This guide will help you take your writing out of an app, including out of absorvia. There is no catch in that.
People who lose journal entries almost always describe the same regret. They meant to export, and they were going to do it later.
Do it while nothing is wrong
An export is easy when the app opens and you are logged in. It is impossible once you are locked out, and that is exactly when people go looking for it.
Treat it like a backup rather than an exit. Exporting is not a decision to leave.
Where the export option usually lives
Most journal apps put it in the same few places. Look in order, and stop when you find it.
- Settings, then a section called Export, Backup, or Import and Export.
- Account settings, if the app has accounts. Data export is often filed there.
- The app's web version, if one exists. Some apps only offer exports there.
- The developer's help site. Search the app name with the word export.
Which format to keep
If you are offered a choice, take plain text or Markdown. Both stay readable in fifty years with no particular software.
PDF is fine for reading and poor for searching or moving into another app later. A proprietary format is only useful to the app that made it.
If photos matter to you, check whether the export includes them. Many text exports leave images behind.
Where to put it
Somewhere that is not the phone the journal is on. A laptop, a second cloud account, or an external drive all work.
A copy stored only on the device you are protecting against losing is not a copy.
Exporting from absorvia
The same advice applies here. Keep an export of writing you want to preserve, and check that your device backup is switched on.
absorvia has no server copy of your library. That closes several ways of losing entries and opens one, so the export matters more, not less.
Questions
Should I export my journal even if I am happy with my app?
Yes. An export protects against account problems, device changes, and the app being discontinued. None of those are about being unhappy with it.
How often should I export?
Often enough that losing the gap would not upset you. For most people writing daily, once a month is a reasonable rhythm.
What if my app has no export option?
That is worth knowing before you write another year into it. An app with no way out is a decision you are making about your own writing.
Does absorvia let me export?
Keep exports of writing you want to preserve. The library is stored on your device, so your device backup settings also matter here.
Try it. Write one thought and see what comes back.
