Exporting Your Data
Your data is yours. Take a full copy with you anytime, in plain JSON.
Your data belongs to you. Not to us, not to our servers, not to our business model. Whenever you want a copy of everything in Kinu, you can export it to a single file in seconds and take it wherever you like. No request form, no waiting, no questions asked.
This works on every plan, free and Kinu Plus, and it works fully offline.
How to export
Open Kinu and go to Settings.
Find the privacy card near the top (it reads Local only on the free plan, or Encrypted sync on Kinu Plus) and tap Export my data.
Decide whether to include your private content. The Include private notes toggle is off by default. Leave it off for a privacy-safe copy, or turn it on to include everything.
Tap Export. Kinu builds the file on your device and opens the share sheet, so you can save it to Files, email it to yourself, or send it to another app.
Your data is exported as a single JSON file named kinu-export.json. It is built right on your device. Nothing is uploaded to create it.
Tip: Keep a recent export somewhere safe, like your own cloud drive. It is a quick personal backup, and on the free plan it is the only copy that lives anywhere but your phone.
What's included
The export captures the full picture of your Kinu data in one file.
| Data | Included |
|---|---|
| People | Yes |
| Moments | Yes (private moments excluded unless you opt in) |
| Voice note records | Yes (the moment entries; audio files stay on your device) |
| Important dates | Yes |
| Relational Compass settings | Yes |
| Lenses (your categories like Family, Friends, Work) | Yes |
| Moment types | Yes |
| Your settings | Yes |
| Private notes | Only if you turn on Include private notes |
About the private toggle
The single Include private notes toggle protects everything you have marked as private. When it is off, both your private notes and any moments marked private are left out of the file, so you can share or back up an export without exposing your most personal entries. When it is on, the export includes them too, giving you a complete copy. The choice is always yours, and it always starts in the safe position.
What is not in the file
The JSON file holds your written records and settings. Photos and voice note audio are stored as separate files on your device and are not bundled into the export. If you want to keep those, save them from your device the way you would any other photo or audio file.
Where your export lives
The file is created locally and handed straight to your device's share sheet. From there it goes only where you send it. Kinu does not keep a copy on our servers, and a leftover export file is cleared from the app's storage when you sign out or delete your account, so a plain copy of your data never lingers behind.
An export is a plain, readable JSON file. There is no password on it. Treat it like you would any document with personal information, and avoid leaving it in shared or public locations, especially if you included private notes.
Export before you delete or uninstall
On the free plan, your data lives only on your device. There is no server backup. Two things can remove that local copy for good, so export first if you want to keep it:
- Deleting your account wipes your local Kinu data along with your account.
- Uninstalling the app removes the local data stored on that device.
If you are on Kinu Plus with sync turned on, your data is also encrypted and backed up to our servers, so a fresh install signs back in and restores. An export is still a nice extra copy to hold on your own.
Our commitment
We will never hold your data hostage. We will never make it hard to leave. We will never use dark patterns to keep you locked in. If you decide to stop using Kinu, your data comes with you in a format you can read and re-use. That is a principle we design around, not a feature we tacked on.
Related
How Your Data Is Stored
Why your device is the source of truth, and what the server holds.
What Happens If I Uninstall?
What is preserved and what is removed when you remove the app.
Deleting Your Account
How to permanently remove your account and server data.
Private Notes
The notes that are for your eyes only, and stay that way.
Still need help? Contact support