# Backup and restore

> Move your configuration, optionally include chats and encrypted secrets, and review what stays off.

Open **Settings → Backup** to export or import a **.tinycast** file. The filename extension is retained from Tinycast. Redcast adds full-configuration sections to the original backup categories.

## Choose what to export

| Category or section | Contents |
| --- | --- |
| Settings & Shortcuts | Preferences, shortcuts, commands, quicklinks, layouts, rooms, favorites and aliases |
| Clipboard History | Clips and their stored images; copied files remain references |
| Snippets and Notes | The Markdown files for each selected category |
| Launcher Learning | Learned ranking, frequent emoji and calculator history |
| Agents | Agent profiles, supported memory and schedule configuration |
| MCP Servers | Server configuration |
| AI Connections | Provider configuration, AI Chat folders and relevant chat-window settings |
| Voice & Dictation | Voice model choices, modes and related configuration |
| Quick Actions | Actions, prompts and model choices |
| Extensions | A list to reinstall, preferences and command configuration; not executable bundles |
| More Shortcuts & Settings | Additional fork settings and bindings |
| AI Chat History | Conversations, images, agent summaries and per-chat workspace state; **off by default** |

The launcher also has Export Backup and Import Backup commands. Use Settings when you want to review the category choices in detail.

## Include secrets only when needed

**Include API keys and tokens** encrypts supported credentials with a passphrase. Without it, export does not read your Keychain to collect secrets. Enter a passphrase of at least eight characters twice and keep it somewhere separate from the backup; Redcast does not save it.

Only the secrets payload is encrypted by this option. The rest of the backup can contain private notes, clipboard entries, instructions or chats in its ordinary archive contents. Treat the entire file as personal data.

**ChatGPT sign-in tokens and the Mac's registration are never exported**, even with this option. Sign in again on the destination Mac. Dictation transcripts, failed audio, usage logs and caches are also excluded.

## Restore with a preview

1. Open Import Backup and choose the file.
2. Review its categories, counts and any sections this build cannot read.
3. Choose the sections to restore and enter the passphrase if required.
4. Review any commands that the file would add, including ACP and stdio MCP commands.
5. Apply and read the result summary, including features left off and paths needing attention.

Canceling before application or supplying the wrong passphrase applies nothing.

### Merge and Replace

Agents, MCP Servers, AI Connections and Quick Actions offer **Merge** or **Replace**. Merge adds new entries and updates matching IDs. Replace also removes entries missing from the imported file, including associated keys where applicable.

Voice, Extensions and More apply settings present in the file and preserve others. Chat history only merges: an existing conversation is kept, and importing again does not duplicate it. Notes and snippets use their own conflict handling; Launcher Learning replaces its table.

AI Chat folders follow the AI Connections merge choice. Per-chat instructions, creativity, archive and deletion state accompany the optional history and apply where the destination has no existing state. Retention still applies after import.

## What does not turn on automatically

Importing configuration is not permission to activate a capability. Features such as AI, snippets, cloud dictation, screenshots and extensions remain at the destination Mac's current enabled state; the summary lists those still off.

Imported **MCP servers arrive off**, and imported **schedules arrive paused**. Extensions are listed for reinstalling; their code is not carried. Extension AI grants are not restored. Review each capability and enable it deliberately after restoring.

## Moving to another Mac

Home-relative paths are expanded under the new user's home. A path outside the home can still refer to a disk or project that is not present. Restore your actual project folders separately, then update agent working directories and command paths.

Copied files in clipboard history are not file backups. Missing file references can be skipped on restore. Use your normal filesystem backup for the documents themselves.

## Compatibility

The base archive has a format version. Redcast's additional sections have their own versions; an unknown section or newer unsupported section is skipped and reported. Prefer exporting and importing with the same Redcast version. An upstream Tinycast build cannot restore all Redcast-specific configuration.

[Migration](/docs/reference/migration) covers the old fork bundle ID, and [privacy](/docs/reference/privacy) lists what is stored outside exports.