Import & Backup

The Import & Backup feature allows you to export all your Beanstats data to a JSON file and import it on another device. This enables device migration, data sharing, and manual backups.

Overview

The backup system provides:

Full data export: All beans, brews, methods, equipment, and freeze entries
Selective import: Choose what data types to import
Duplicate detection: Skip items that already exist (by UUID)
Relationship preservation: Maintains links between brews, beans, methods, and equipment

Creating a Backup

Access

Navigate to Settings > Data > Export > Beanstats

Export Options

Option	Default	Description
Include Flow Data	Yes	Include weight samples from scale-connected brews
Include Images	No	Include photos (significantly increases file size)
Include Archived	Yes	Include archived beans, methods, and equipment

Preset Configurations

Standard: Flow data yes, images no, archived yes
Full: Everything included (largest file size)
Minimal: No flow data, no images, no archived items (smallest file size)

Restoring a Backup

Access

Navigate to Settings > Data > Import > Beanstats

Import Options

Option	Default	Description
Skip Duplicates	Yes	Skip items that already exist by UUID
Import Beans	Yes	Import coffee beans
Import Home Brews	Yes	Import home brews
Import Cafe Brews	Yes	Import cafe brews
Import Brew Methods	Yes	Import brew methods
Import Equipment	Yes	Import equipment
Import Freeze Entries	Yes	Import freeze entries
Skip Archived	No	Skip archived items

Import Order

Data is imported in dependency order to ensure relationships can be resolved:

Equipment (no dependencies)
Brew Methods (may reference equipment)
Beans with varieties (no dependencies)
Freeze Entries (reference beans)
Home Brews (reference beans, methods, equipment)
Cafe Brews (no dependencies)

After import, bean weights are recalculated from linked brews and freeze entries.

Duplicate Detection

Items are matched by their unique identifier (UUID):

If an item with the same UUID exists, it’s skipped (when Skip Duplicates is enabled)
The existing item is used for relationship linking
This allows safe re-import of the same backup

Use Cases

Device Migration

Create a backup on your old device
Transfer the JSON file to your new device (AirDrop, Files, email)
Import on your new device before iCloud sync completes

Manual Backup

Create periodic backups
Store JSON files in a secure location (iCloud Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
Restore if data is ever lost

Sharing Data

Create a backup with your desired options
Share the JSON file with another user
They import it into their Beanstats

Data Format

Backups are JSON files with this structure:

{
  "metadata": {
    "exportedAt": "2026-01-17T12:00:00Z",
    "appVersion": "3.1.0",
    "backupVersion": "1.0",
    "deviceName": "Marcel's iPhone",
    "counts": {
      "beans": 25,
      "homeBrews": 150,
      "cafeBrews": 10,
      "brewMethods": 5,
      "equipment": 8,
      "freezeEntries": 3
    }
  },
  "beans": [...],
  "homeBrews": [...],
  "cafeBrews": [...],
  "brewMethods": [...],
  "equipment": [...],
  "freezeEntries": [...]
}

Notes

Image Handling

Images are stored as base64-encoded strings when Include Images is enabled. This can significantly increase file size:

A typical 1MB image becomes ~1.33MB in base64
Consider disabling images for large backups

Weight Samples

Flow data (weight samples from scale-connected brews) can add significant data:

A 30-second brew at 10Hz generates ~300 samples
Consider the Minimal preset if file size is a concern

What’s NOT Backed Up

Certain computed values are not backed up because they’re recalculated after import:

Used weight (recalculated from brews)
Frozen weight (recalculated from freeze entries)

This backup feature exports your full Beanstats data. For simpler brew-only exports, see Export.

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