Skip to main content

Back up your data file

Big Picture Money stores your accounts, transactions, budgets, and settings in a single encrypted database file on your computer. Until built-in backup and export tools are available, you can protect your data by copying that file yourself.

Prerequisites​

  • You have already set up your data file
  • You know your passphrase (you need it to open the database in the app or in external tools)
  • You can open your computer's file manager (File Explorer, Finder, or your Linux file browser)

Find your data folder​

Your database file lives in the folder you chose during setup, or in the default location for your operating system.

Operating systemDefault data folder
Windows%LOCALAPPDATA%\BigPictureMoney
macOS~/Library/Application Support/BigPictureMoney
Linux~/.local/share/BigPictureMoney (or $XDG_DATA_HOME/BigPictureMoney if set)

If you clicked Choose folder on the Welcome screen, your data is in that folder instead.

For file names, folder layout, and how to open the database outside the app, see Your data file.

What to copy​

Copy the entire data folder, not only the database file. The folder contains your encrypted .db file(s) — for example bigpicture.db — and any other files the app keeps next to them. Copying the whole folder keeps restore straightforward.

Steps​

  1. Lock or quit Big Picture Money so the database is not being written while you copy it.
  2. Open your file manager and go to your data folder (see table above, or the folder you chose at setup).
  3. Copy the whole folder to your backup destination — for example an external drive, a network share, or a cloud sync folder you trust (Dropbox, iCloud Drive, OneDrive, and similar are fine as backup destinations after you have quit or locked the app).
  4. Rename the copy with the date (for example BigPictureMoney-backup-2026-07-06) so you can tell backups apart.
  5. Store the backup somewhere separate from your computer (external drive, another machine, or encrypted cloud storage).
  6. (Optional) After copying, launch Big Picture Money, unlock with your passphrase, and confirm your accounts and recent transactions look correct — this verifies the live file was not damaged.

Cloud folders and live sync​

A dated copy in a cloud sync folder is a normal backup. Do not keep your live Big Picture Money data folder inside Dropbox, iCloud Drive, OneDrive, or similar and open the same database from two computers at once. Sync tools can upload a half-written file or mix copies from two machines and corrupt the database. Prefer: quit or lock → copy the folder → use that copy as the backup; open Big Picture Money from only one machine at a time on a given file.

Best practices​

  • Back up regularly — after large imports, before OS upgrades, and on a schedule that matches how much data you would hate to lose (weekly or monthly is a common starting point).
  • Keep multiple generations — retain at least two or three dated copies so a corrupted or partial copy does not erase your only backup.
  • Follow the 3-2-1 rule when you can — three copies of your data, on two different media types, with one copy off-site.
  • Protect your passphrase separately — backups are encrypted, but they are useless without the passphrase you chose at setup. Store the passphrase in a password manager or another secure place; Big Picture Money cannot recover it for you.
  • Do not edit the backup by hand — treat copies as read-only archives. Open and change data only through Big Picture Money, or follow the guidance in Your data file if you use external tools deliberately.
  • Test a restore once — copy a backup to a new folder, point Big Picture Money at it (or replace your data folder while the app is quit), unlock, and confirm balances look right. You do not need to do this every time, but doing it once builds confidence.

Restore from a manual backup​

Built-in restore wizards are planned for a future release. Until then:

  1. Quit Big Picture Money.
  2. Rename or move your current data folder aside (keep it until you confirm the restore works).
  3. Copy your backup folder into place, using the same path Big Picture Money expects (default location or the folder you originally chose).
  4. Launch Big Picture Money and unlock with your original passphrase.

If unlock fails, your backup copy or passphrase may be wrong — put your renamed original folder back and try again.

In-app CSV export​

For a readable copy of your ledger (not encrypted), use Export all your data from Settings → Export. That produces plaintext CSV files — useful for spreadsheets and portability, but not a substitute for an encrypted database backup. This guide covers copying your encrypted data file itself.

Expected result​

  • You have at least one dated copy of your data folder stored outside your main computer
  • The copy includes your .db file(s) (and the rest of the data folder)
  • You can describe where your backups live and how to restore them
  • Your live data in Big Picture Money is unchanged after a copy-only backup