Open the backup screen
In CarrierPony's settings, find Backup. This exports your identity: the keypair and what's needed to restore it.
How to back up your identity
Your keys exist on exactly one phone, which is great for privacy and merciless about loss. Five minutes now buys you a lifeboat: one encrypted file that can rebuild your identity on a new device.
At a glance
- Open Settings → Backup
- Choose a strong passphrase
- Export the encrypted file
- Store it somewhere durable
- Test that you remember the passphrase
Prerequisites
- A CarrierPony identity
- A passphrase you can remember
Choose the passphrase
This passphrase is the entire protection on the file, and it cannot be reset by anyone. Four to six random words is a strong, memorable choice.
Export the file
The backup is encrypted on-device before it's written anywhere. Save it via the share sheet to wherever you keep important files.
Store it durably
Two locations beat one: a file vault plus a drive, for instance. Because the file is encrypted under your passphrase, even ordinary cloud storage doesn't expose your keys.
Restore when needed
On a new phone, install CarrierPony, choose restore, pick the file, and enter the passphrase. Your identity comes back intact; contacts and history are not part of the backup, so you re-pair with people. Because your key is the same, your safety numbers with them match again.
Verify it worked
- The backup file exists where you put it.
- You can recall the passphrase without looking.
- (Ideally) a restore on a spare device brings the identity back.
Common questions
What if I forget the passphrase?
The backup is unopenable by anyone, including you and the developer. That's the encryption working. Make a new backup with a passphrase you'll keep.
Does the backup include my message history?
No. The backup carries your identity: the keypair that makes you you. Contacts and message history stay on the device and are not included.
How often should I re-export?
After anything that changes your identity, and otherwise occasionally. The identity is the irreplaceable part.
Next steps
Get CarrierPony
Free private messaging and file transfer for iPhone and Android. No accounts, no tracking, no phone numbers.