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Backup and recovery

:::danger The one rule Pombo has no servers and no custodians, so there is no "forgot password", no account recovery, no support ticket that can bring an account back. Your backup file is the recovery mechanism. Make one when you create your account, and keep it somewhere safe. :::

Exporting a backup​

In settings, export your account backup. You get a single portable file containing:

  • your encrypted key (Keystore V3), and
  • your encrypted app state (contacts, channels, settings).

The file is encrypted with scrypt under your account password (verified before export) — without it, the file is useless to whoever finds it. Note that the backup does contain content: your sent messages, reactions and images are inside (encrypted), so treat the file with the same care as the key itself.

Restoring​

On any device — new phone, fresh browser, after a reinstall — import the backup file and enter your account password. Your identity and data are restored exactly.

What backup does not cover​

  • Received message history isn't in the backup — it lives on the network and re-downloads from storage nodes (within each channel's retention window). Your sent DMs and images are included.
  • A backup is a snapshot: state changes after export aren't in it. For continuously-synced state across devices, just log in on both — see below.

Multi-device sync​

You don't need to shuttle backup files between devices you use actively. Import your account once on each device; from then on, Pombo syncs state automatically through your own DM inbox, self-encrypted so only your key can read it (see Storage and persistence).

Practical advice​

  • Export a backup immediately after creating your account, before it has anything to lose.
  • Re-export occasionally, or after big changes (new channels you own, important contacts).
  • The backup opens with your account password — losing that is the same as losing the backup. Store both well.