How to back up and move your GetMacros food diary

GetMacros’ food diary is stored in the browser where you use it. To move it, export a JSON backup, keep that file privately, then import it in the destination browser. Do not erase the original diary until you have checked the restored dates, foods and portions.

What the backup contains

The current diary export includes logged entries, recipes and favorite portions. Each logged food keeps its saved nutrient snapshot, portion, source identity and meal group. Private notes are included, so treat the file as personal information rather than a public share card.

The diary export is not a backup of every GetMacros setting. Country and appearance preferences are separate. Saved restaurant orders use a separate notebook; they are not automatically included in the diary file. If you rely on that notebook, preserve its own export as well.

Move the diary in a deliberate sequence

1. Open the original diary. Confirm a recent date and an older date before exporting, so you know what should be present.
2. Open Preferences & backups. Use Export backup. Save the resulting JSON file somewhere you control. A downloaded file left only on an old phone is not yet a second safe copy.
3. Open GetMacros in the destination browser. Use the diary’s import control to select that exact JSON file.
4. Check the result. Inspect those same dates, meal groups, portions, notes and recipes. Keep the original backup until the check is complete.

Import merges matching entry identities

Import does not wipe the destination diary first. Entries with different saved identities remain, while an imported entry with the same identity replaces that entry’s existing version. Importing the same unedited backup twice therefore does not create a second copy of every matching entry.

This is not conflict-aware cloud synchronization. If two devices independently edit the same original entry, importing one version can replace the other. Export the destination diary first if it contains changes you need to preserve. Favorite portions from the imported file replace the destination favorite list; they are not combined into an unlimited list.

When the file will not import

The web interface accepts the GetMacros JSON format, with a file limit below 20 MB. It validates dates, portions and saved nutrient arithmetic before writing the import. A malformed file, unsupported format or inconsistent calculation should be rejected rather than partly trusted.

Keep the original file if import fails. Check that you selected a diary backup rather than a saved-order export, spreadsheet or renamed photograph. Do not paste the private file into a public comment or send it to an advertising service for troubleshooting.

Local storage is useful, but not permanent insurance

Clearing site data, changing browsers, private browsing and browser storage eviction can affect locally stored information. MDN documents that browsers manage storage and may remove data under some conditions. Export before a browser reset, device replacement or major storage cleanup; do not depend on the catalog cache as a diary backup.

A future native app has its own storage area. Safari’s diary will not appear there merely because both say GetMacros. Use the explicit import/export path when available, and verify the result. This guide does not claim that an App Store app, account or cross-device sync is currently released.

Sources & serving notes

• MDN · browser storage quotas and eviction

  Current browser storage documentation inspected. GetMacros-specific export/import behavior separately checked against js/food-diary-store.js, js/food-core.js and js/food-app.js.

• GetMacros · privacy policy

  Local implementation checked; linked public policy must remain consistent with the final integrated release.

Sources checked 2026-10-19. Instructions checked against current source code; final interface labels and journeys need integrated browser verification. No cloud sync or encryption claim.