Backups and Recovery

Kan Do keeps a safety net on every device, and iCloud holds a second copy. If the app ever can't open its data, there are several ways back, and none of them require you to have done anything in advance.

#Daily local backups

Once Kan Do has opened successfully on a device, it keeps a verified snapshot of its database once a day on that device. It also saves a copy before any repair or re-download, so those actions can always be undone.

Settings ▸ Sync ▸ Local Backup shows when the last snapshot was taken, or "None yet".

Local backups stay on the device. They're excluded from iCloud Backup and Finder backups so a restore to a new phone can't carry over a stale lock file.

#The recovery screen

If Kan Do can't open its database at launch, it shows Opening Your Data and retries. If the retries fail, the screen becomes Kan Do Couldn't Open Your Data with the technical reason under Details and these choices:

#Restore from Local Backup

The Local Backups picker lists each backup with its date, kind (daily, or a copy kept before a repair or re-download), and size. Pick one and confirm Restore Backup from …. Kan Do keeps a copy of the current database first, puts the backup in place, and opens.

Changes made after the backup that already reached iCloud come back as sync catches up. Anything that never synced is lost, which is why the confirmation says so. This works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro, and needs neither another device nor iCloud.

#The lock file fix

A lock file carried over by a backup restore or a new-phone transfer used to leave Kan Do stuck on "Opening Your Data" with "system error 5". Kan Do now repairs that file itself, keeps it out of backups, and reports the real error if opening ever fails again. You shouldn't see this one anymore.

#Repair tools in Settings ▸ Sync

These are for when the app opens but something is off between devices.

#Merge Duplicate Copies

If a device's database ends up with more than one copy of some items (it can happen after an interrupted sync), Kan Do hides the extras rather than risk syncing the wrong one, and shows a banner: "Your data is safe in iCloud." Settings ▸ Sync then says how many items are hidden and offers Merge Duplicate Copies.

Merging keeps the most complete copy of each item, moves its boards, columns, tasks, subtasks, attachments, and tags onto that copy, removes the extras, and syncs the result to your other devices. A snapshot of the database is saved first. Confirm with Merge and Sync. If no duplicates are found on this device, it points you to Re-download from iCloud instead.

#Re-upload All Data

If tasks are missing content on your other devices, schedule Re-upload All Data on the device that has the most complete data, then quit and reopen Kan Do. It pushes everything up again safely, and the other devices pick it up.

#Re-download from iCloud

Re-download from iCloud replaces this device's data with iCloud's copy on the next launch. It's destructive to anything on this device that never synced, so it asks Replace this device's data with iCloud's copy? and then arms itself: "Re-download armed — quit and reopen Kan Do." A copy of the current database is kept first, so it's also in the Local Backups picker afterward.

#Recover Older Boards and Recover Earlier Database

These appear only when Kan Do finds an older database on the device, for example from an earlier version. Each is scheduled for the next launch and explains itself at length. Run recovery on one device only, then let sync carry the result to the others.

#Maintenance restarts

Occasionally Kan Do needs to do offline maintenance on its database. It shows Restart Kan Do to Continue and does the work on the next launch.

#Getting your data out

For a backup you can hold in your hand, export each project to a .kandoproj file. See Import and Export. Time Machine and iCloud Backup also include Kan Do's database on the Mac and iPhone respectively.

#When to do what