--- title: "Export Daylio data: CSV, PDF and backup files explained | Moodwell" description: "Understand Daylio CSV, PDF and backup exports, follow the documented backup steps and check your archive before switching phones or starting a new diary." url: "https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data" --- 1. [Home](https://www.moodwell.ai/) 2. [The Whole Picture](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture) 3. [Comparisons](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare) 4. Keep the history you have already built [Comparisons](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare)5 min read # How to export Daylio data without losing the diary behind it Understand Daylio CSV, PDF and backup exports, follow the documented backup steps and check your archive before switching phones or starting a new diary. [![Portrait of Sofia Marchetti, an AI coach persona](https://www.moodwell.ai/images/coaches/sofia.webp)By Sofia MarchettiMoodwell AI coach · Constructive and encouraging](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/voices/sofia) Archive: Aug 10, 2026Updated Sep 20, 2026 ![Paper folders with colored tabs and a glass paperweight on limestone](https://www.moodwell.ai/images/picture/records.webp) Original artwork for The Whole Picture In this article [The short answer](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#the-short-answer)[Which Daylio export format do you need?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#formats)[How do you create a restorable Daylio backup?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#backup-steps)[How do CSV and PDF exports fit into the workflow?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#readable-copy)[What makes the archive useful later?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#validate)[Can you import the file into Moodwell?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#new-start)[Sources & further reading](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#sources)[Questions, answered](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/export-daylio-data#article-questions) Copy article link Less app-switching. More context. Meet the four layers of Moodwell.[Explore the app](https://www.moodwell.ai/product) The short answer ## How do you export your Daylio data? Daylio offers readable CSV and PDF exports plus a separate backup file for restoring in Daylio. For the documented backup route, open More, then Backup & Restore, Advanced Options and Export. Save the file somewhere you can retrieve it. A readable export and a restorable backup serve different purposes. Your existing entries are worth keeping, even if the way you want to record your day has changed. A useful export lets that history remain yours without requiring you to keep using the same workflow. First decide what you want to do with the file: read it, analyze it or restore the diary on another phone. That decision determines which export to create. ## Which Daylio export format do you need? Choose by purpose. File support is documented by Daylio; the practical uses below are a workflow guide. | Format | Useful for | Not the same as | | --- | --- | --- | | CSV | Opening tabular entries in a spreadsheet | A guarantee that another app can import them | | PDF | Reading or sharing an arranged document | Editable structured data | | Daylio backup | Restoring within Daylio or transferring between platforms | A general-purpose spreadsheet | Daylio advertises [CSV and PDF entry exports](https://daylio.net/). Its [backup documentation](https://daylio.net/faq/backup-file-manual-import-and-export/) treats the restorable file separately. Keep both a readable archive and a backup if those two uses matter to you. A filename alone is not enough to establish that a file is usable. After saving, find it outside the app. A document that exists only in a temporary sharing screen is easy to lose track of. Give the saved copy a name that includes the export date. ## How do you create a restorable Daylio backup? The following route is documented in [Daylio’s illustrated transfer guide](https://faq.daylio.net/article/84-how-to-transfer-backup-between-platforms). The vendor page includes Android and iOS screenshots; these instructions have been checked against that documentation, not a personal Daylio account. 1. Open Daylio and choose More, then Backup & Restore. 2. Open Advanced Options and select Export. 3. Use the sharing option to save or send the generated backup to a location you control. 4. On the receiving device, confirm the file arrived before attempting a restore. Do not replace an existing diary merely to test whether an export worked. A restore can replace data on the destination. Preserve that device’s current record too and read the confirmation carefully before proceeding. Keep the original export unchanged. If you want to experiment with analysis or conversion, make a copy. That preserves a known starting point if a spreadsheet or conversion tool alters the file. ## How do CSV and PDF exports fit into the workflow? Use the entry-export controls in your installed Daylio version for CSV or PDF. These are different from the Advanced Options backup route above. Menu labels and availability can vary; if you cannot locate the entry-export control, use Daylio’s in-app help rather than treating a backup file as CSV. Daylio lists PDF export among [Premium features](https://daylio.net/faq/docs/daylio-faq/about/daylio-premium-features/). Its [PDF guide](https://daylio.net/faq/docs/daylio-faq/tutorials/pdf-export/) explains selecting a period and saving through the device’s share options. It also suggests a smaller period or omitting photos when a large PDF fails. For a CSV, inspect the header row before doing anything else. Find the date, mood and note fields in the actual file. Do not assume every image or setting appears in a table just because the diary contains it. For a PDF, open the earliest and latest included pages and check an entry you recognize. That small check catches a wrong date range more quickly than discovering the gap after you have changed phones. ## What makes the archive useful later? - Keep a short note describing your mood scale and any personal activity labels. - Check the date range and an entry with a longer note. - Store an untouched original separately from any working spreadsheet. - Choose a private storage location and review sharing permissions before sending the file. Custom labels often carry meaning that a future reader will not know. “Blue” might be a mood, an activity or your shorthand for a particular situation. A small explanation preserves that context without changing the historical entries. You can share only the relevant period instead of your entire diary. Make that a separate copy and name it clearly. The existence of an export does not mean every recipient needs every entry. ## Can you import the file into Moodwell? Moodwell does not currently import Daylio data. A CSV that opens in a spreadsheet is not evidence of a compatible Moodwell importer. Keep the original archive, and begin a new record only when that is the workflow you want. You can carry forward what worked without copying everything: a familiar check-in time, a useful mood vocabulary or the habit of writing one line of context. The earlier record remains valuable even when it lives in a separate archive. For the next decision, compare [Daylio alternatives](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/daylio-alternatives) or use the [daily check-in guide](https://www.moodwell.ai/guides/power-of-daily-check-ins). Start with the part you want to keep, then add only what is missing. Follow the evidence ## Sources & further reading 1. [Daylio export features](https://daylio.net/) 2. [Daylio backup transfer tutorial](https://faq.daylio.net/article/84-how-to-transfer-backup-between-platforms) 3. [Daylio PDF export](https://daylio.net/faq/docs/daylio-faq/tutorials/pdf-export/) 4. [Daylio Premium features](https://daylio.net/faq/docs/daylio-faq/about/daylio-premium-features/) Product features and offers can change. Check the linked source for its current details. About this voice ## Sofia Marchetti Sofia Marchetti is a Moodwell AI persona with a constructive and encouraging style. This article uses that voice; it is not a personal account or a clinician-authored assessment. [More from Sofia](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/voices/sofia) This launch collection uses assigned archive dates from June to September 2026. First published Sep 20, 2026. Updated Sep 20, 2026. [How we write and date articles](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/editorial). Put it into practice ## Keep the check-in small enough to return to See Moodwell’s mood, stress and energy record before deciding whether to begin a new diary. [Explore a mood check-in](https://www.moodwell.ai/mindfulness/mood-tracker) A little more context ## Questions, answered **Is a Daylio backup the same as a CSV?** No. The backup is designed for Daylio restoration and transfer. CSV is a table you can inspect in a spreadsheet. Keep the appropriate format for each purpose rather than renaming one extension to another. **Can I move Daylio from Android to iPhone?** Daylio documents a manual backup transfer between platforms. Use its current transfer guide and preserve the existing data on both devices before a restore. A routine cloud backup is not the same as the manually exported transfer file. **Why did a large PDF export fail?** Daylio’s PDF help suggests exporting a shorter period or excluding photos when generation fails. Check the smaller file after saving. If the problem persists, use Daylio support with the app version and the error you saw. **Do I have to leave Daylio after exporting?** No. Exporting can simply give you an additional archive. You can continue the same diary, compare another workflow or keep the file for a specific conversation. None of those requires deleting your current record. Keep exploring ## Another piece of the picture. ComparisonsJun 22, 2026 ### [Daylio alternatives: when you want a little more context](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/daylio-alternatives) A thoughtful comparison of Daylio, Bearable, Calm, Headspace and Moodwell, including logging effort, privacy, reflection and the cost of moving a diary. [Grace AbaraAI coach](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/voices/grace)5 min read ComparisonsJun 29, 2026 ### [Bearable vs Daylio: what do you want to understand later?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/compare/bearable-vs-daylio) Compare Bearable and Daylio by symptom detail, check-in effort, reports, privacy and export. Choose around the question you will ask of your history. [Idris BelloAI coach](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/voices/idris)5 min read Everyday trackingJun 8, 2026 ### [Can you track mood and medication changes in the same place?](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/tracking/track-mood-and-medication-together) Build a clear record of mood, prescribed medication changes and everyday context, without treating a timeline as proof that a medicine caused a feeling. [Nell OkaforAI coach](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture/voices/nell)5 min read [Back to The Whole Picture](https://www.moodwell.ai/the-whole-picture)