Backups & moving to a new Mac
What to keep before replacing a Mac, and why a recovery key is separate from a backup.
Keep your own backup
Your retained memory is stored locally. Installing Selv does not set up an automatic nightly backup, and Selv does not keep a cloud copy that support can restore for you.
Use your normal Mac backup process to keep a separate copy of the local data you want to retain. Check that the backup completed and can be restored before relying on it. A copy kept only on the same Mac will not protect you if that Mac is lost.
Save the recovery key separately
In Settings › Account › Recovery, choose Export recovery key. Follow the export dialog, save the resulting file somewhere separate from the Mac, and keep its passphrase in a password manager.
The recovery file protects the keys needed to open encrypted Selv data. It does not contain your notes, recordings or captured history, so it cannot replace a data backup. A data backup without usable recovery keys may be unreadable on a replacement Mac. See App unlock & recovery keys.
Before replacing or erasing your Mac
- Keep a current backup of the local data you want to retain.
- Export your recovery key and keep the recovery file and its passphrase safe.
- Keep your purchase email for any paid licence.
- Contact support@selv.io for instructions appropriate to your build before erasing the original Mac. Keep the original until you have verified the recovered data.
The app's recovery-key import restores missing keys; it is not a complete backup-restore or migration assistant. Moving devices & licence recovery covers the licence separately.
If your backup uses a cloud provider
A backup tool you choose may copy Selv files off the Mac. Its storage, retention and privacy settings apply. Protect both the backup and recovery material, and do not send support your private data, recovery file or passphrase.
Updated 2026-09-13