Backup and restore

Anansi Studio can keep snapshots of your library in a folder you choose, on a schedule or whenever you ask. A snapshot can bring your library back on this device, or move it to a new one.

Backups are set up in Settings → Backup. They aren't available in the web version.

What a backup holds

Every snapshot includes:

  • your library: every book, your place in each, finished books and starred chapters;
  • your edits, including those not yet written into the audio files;
  • the covers;
  • every setting;
  • the records of the books you made from documents.

With Include audiobook files switched on (it is by default), the backup also holds the files your books use: their audio, wherever it is kept, and the documents books were made from.

Voice models aren't backed up. They download again when you need them; see Voices.

How the files are stored

The books' files go in a files folder inside your backup folder, beside the snapshots. Each file is kept once, however many snapshots use it. It's copied again only when it changes, and removed when no snapshot needs it any more. Even so, a library of audiobooks can take many gigabytes, so choose a backup folder with room to spare.

Setting up backups

  1. Open Settings → Backup.
  2. Under Backup folder, choose Choose folder… and pick where the backups go: an external drive, a cloud-synced folder or another disk. Alternatively, choose Use the app's folder.
  3. iPhone and iPad: the app's folder appears in the Files app, under Anansi Studio's Backups folder.
  4. Switch on Back up automatically and choose How often: Every hour, Every 6 hours, Every day or Every week.
  5. Choose how many to keep:
  6. Keep at most 3, 5, 10 or 20 backups, and
  7. For at most 3, 7, 30 or 90 days.

Older snapshots are thinned out to stay within these limits. 5. Decide whether to Include audiobook files (see above).

To change the folder later, choose Change….

Backing up now

Choose Back up now at any time. When it finishes, the card says Backed up at …, with any warning (for example, a file that couldn't be read).

Restoring

Restoring replaces your library, edits, covers and settings with the snapshot's. Books added since the snapshot leave the library, and playback pauses.

From your backup folder

  1. Choose Restore…. The Restore a backup list shows your snapshots, newest first, with when each was taken.
  2. Choose Restore beside the one you want.
  3. Confirm Restore this backup?

From another folder or another device

Use Restore from a folder… to restore a snapshot that isn't in your backup folder, for example one made on another device. Pick the snapshot's folder (named snapshot-…).

After restoring

The books' files come back into this device's library folder, and the books play straight away.

  • If a backup didn't include a book's files, the app looks for the file in the library folder by name and links it where it's found.
  • A book whose file isn't found anywhere shows as missing. The message after restoring names it. Use Find the file… in its menu to point it at its file; it keeps its place and edits. See Missing books.

Moving to a new device

  1. On the old device, make a backup with Include audiobook files on, to a folder you can reach from the new device: a USB drive or a cloud folder, for example.
  2. On the new device, install Anansi Studio, open Settings → Backup and choose Restore from a folder….
  3. Pick the snapshot folder.

You can also keep your devices in step without backups; see Syncing your devices.

Sharing audiobooks
Syncing your devices