendar used only for WitnessWork, such as one you created in Google Calendar and set to sync to this phone. A calendar created on the device stays on this device; a Google calendar also shows on your other devices and on the web. Main calendars can't be selected. Every upcoming Follow-up is then added as a 30-minute event with the same alert as its Notify Me reminder; Calendar Sync adds all of your upcoming Follow-ups or none. Past Follow-ups and Plans aren't added. Updates run when you open WitnessWork and after you save changes, and Sync now updates right away. Each event's description holds a WitnessWork link that identifies its Follow-up, so an update changes the existing event instead of adding another, even when another Android device updates the same Google calendar. Don't edit that link. An event you delete in your calendar app comes back on the next update. Android has no primary device and doesn't use iCloud, and Include names and addresses applies to this device only. If updates stop, for example because calendar access was turned off, a Calendar updates paused notification appears in the notifications tray; tap it for the fix, or open Calendar Sync to read the error. For calendar access, tap Open Settings, then Permissions → Calendar → Allow; setup or updates continue when you come back to WitnessWork. For other errors, tap Try Again. Turn Off Calendar Sync keeps or removes WitnessWork events; it never deletes the calendar or your other events. Uninstalling WitnessWork leaves its events, so remove them first if you don't want them. If the problem continues, use the private support option under Still need help? in the Help Center, and keep contact details and calendar screenshots out of public reports.

MyTime backups are supported. In MyTime, go to More → Settings → Backup and email yourself a backup, then save the attached .mytimedb file on your device. On Android, send it from MyTime on your iPhone and download the attachment on your Android phone. Open Settings → Import Data → From MyTime, or choose From MyTime during setup, choose that file, and review the preview before importing. Other apps' backup formats are not automatically supported. If you can export readable text, paste it into Scribe AI and review what it adds. Review its proposed records and warnings before saving. WitnessWork JSON backups belong in Settings → Backup & Restore instead. To bring in data from Notes or paper later, use Settings → Import Data.

For an automatic, end-to-end encrypted backup, turn on Backup in Settings → Account; see "What is WitnessWork Backup?". For a backup file, open Settings → Backup & Restore → Create Backup or Restore From Backup to export or restore a JSON backup on iOS or Android. To restore, choose the witness-work-backup.json file you saved with Create Backup. On a new device, you can also choose From a backup file on the “Pick up where you left off” setup screen; restoring there finishes setup with your restored profile. Backups include service records, plans, contacts, visits, categories, mileage, your pet, profile, and shared preferences. A restore replaces the included local data; older backups may omit categories or profile, which are kept as they are, and contacts in older backups keep their custom field values. A backup made with a newer version of WitnessWork can't be restored until you update WitnessWork on this device. If some items in a backup can't be read, the rest is restored and WitnessWork tells you how many items were left out. Device identity, sync settings, data protection mode, analytics consent, and onboarding progress stay local to this device. Photo files are not embedded in JSON backups. For iCloud or Google Drive photos, enable photo sync separately; Cloud Sync doesn't carry photos yet. A backup restores on iPhone or Android, so it can move your records from one to the other; to keep both in step instead, use Cloud Sync (see “What is Cloud Sync?”). Save a current backup before restoring and keep it in a private location; it can contain householder details. Use the Help Center’s private support option for recovery help.

A WitnessWork backup is structured JSON for the app to read, so it does not look like a printable Service Report. Keep the original file unchanged and restore it through Settings → Backup & Restore → Restore From Backup. If records are missing, preserve the original backup and create a separate backup of the device's current data before trying another restore. Email support with the app version and what happened; arrange any file sharing privately. Backup files can contain contact details and notes, so keep them out of public bug reports.

WitnessWork Backup keeps an end-to-end encrypted copy of your service records, time, plans, contacts, visits and notes, categories, mileage, profile, and shared settings on WitnessWork's server, so you can restore them on a new phone, on iPhone or Android. It's free for everyone and off until you turn it on: go to Settings → Account and turn on Back Up to WitnessWork. It then backs up when your data changes, when you leave the app, and at least once a day; Back Up Now backs up right away. If Last Backup shows a problem instead of a date, the note under it says what to do: Waiting for connection goes on by itself once you're online, Update required clears once you update WitnessWork, Too large means your data is over 20 MB (save a backup file in Settings → Backup & Restore instead), and Too many devices means you need to delete another device's backup first. Settings → Account shows when it last backed up and lists one backup for each of your devices. Photos aren't included (contact photos and photos in notes), and neither are this phone's own settings like data protection mode, sync settings, or analytics consent. A backup can be up to 20 MB, and an account can keep backups from up to 8 devices. It works alongside Cloud Sync, iCloud Sync, and Google Drive Sync, which keep your devices in step; the backup is a snapshot for moving to a new phone, including between iPhone and Android, or recovering a lost one.

No. Your phone encrypts the backup with a key made from your account key before it leaves the phone, and only your devices have that key. WitnessWork's server stores the encrypted backup, its size, when it was uploaded, and a random number for each device, never your name, email, or device name, and it can't read any of your records. That's also why no one can recover your backup for you: if you lose every phone that uses your account and your recovery key, your backup can't be opened by anyone, including us. Keep your recovery key somewhere safe (Settings → Account → Show Recovery Key).

Install WitnessWork on the new phone and bring your account over. With your old phone, use Set Up Another Device: during setup, tap "I already use WitnessWork", then From your other phone, and scan the code on the old phone (Settings → Account → Set Up Another Device). Without your old phone, use your recovery key: Settings → Account → Use a Recovery Key. The new phone then offers to restore your backup. When your other devices use Cloud Sync and are at least as up to date as the backup, your records arrive through Cloud Sync instead. If it has no records yet, tap Restore. If it already has records, choose Combine to keep them and add the backup's, or Replace to use only the backup. Restoring combines every device's backup on your account. You can also restore later from Settings → Account → Restore from Backup. A backup from a newer version of WitnessWork is left out until you update, and one that can't be read is skipped; the app tells you. When iCloud Keychain or Google's backup brings your account back on a reinstalled phone, the app offers your backup once. Afterwards, turn on Backup on the new phone too.

Go to Settings → Account. Tap one device's backup to delete just that one, or tap Delete Backup to delete every device's backup; both also turn off backup on this phone, and they're gone from the server right away. Other devices with backup on back up again the next time they're opened, or within about 20 minutes while they're open. Turning off Back Up to WitnessWork asks whether to delete this phone's backup too. A device's backup that hasn't been updated for 400 days is deleted automatically. Delete My Buddies Data (Buddies Settings) also deletes your backup, because it gives you a new account and recovery key; with backup on, the next backup goes to your new account. If deleting fails because you're offline, nothing changes; try again when you're connected.

Cloud Sync keeps your records the same on all your devices, including between an iPhone and an Android phone. Each device that uses it keeps an end-to-end encrypted copy of its data on WitnessWork's server, and your other devices on Cloud Sync combine those copies, usually within seconds while the app is open. It's the default for devices that haven't chosen a sync option. Open Settings → Device Sync to see which option this device uses, turn sync off, or switch to iCloud (Google Drive on Android). A device syncs one way at a time, and only with your devices that use the same option. Photos don't sync with Cloud Sync yet; they stay on the device that added them. When Cloud Sync needs Supporter access, or WitnessWork has paused it for a while, Settings → Device Sync says so; your changes stay on this device and sync once it's back, and Sync now checks again. A new phone you set up from your account's QR code or recovery key gets your records through Cloud Sync without a restore step. If your newest backup is newer than every Cloud Sync copy, for example from a phone that stayed on iCloud, the new phone offers to restore it too.

Cloud Sync is always end-to-end encrypted: each device's copy is encrypted on the device with a key only your devices have, so WitnessWork's server stores data it can't read. The server sees things like your anonymous account, how many of its devices sync, and the size and time of each copy, never what's in it. iCloud and Google Drive sync store a copy in your iCloud Drive or a hidden folder of your Google Drive. Apple and Google protect it, and Apple encrypts it end to end if you turned on Advanced Data Protection, but WitnessWork doesn't encrypt iCloud or Google Drive sync end to end itself. If you lose every device and your recovery key, Cloud Sync's copies can't be read by anyone, including us.

Open Settings → Device Sync and choose Cloud Sync, iCloud (Google Drive on Android), or Off. Switching keeps everything on this device and combines it with your devices on the new option; nothing is replaced, and nothing deleted on your other devices comes back. Leaving Cloud Sync removes this device's copy from WitnessWork's server; your other devices on Cloud Sync keep what they've already synced from it. Leaving iCloud or Google Drive leaves this device's last copy there, and your other devices keep syncing with each other but not with this one. A device that already used iCloud or Google Drive before Cloud Sync keeps it, and Settings offers the switch once. To sync all your devices together, choose the same option on each.

First check Settings → Device Sync: devices sync only with your devices that use the same option (Cloud Sync, iCloud, or Google Drive), so choose the same one on each. With Cloud Sync, keep the app open on both devices and check your internet connection; Sync now retries at once. If it says Cloud Sync is paused, nothing is wrong on your side: changes wait on this device and sync when it's back. For iCloud: on iOS, use the same Apple Account, turn on iCloud Drive, and enable WitnessWork under iCloud on each device. On Android, see “Google Drive Sync isn’t working on my Android device. What can I check?” iCloud sync requires Supporter access. Open Settings → Device Sync and use Sync now. Changes waiting to be sent are retried; an unreadable file or newer app version is shown in the status, so update every device and try again. The status shows Uploading to iCloud until Apple confirms the upload, and Last synced counts only confirmed uploads. If your iCloud storage is full, changes stay on this device; free up space or upgrade your storage in Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud and uploading resumes on its own. Keep an exported backup and the device containing your latest data. Rebuild iCloud data replaces the iCloud data with this device’s data and removes iCloud photos it doesn’t use. Your other devices switch to that data the next time they sync, replacing changes made on them before then, and the Home bell notes it. Update WitnessWork on every device first: an older version keeps its own data until it is updated. Contact private support from the Help Center if syncing remains incomplete. Keep householder details out of public reports.

Photo sync is an optional Supporter feature on iOS and Android for devices that sync with iCloud (Google Drive on Android). Open Settings → Device Sync and turn on Include images in sync. Photos don't sync with Cloud Sync yet; they stay on the device that added them. This uploads profile and contact photos to your private iCloud container (or WitnessWork's hidden Google Drive folder) and downloads referenced photos; they count against your iCloud or Google storage. Update WitnessWork on every device to use photo revisions safely. Pausing photo sync on one device keeps the uploaded files and local copies. To remove uploaded photos, choose Remove iCloud photos and pause photo sync on other devices first, or they can upload their copies again. Removing a contact or its photo removes downloaded copies when that change arrives; obsolete cloud copies are cleaned up after a one-day grace period. If a photo is missing, keep the device with the original, check storage and permissions, then use Sync now. Use the Help Center’s private support option if it still fails; do not include householder information in public reports.

Restart onboarding affects only this device. Choosing Set up fresh pauses iCloud sync until you explicitly enable it in Settings; then choose Merge both or Restore from iCloud as appropriate. Restore from iCloud reads other devices’ snapshots and replaces local data after confirmation. During onboarding, a device that already has records asks before replacing them, and Supporters can choose Merge instead. Keep this device’s data makes your other devices switch to this device’s data the next time they sync, replacing changes made on them before then. Restoring data does not send Buddies declines for plans absent from the backup. Recoverable deleted contact details are retained for up to 90 days, then removed while deletion evidence remains. Reminders are rebuilt on this device after merges and restores, keeping the reminder time chosen for each follow-up and plan; notification permission is required and only future reminders are scheduled. For recovery, keep the device with the latest records and export a backup before replacing data. Use private Help Center support if you need help.

Each device that uses iCloud Sync keeps its own copy of your data in your iCloud, and that copy stays after you stop using the device, even after a reinstall or a new phone. Remove it when you no longer use a device, for example one you sold, replaced, or reset. On a device that still syncs, open Settings → Device Sync → Devices and tap Remove beside the old device. Devices not synced in 90 or more days are marked. Removing deletes only that device’s copy from iCloud, including details it still held of contacts deleted elsewhere. This device keeps everything it has already synced, and your other devices aren’t changed. If the removed device is still in use, it adds its data back the next time it syncs; turn off iCloud Sync on it first if you want it to stop. Before removing a device, this device must finish syncing its data; if asked, go back, tap Sync now, and fix any problem the status shows. If the device uses a newer version of WitnessWork, update this device first. Devices replaced by Rebuild iCloud data can be removed at any time. Photos aren’t stored per device, so removing a device doesn’t remove photos; use Remove iCloud photos for that. Devices is part of Settings → Device Sync on every option, all Supporter features: with iCloud the copies are in your iCloud, with Google Drive on Android in your Google Drive, and with Cloud Sync, removing a device deletes its copy from WitnessWork's server. If you need help, use the Help Center’s private support option and keep householder details out of public reports.

MyTime Import needs an original .mytimedb backup created by MyTime. A PDF, text export, WitnessWork JSON backup, or a file renamed to .mytimedb will not work. To get one, go to More → Settings → Backup in MyTime and email yourself a backup, then save the attached file on your device and select it through Settings → Import Data → From MyTime. Keep the original file unchanged. If a valid backup still fails, email support privately with the error and app version; do not post the backup in a public issue.