This is the most important article in the guide.
Deeta keeps everything on your iPhone. Nothing is held on a Deeta server that we could send back to you. Your iPhone's own iCloud backup includes Deeta's data, encrypted — but an export is the copy you control, it works on any iPhone, and it takes about ten seconds.
Making a backup
-
Settings → Privacy → Export My Data.
-
Export my data.
-
Deeta builds it and offers the share sheet. When it's done it tells you so, rather than leaving you wondering.
-
Save to Files → iCloud Drive is a good home. Or email it to yourself, or drop it in Dropbox.
The row shows when you last exported, so you can tell at a glance whether your copy is current.
What you get
A folder, not a single file. It's named DeetaExport- followed by a long string of characters, and inside it you'll find:
-
deeta-export-plus the date, ending.deeta— the backup itself, and the one Deeta reads when you restore -
export.json— the same data again, under the name older versions of Deeta look for -
contacts.csvanddeets.csv— the same information as spreadsheets, so you can open it in Numbers or Excel -
README.txt— plain English explaining each file -
server_data.json— what Deeta holds about your account on its servers, if Deeta could reach them while exporting
Keep the whole folder together. Everything is in there: contacts, deets, groups, tags, your own card, shares you've sent, your settings.
Contact photos aren't included. After you restore, Deeta fetches them again for contacts that are in your iPhone's Contacts.
It's readable — not encrypted — so treat it like your contacts and everything you've noted about them, because that's what it is. Don't leave it anywhere public.
When to make one
-
Right now, if you haven't
-
Before changing iPhone
-
Before deleting and reinstalling
-
Every so often, as a habit
Turn on Backup reminder in Settings → Alerts and Deeta reminds you once a month. The reminder is easy to ignore; the loss isn't.
Restoring
-
Settings → Privacy → Import Data.
-
Pick your backup: the
DeetaExport-…folder, or the.deetafile inside it. A backup from an older version of Deeta has onlyexport.json, and that works too. -
Deeta checks it and shows you what's inside: contacts, deets, groups, tags, deet sets and shared links, whether your settings and profile are included, and the date the backup was made.
-
Confirm.
When it finishes, Deeta reconnects the links you'd shared, then shows what came back. Anything you changed after the backup's date isn't in it. If Deeta is closed partway through, it puts back what was on this iPhone the next time you open it.
Restoring wipes what's here first
Importing a backup replaces this iPhone's Deeta data. It doesn't merge.
That's deliberate — a merge would leave you with duplicates and no reliable way to tell which version of a deet was right.
Deeta makes you work for it: an explicit warning, an offer to export the current contents first, and a phrase to type before it will proceed. If you're restoring into an empty Deeta there's nothing to lose, but read the screens anyway.
Restoring when you first set up Deeta
You don't have to finish setting up and then restore. If you sign in on a new iPhone and Deeta sees the account already has data, it offers you the choice up front:
Bring your data to this iPhone. This account already has data. Choose how to load it.
-
Use a backup file you exported — pick your
DeetaExport-…folder (or the.deetafile inside it) and your details come back as they were. Deeta then asks for access to your Contacts so it can reconnect everyone. -
Rebuild from your address book — start fresh from your iPhone's Contacts instead
Choose the backup if you have one. It brings back your deets, groups and tags; rebuilding from Contacts only brings back the people.
Moving to a new iPhone
-
Export on the old one.
-
Save the folder somewhere both can reach — iCloud Drive.
-
Install Deeta on the new one, sign in.
-
Choose Use a backup file you exported when it asks, or import later from Settings.
Do the export before you wipe or trade in the old iPhone.
If you set up the new iPhone from an iCloud backup of the old one — or from an encrypted backup on a computer — with iCloud Keychain on, Deeta's data comes across with it. Export anyway: it's the copy that doesn't depend on any of that.
Your subscription moves on its own — it's on your Apple ID.
Troubleshooting
"That folder isn't a Deeta backup — it has no .deeta file." You've picked the wrong folder. Look for one named DeetaExport- followed by a long string, or go into it and pick the .deeta file directly.
I picked a file and it said it was the wrong one. Some exports also contain a server_data.json. That isn't the backup — pick the .deeta file, or the folder itself.
There's no server_data.json in mine. Normal. It's only included when Deeta could reach its server while exporting. Your backup is complete without it.
"This file isn't a Deeta export, or it's damaged." Use the folder exactly as exported. Zipped or renamed files may not open.
The export won't finish. A large database takes a moment. Keep Deeta open. If it fails, close and reopen the app and try again.
I can't find the folder I saved. Open the Files app and search for "DeetaExport". Check iCloud Drive → Downloads.
Import shows fewer contacts than expected. The preview counts what's actually in the file. If that's low, the export was made before you'd added them.
Can I import someone else's backup? It would replace yours with theirs. Don't.
I imported and my subscription vanished. It didn't — plans live on your Apple ID. Try Restore purchases in Settings → Plan.
I want to merge two devices' data. Not supported. Pick the fuller one, export it, import to the other.
"Local data couldn't be unlocked." This iPhone was restored from a backup and Deeta's data arrived before the key that opens it. Your account is safe. Wait a few minutes and tap Try again. Check that iCloud Keychain is on and that you're signed in to the same Apple Account as before; a computer backup made without encryption doesn't carry the key. Only tap Delete all Deeta data & start over if you've given up on that data — it permanently deletes the contacts and deets on this iPhone. You can then import an exported backup.
Questions
Is the backup encrypted? No — it's plain files with a README, so you can read and keep them yourself. Store it somewhere private.
How big is it? Usually small. Contact photos aren't included.
Can I open it on a computer? Yes. It's ordinary text-based files, and two of them are spreadsheets.
Does it include shares people sent me? It includes the contacts and deets you received, yes.
Is this the same as deleting my data? No. Export just makes a copy — see Exporting or deleting your data for deletion.
Will automatic backup arrive? Sync across your devices is arriving in a later release, encrypted so only your devices can read it — not even Deeta. Until then, exporting is manual and worth doing.
Isn't live sync the same thing? No, and it's worth not confusing them. Live updates keep other people's copy of your card current. It does not back up your contacts, and it is not a copy you can restore from.