Pillars
Astro Moon Calendar Español

Backups

3 min

This guide describes the Pillars phone app. The website does the same calculations, but some screens and features work differently or aren't here yet.

Your charts live only on your phone. That's what keeps them private. It also means that if the phone is lost, breaks or gets replaced, they don't follow you by themselves. A backup is like a spare house key you leave with someone you trust.

Making a backup

Go to Settings and, under Privacy, tap Export backup.

  • Choose a passphrase of at least 6 characters, and type it twice.
  • The app makes a file with a name like pilares-copia-20261025.pilares and opens your phone's share menu.
  • Save it somewhere off the phone: your cloud drive, an email to yourself, a computer.

The file holds everything: all the people, their relationships and events, your notes, saved groups, favorites and settings.

The passphrase

The backup is encrypted with your passphrase. Without it, nobody can open the file. There's no server and no "forgot my passphrase" button, so nobody can unlock it for you either.

Write it down and keep it somewhere safe, away from the phone.

Restoring

Go to Settings and tap Import backup. Pick the file, then type the passphrase.

If this phone already has people, the app asks how to import it right after you pick the file, before the passphrase:

  • Add to what I have: adds the backup's people, with their relationships, events, notes and groups. Someone already here, with the same name and birth details, isn't repeated. A different person with a name you already use arrives with a number, like "Clara 2". Your settings and favorites don't change.
  • Replace everything: erases what's on this phone and keeps only the backup.

When it's done, you'll see something like "Backup restored: 5 people", or how many were added and how many were already here.

  • If you see Wrong passphrase, try again carefully. Capitals count.
  • If you see "That file isn't a Pillars backup", it's a different file.

On a new phone

Install Pillars. On the first screen, tap Import a backup, pick your file and type the passphrase. Everything comes back as it was.

How often

Whenever you've added people, events or notes you'd hate to lose. Once a month is a good rhythm. Keep the newest file, and your passphrase with it.

Deleting everything

In Settings, Delete everything removes all people, events, notes and settings from this phone. It can't be undone. If there's any chance you'll want them back, export a backup first.

To remove just one person, open their page and tap Delete person.