Backup and Restore

Create encrypted all-budgets or single-budget backups, distinguish backups from Local recovery material, use Back Up & Exit, and import safely.

Local data and backups

Your Local budget is stored in this browser or device. Under normal use, it will still be there when you return. You normally do not restore a backup during everyday use; a backup is there so your budgets can be recovered if the Local copy is ever lost.

Browser or device data can still be lost if site data is cleared, a browser profile is reset, the device is lost or replaced, or its storage is otherwise removed.

Note: Local Edition does not automatically sync budgets between devices or browsers. Local data remains with that browser or device. Cloud Edition is intended for access to the same budget data across supported devices.

You can manually move a Local backup to another supported browser or device and restore it there. That is a backup or transfer—not automatic synchronization through InfinitelyZero servers.

Backups are point-in-time copies

A backup is a snapshot of your saved budget data at the time it was created. If the Local copy is later lost, changes made after your most recent backup may not be recoverable. Using Back Up & Exit regularly helps keep your recovery copy current.

Warning: Unsaved edits still sitting in an open form are not included until you save them. InfinitelyZero will warn you about an open unsaved draft before Back Up & Exit proceeds.

Back Up & Exit in Browser Local

When you're finished budgeting, use Back Up & Exit to finish saving current changes and create an encrypted backup copy of all Local budgets. Simply closing the browser tab or window does not create a new backup.

After the backup is created, InfinitelyZero offers Stay or Exit. The app attempts to close when you choose Exit, but browsers may prevent an ordinary user-opened tab from closing itself. If that happens, the Backup complete screen tells you it is safe to close the tab manually. Choose Return to InfinitelyZero if you want to keep using the app.

Backup types

All-budgets backup (.izbackup)

Back Up & Exit and the all-budgets backup workflows create an encrypted data file containing every Local budget. After confirmation, restoring this file replaces the current Local budget collection with the budgets contained in the backup.

An all-budgets backup does not restore your sign-in credentials, licensing records, or unrelated browser and application preferences.

Single-budget export (.izbudget)

Export Current Budget creates an encrypted portable copy of the budget you are viewing. It is useful when you want to move or copy one budget without replacing the rest.

One Import Backup flow

Choose Import Backup and select the InfinitelyZero file. The app identifies whether it contains one budget or an all-budgets backup and shows the appropriate choices. You do not need to identify the file type first.

Importing one budget

Keep Both preserves your current budgets and imports the selected budget as another budget. Duplicate names are safely renamed rather than overwritten.
Replace Current Budget replaces only the currently selected budget. Other budgets remain unchanged, and a separate destructive confirmation is required.

Restoring an all-budgets backup

An all-budgets backup opens Restore Full Backup confirmation. Review the backup count and date carefully: confirming replaces all budgets currently stored in Local Edition. The app validates and decrypts the complete file before presenting this action, and Cloud data is not affected.

Optional managed backup folder

Some browsers support choosing a folder that InfinitelyZero can use for managed encrypted backups. Browser support is detected at runtime and is not available everywhere.

Managed-folder retention options are:

Keep the latest 3 backups.
Keep the latest 5 backups (the default).
Keep the latest 10 backups.
Keep all managed backups.

Retention applies only to backups created and tracked by this managed-folder feature. Ordinary browser-download backups are not automatically deleted. Forget Backup Folder removes InfinitelyZero's remembered folder access and cleanup authority; it does not delete backup files already on disk.

Tip: If managed folders are unavailable, encrypted backup downloads still work. Your browser controls where the file is saved, so keep it somewhere you can find later and remove old downloaded copies manually when you no longer need them.

Backup passwords and reminders

Recovery material is not a backup

A Local recovery key, recovery kit, or configured recovery passphrase unlocks encrypted Local data that is still present. It does not contain your accounts, transactions, or budgets and cannot recreate data after browser or device storage is deleted. A .izbackup is the separate encrypted copy that can restore the budget data itself.

Local .izbackup and .izbudget files are encrypted. A browser backup password protects backup files; it is not your InfinitelyZero account password, Local recovery key, or recovery passphrase. You establish this password the first time you create a Browser Local backup and may be asked to enter the same password again in a later browser session.

InfinitelyZero does not persist the actual backup password in browser storage. Clearing browser or site data may remove the locally remembered password identity, so the app may treat a later backup as first-time setup. Existing encrypted backup files are unchanged and still require the password that was used to encrypt them.

Important — keep this password somewhere safe: InfinitelyZero cannot recover or reset your backup password. Without it, encrypted backup files cannot be restored.

InfinitelyZero reminds Local users when no successful all-budgets backup has been recorded and again when the latest one becomes stale—currently after approximately 14 days. Dismissing the introductory backup education does not disable these safety reminders.

Desktop and Cloud are different

Windows Desktop

Desktop uses Save & Close for its configured Backup-on-Close operation. Use InfinitelyZero's power button when you want that encrypted backup created before closing. Closing with the normal operating-system X is a normal close and bypasses Backup-on-Close.

Cloud Edition

Cloud Edition stores budget data remotely. Sync between devices is coming later. Browser Local Back Up & Exit is not the Cloud workflow, and Cloud and Local do not have identical storage behavior. Cloud users may still export an independent copy for recovery and recordkeeping.

Find backup controls

Open Menu → Budgets & Storage → Backup & Restore. Its action grid contains the supported backup, export, import, and protection controls. Availability depends on the current platform and storage mode. The Local protection column keeps recovery and backup guidance distinct.