RetraceDocs

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Backup & Restore

Export an encrypted backup of your timeline database and restore it on the same Mac or another Mac.

Updated August 2026

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Overview

Retrace can export your timeline database as an encrypted backup pair. You can keep that pair on an external drive, in cloud storage, or anywhere else you choose.

Restores are additive: Retrace keeps your current history and adds the history from the selected backup.

Note
Backup and restore is under Settings → Backup.

Export a Backup

  1. Open Settings → Backup.
  2. Choose Last 30 Days, Last 60 Days, Last 90 Days, or Custom Range.
  3. Review the number of captures that will be included.
  4. Click Export Backup and choose a location.

A successful export creates two files:

  • .retracebackup — your encrypted timeline database history
  • .retracekey — the unique key required to open that backup

When Retrace finishes verifying the pair, click Reveal Both in Finder to see the exact backup and key files together.

What the Backup Includes

  • Full-resolution screen captures
  • OCR text
  • Labels and their capture associations
  • Text notes and voice-note transcriptions
  • App activity
Important
Voice-note audio and its device-only encryption key are not included in a database backup. They remain on the Mac where they were recorded and cannot be restored from the backup pair.

Delete Backed-Up History

An eligible verified export offers Delete Only This Backed-Up History. This permanently removes only the local history proven to be in that backup; newer and unrelated history remains.

Important
Keep both the .retracebackup and .retracekeyfiles before deleting backed-up history. The deletion cannot be undone.

Restore a Backup

  1. Open Settings → Backup.
  2. Under Restore from Backup, select the .retracebackup file.
  3. Select its matching .retracekey file.
  4. Click Restore Backup.

Retrace verifies the pair, preserves your existing history, and adds the history from the selected backup.

What Gets Restored

A restore brings back the database history contained in the backup:

  • Screen captures and OCR text
  • Labels
  • Text notes and voice-note transcriptions
  • App activity

You can restore this history on another Mac with Retrace installed. Voice-note audio is not restored because it is not part of the backup.

Keep Both Files Safe

Every export receives a unique encryption key. Retrace cannot decrypt a backup without its matching .retracekey file, and a key from another export will not work.

  • Keep both files private.
  • Store a second copy somewhere safe.
  • Consider keeping the key separately from the backup for extra protection.
Important
If you lose the matching key file, the backup is permanently inaccessible. Retrace cannot recover the key for you.

Next Steps