☁️ 05. Sync & Backup

Keep data completely in your own hands; effortless migration to a new device.
Category: Data Sync · Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Carefully collected books, daily milestones, and thoughtful reading notes should never be lost when changing devices or resetting iOS. BookFun 2.2 provides private multi-device sync, cloud drive serial updates, and one-tap archive migration. This guide covers how to sync, how to back up, and safe recovery practices.


📑 In This Guide

  1. Automatic Seamless Sync Across Apple Devices
  2. Connecting Home NAS or Baidu Drive for Auto-Sync
  3. Local Data Backup & Restore: Selective Strategies
  4. Shareable Backup: Book Export & Version Migration
  5. Core Breakdown: What is Included in Each Mode?
  6. How to Safely Restore Backups Without Accidental Overwrites

1. Automatic Seamless Sync Across Apple Devices

If you read across iPhone, iPad, or Mac:

  • Silent Progress Synchronization: Log in with the same Apple ID on all devices and ensure BookFun is toggled on in iCloud settings. Your chapter and sentence milestones sync automatically—no manual uploads needed;
  • Unified Bookshelf & Highlights: Group folders, ratings, highlights, and thoughts roam effortlessly across your devices;
  • 100% Private & Secure: All data travels via your private Apple iCloud container, never passing through third-party servers.

2. Connecting Home NAS or Baidu Drive for Auto-Sync

Have a Synology, QNAP, or personal NAS, or use Baidu Drive?

2.1 Easy Network Storage Connection

  1. Go to “Profile” -> “System Settings” -> “Cloud & Network Storage”;
    Cloud & Network Storage
  2. Tap “Add Connection”, supporting SMB Local Network Sharing, WebDAV, or Baidu Drive;
  3. Enter local IP or authenticate; credentials are encrypted securely in the iOS Keychain.

2.2 Serial Updates & Directory Tracking

Serial Update Management

Under “Serial Update Management”, track incoming chapters across your remote drive:

  • Smart Sync Window: Set a sync window (e.g. default “Updated within 30 days”); scans intelligently pre-select recently updated books, skipping decades-old archives;
  • Clear Status Badges:
    • Displays file size, modification date, and status (e.g. “Pending · Not on Shelf” or “Synced · 10 days ago”);
    • Toggle states easily: orange for “Pending Sync”, gray for “Skip”;
  • One-Tap Ingestion: Tap “Refresh”, “Select All”, or sort by “Recently Updated”. Tap “Done” in the top-right to ingest newly appended chapters in bulk.

3. Local Data Backup & Restore: Selective Strategies

Create a complete offline data snapshot via “Profile” -> “System Settings” -> “Backup & Restore” -> “Local Data Backup & Restore”:

Local Backup & Restore
Local Backup Strategy

  • Selective Backup Strategies: Tap the settings gear to toggle specific categories:
    • 📖 eBook Library: All EPUB, PDF, TXT source files;
    • 📄 Reading Data: Bookmarks, highlights, notes, and milestones;
    • 👤 Profile & Preferences: Avatar, nickname, typography settings, and TTS preferences;
    • 🔤 Custom Fonts: User-imported Chinese and custom fonts;
    • 🌐 Cloud & Network Configurations: Saved WebDAV/SMB connection profiles and sync policies.
  • Custom Naming & Timestamps: Set device prefix tags (e.g. iphone, ipad) and enable timestamps to generate standardized archives like bookfun_full-v2_0-20261015_2338.zip;
  • One-Tap Export & Restore: Tap “Backup Now” to save to the Files app or share via AirDrop. Tap “Restore Now” to restore.

4. Shareable Backup: Book Export & Version Migration

To batch-share books or export before major software updates, use “Shareable Backup (Version Upgrade Export)”:

Version Upgrade Export

Designed specifically for two use cases:

  1. One-Tap Library Sharing: Export all active eBooks into a single zip archive for friends or desktop archiving;
  2. Pre-Upgrade Safeguard: Export prior to major architecture overhauls to ensure book access is never compromised.
Danger

Data Scope Limitations:

  • Raw Book Files Only: Exports original formats (TXT, EPUB, etc.);
  • TXT Has No Embedded Cover: Plain-text files do not support embedded cover images;
  • Notes & Milestones Are NOT Included: This mode only packages raw book files. Bookmarks, highlights, and thoughts are omitted. For full preservation, use “Local Data Backup” or iCloud sync.

5. Core Breakdown: What is Included in Each Mode?

Important

A clear comparison between iCloud Sync, Cloud Drives, and Local Backup Archives:

Data ItemApple iCloud SyncCloud Drive IngestionLocal Backup Archive (.zip)
Title, Author & Synopsis✅ Auto-synced❌ Reads source file✅ 100% Packaged
Bookshelf Structure & Folders✅ Auto-synced❌ Remote dir mapped✅ 100% Packaged
Sentence-Level Reading Progress✅ Real-time sync❌ Not written back✅ 100% Packaged
Highlights & Notes✅ Real-time sync❌ Not written back✅ 100% Packaged
Custom Covers✅ Thumbnail sync❌ File cover only✅ High-res included
eBook Source Files⚠️ Local cache✅ Kept on remote NAS✅ Full offline archive
Custom Fonts❌ Import per device❌ Not included✅ Fully packaged
Settings & Ad Rules✅ Auto-synced❌ Not included✅ Fully packaged

6. How to Safely Restore Backups Without Accidental Overwrites

6.1 Smart Defense & Corruption Tolerance

Restoration performs automatic health checks:

  • Corrupted or empty archives are blocked safely;
  • If individual files are damaged in a bulk restore, BookFun skips them gracefully without aborting the entire process.

6.2 Preventing Accidental Overwrites

Warning

Restoring an older archive may overwrite recent milestones on your current device.
Strong Recommendation: Always tap “Backup Now” on your current device before restoring an older archive!

  1. On your new or reset device, go to “Profile” -> “System Settings” -> “Data & Backup”;
  2. Tap “Restore from Backup” and select the archive file;
  3. Choose your restoration mode:
    • Smart Merge (Recommended): Ingests missing books and notes while keeping current device milestones;
    • Full Mirror Overwrite: Resets the app to match the exact snapshot state of the backup;
  4. In seconds, your shelf, covers, and notes will be restored!

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