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Encrypted Backup Guide

Protect your journal with offline encrypted backups. Even if you lose access to iCloud, your memories are safe with a simple 12-word recovery phrase.

📖 8 min read 🔒 Security Guide
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iCloud-Independent

Restore your journal even if you lose access to your iCloud account.
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Military-Grade Encryption

AES-256 encryption — the same standard used by banks and governments.
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Simple Recovery

Just 12 easy-to-remember words. No technical knowledge needed.
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Free for Everyone

Encrypted backups are available on all plans, including Free.

What is Encrypted Backup?

Eristotle's Encrypted Backup feature lets you create a secure, portable copy of your journal that you can store anywhere — locally on your PC, on a flash drive, in Google Drive or OneDrive, etc. The backup file is encrypted with a password only you know: your 12-word recovery phrase.

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Think of it like a safe: Your journal entries are locked inside a digital safe. The 12-word phrase is the combination to open it. Without the combination, the contents are completely unreadable — even to us.

Why would I need this?

By default, Eristotle syncs your journal to your private iCloud account. This works great if you always have access to iCloud, but what if:

  • You forget your Apple ID password and can't recover your account?
  • You want to keep a backup completely offline for extra peace of mind?
  • You're switching to Android or Web App and want to transfer your data?
  • You lose your device or it gets stolen?

Encrypted Backup gives you a safety net that doesn't depend on any cloud service.

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Your Recovery Phrase

Your recovery phrase is a set of 12 simple English words that act as a password for your encrypted backups. This system is called BIP39 — it's the same technology used to secure cryptocurrency wallets worth millions of dollars.

Example Recovery Phrase
apple river sunset
This is just an example — your phrase will be unique to you

Why 12 words instead of a password?

Traditional Passwords
  • Hard to remember complex passwords
  • People reuse passwords across sites
  • Can be guessed or hacked
  • Often written down insecurely
12-Word Recovery Phrase
  • Easy to read and write down correctly
  • Virtually impossible to guess (2¹²⁸ combinations)
  • Can be memorized with practice
  • No special characters to confuse
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Critical: Never share your recovery phrase! Anyone who has these 12 words can decrypt your backup files. Treat it like a key to your diary.
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Creating an Encrypted Backup

Creating a backup takes just a few taps. Here's how:

1

Open Export Options

Go to More → Export Data in the app.

2

Select Encrypted Backup

Choose "Encrypted Backup" from the export options.

3

Enter Your Recovery Phrase

Type all 12 words in the exact order, or scan your Recovery Kit QR code for convenience.

4

Save Your Backup File

Eristotle creates a file named Eristotle_Backup_YYYY-MM-DD.enc. Save it to your preferred location.

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Pro Tip: Store your backup file in multiple places — locally on you PC, a flash drive, an alternate cloud storage (the file is encrypted, so it's safe).
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Restoring from Backup

If you ever need to restore your journal — whether on a new device or after losing iCloud access — the process is simple. After downloading Eristotle:

1

Open Import Options

Go to More → Data Management → Import Encrypted Backup.

2

Select Your Backup File

Choose the .enc file you want to restore from.

3

Enter Your Recovery Phrase

Type the same 12 words you used when creating the backup, or scan the QR code from your Recovery Kit.

4

Entries Are Restored

Your journal entries will be imported. Duplicates are automatically skipped, so you won't get double entries.

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Word order matters! The 12 words must be entered in the exact same order as when you created the backup. "apple river sunset" is not the same as "river apple sunset".
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Your Recovery Kit PDF

Eristotle can generate a Recovery Kit — a PDF document that contains your 12-word phrase along with a QR code for easy scanning. This is makes it easy to retrieve your recovery phrase.

What's in the Recovery Kit?

  • Your 12-word recovery phrase — clearly printed and easy to read
  • A QR code — you can scan it instead of manually typing all 12 words
  • The date created — so you know when this kit was generated
  • Instructions — step-by-step guide for creating and restoring backups

How to Get Your Recovery Kit

  1. Open Recovery Kit Settings

    Go to More → Data Management → Recovery Kit.

  2. Generate Your Kit

    Tap "Export Recovery Kit" to create your personalized PDF.

  3. Save or Print

    Save the PDF to a secure location. You can also print it and store the paper copy somewhere safe.

Where to Store Your Recovery Kit

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Good Ideas
  • Locally on a PC, external drive or flash drive
  • An encrypted password manager (1Password, Bitwarden)
  • An alternate cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive
  • A printed copy somewhere safe
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Bad Ideas
  • In the same iCloud used by the app
  • Shared publicly anywhere
  • In an unencrypted notes app

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use any 12 words I want?

No — your recovery phrase is generated from a special list of 2,048 words (the BIP39 word list) and includes a mathematical checksum for error detection. Eristotle generates a secure, random phrase for you. You cannot create your own.

What if I forget my recovery phrase?

Unfortunately, if you lose your recovery phrase and your Recovery Kit, there is no way to decrypt your backup files. This is by design — it means no one else can access your data either. That's why we strongly recommend printing or saving your Recovery Kit PDF in a safe place.

Is my backup file safe to store in the cloud?

Yes! The .enc backup file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, which is virtually unbreakable without your recovery phrase. You can safely store it locally on your PC, Google Drive, OneDrive, or any other cloud storage. Without the 12 words, the file is just garbled text.

Does the recovery phrase change?

Your recovery phrase is generated once and stays the same for your device identity. If you export multiple backups over time, they all use the same phrase. This means you only need to save your Recovery Kit once.

Can I have multiple recovery phrases?

Each device identity has one recovery phrase. If you want to use another phrase, you would need to install the app on a new device.

Do different devices share the same recovery phrase?

No. Each device generates its own unique recovery phrase when you first install the app. If you have Eristotle on multiple devices (even with the same iCloud account), each device will have a different phrase. Make sure you save the Recovery Kit for each device.

Can I create multiple backups?

Yes! You can create as many backup files as you like. Each backup is a snapshot of your journal at that moment in time. We recommend creating regular backups — weekly, monthly—as often as you want. All backups created on the same device use the same recovery phrase.

What exactly is encrypted in the backup?

The backup includes all your journal entries (text, transcriptions, and AI insights), along with your chat conversation history. Metadata like dates, emotions, and sentiment scores are also included. Audio recordings are not included in the backup file.

How is this different from iCloud backup?

iCloud backup syncs your data automatically to Apple's servers, tied to your Apple ID. Encrypted Backup creates a standalone file that you control completely, independent of any cloud account. Think of it as a "cold storage" backup for your most important memories.

Ready to secure your journal?

Enjoy peace of mind knowing your memories are protected.

Download Eristotle