Support / How To

Back Up Your Drives and Move to a New iPhone

MileMarker protects your drive history two ways: it syncs through your own private iCloud, and it can export a backup file you keep yourself. This guide covers both, plus the exact steps for moving everything to a new iPhone.

  1. Know What Syncs Through iCloud

    MileMarker stores your data on your iPhone and mirrors it to a private database in your own iCloud account. That covers your drives and their routes, vehicles, categories, named places, auto-classify rules, jobs, expenses, receipts, locked tax years, and the edit history behind them. App preferences like units and region don't sync; they travel in the backup file instead. To check sync, open the "Settings" tab, tap "Privacy", and look at the "iCloud sync" row. It should read "Signed in". Tap the row to open the "iCloud Sync" screen, which shows "iCloud status" and "Last synced".

  2. Create a Backup File

    Open the "Settings" tab, tap "Backup" under "Your Data", then tap "Back up data". You'll see "Preparing your backup…" while the file is built, and then the share sheet opens. The file is named like "MileMarker-backup-2026-08-03.milemarker". It's a single JSON document holding your full drive history with routes, vehicles and their photos, categories, named places, auto-classify rules, jobs, expenses and receipt images, locked tax years with their audit trail, and your app settings. Anyone with the file can read your drive history, so treat it like a private document.

  3. Save the File Somewhere You Control

    From the share sheet, choose where the file goes: the Files app, AirDrop to your Mac, or any folder you trust. MileMarker creates the file on your phone and doesn't upload it anywhere; you decide where it lives. Make a fresh backup before big moments, like switching phones or deleting data. Each export is a complete snapshot, so the newest file is the only one you need.

  4. Move to a New iPhone With iCloud

    On the old phone, open the "iCloud Sync" screen and tap "Save now" so your latest changes are saved for iCloud to pick up. Sign into the new iPhone with the same Apple ID, install MileMarker, and open it. Your data downloads from your private iCloud in the background. iCloud syncs on its own schedule, so give it a few minutes on Wi-Fi. You can watch progress on the new phone under the "Settings" tab: tap "Privacy", then "iCloud sync", and check "Last synced". It reads "Never" until the first sync completes.

  5. Move to a New iPhone With the Backup File

    If you don't use iCloud, or you want an exact copy right now, use the file instead. Get the .milemarker file onto the new iPhone with AirDrop or the Files app. Open MileMarker, go to the "Settings" tab, tap "Backup", then "Restore from backup", and pick the file. A "Restore Backup" screen shows what's inside before anything changes: "Drives", "Date range", "Vehicles", "Categories", "Named places", "Rules", "Jobs", and "Locked years".

  6. Choose Merge or Replace

    Pick a mode, then tap "Restore". "Merge" adds anything not already on the device. Drives already there with the same time and distance are skipped, and locked tax years aren't changed. "Replace" erases everything on the device first, then writes the backup wholesale, including your app settings. A "Replace all data?" confirmation appears; tap "Replace everything" to proceed. On a fresh install, "Replace" gives you an exact copy of the old phone. If a restore can't finish for any reason, nothing on the device is changed.

  7. Check Your Data After the Restore

    When you see "Restore complete", the screen counts the records added. Then take a quick tour. The "Drives" tab should show your history with routes. The "Vehicles" tab should show your vehicles and their photos. Locked tax years live in "Reports". If you used "Merge", the phone kept its own app settings, so review "Region & Rates" in the "Settings" tab if anything looks off. Deductions are computed from the IRS rate in effect the day you drove, so restored drives keep their correct values. If Pro features are still locked, tap "Restore Purchase" on the upgrade screen; subscriptions are managed through Apple and follow your Apple ID.

If Something's Off

The new iPhone shows no drives after installing MileMarker.

Open the "Settings" tab, tap "Privacy", and confirm the "iCloud sync" row reads "Signed in". If it doesn't, the "iCloud Sync" screen offers "Open Settings" to sign in. Keep the app open on Wi-Fi; iCloud syncs on its own schedule. On the old phone, tap "Save now" on the "iCloud Sync" screen. If you see "Sync is off on this device", relaunch the app. If you can't wait, use the backup file path instead.

"Couldn't read backup" appears when you pick a file.

Make sure you picked a .milemarker file, not a CSV or PDF export. The same alert appears when the backup was made by a newer version of MileMarker than this phone is running, so update MileMarker from the App Store and try again. If the file may be damaged, export a fresh backup from the source phone and use that.

The restore says some drives weren't added because they fall in a locked tax year.

That's "Merge" protecting a sealed year on this device. Unlock the year in "Reports" first and restore again, or use "Replace" to take the backup's record wholesale, locks included.

"Restore failed" or a corrupted-data message appears.

Nothing on this device was changed; a failed restore never leaves partial data behind. Export a fresh backup from the source phone and restore that file. If it keeps failing, send the file name and the exact message through "Send feedback" in the "Settings" tab.

Pro features are locked on the new phone.

Subscriptions are managed through Apple and follow your Apple ID, not the phone. Open the upgrade screen and tap "Restore Purchase". If you're still inside your first 7 days, the trial follows your Apple ID too, so the new phone picks up the same trial where the old one left off.

Common questions

What's inside a .milemarker file?

One plain JSON document: your full drive history with routes, vehicles and their photos, categories, named places, auto-classify rules, jobs, expenses and receipt images, locked tax years with their edit history, and your app settings. You can open it in a text editor, and an accountant can read it.

Do I need backup files if iCloud sync is on?

With iCloud sync on, your data is already backed up automatically to your own account. The file is a portable copy you hold yourself. It's worth making one before you delete data, switch phones, or hand records to an accountant.

Is my synced data or backup file sent to MileMarker?

No. Sync goes to a private database in your own iCloud account, and the backup file is created on your phone. You choose where the file goes when the share sheet opens.

Can I restore a backup onto a phone that already has drives?

Yes. Choose "Merge" and MileMarker adds only what's missing. Drives already on the phone with the same time and distance are skipped, and locked tax years aren't changed. Choose "Replace" only when you want the backup to take over completely.

Does my subscription move to the new iPhone?

Yes. Subscriptions are monthly or yearly through Apple and follow your Apple ID, so signing into the new phone carries them over. If Pro doesn't unlock right away, tap "Restore Purchase" on the upgrade screen.

Still stuck? We're a small team and we actually answer.

Email [email protected]