Getting your data out

Set a passcode on your iPhone

My Life Practice asks you to unlock your device before it writes a copy of your data. If your iPhone has no passcode, there is nothing to unlock. The export stops before it starts. Turning one on takes about a minute.

Why we ask

An export is a plain copy of your content. Anyone who opens that file can read it. We ask you to unlock the device first so a copy is something you chose to make. Not something that happened while your phone sat on a table.

A passcode also protects the app itself. Your diary, your people, your notes and your tasks live in encrypted storage on your device. The passcode is what keeps that encryption meaningful.

Turn on a passcode

1

Open Settings

Look for the grey gear icon on your Home Screen.

2

Tap Face ID & Passcode

On an iPhone with a Home button, tap Touch ID & Passcode instead.

3

Tap Turn Passcode On

If you already have one, you will see Change Passcode here instead. You are all set.

4

Enter a six digit passcode

Enter it a second time to confirm. Pick something you will remember. Nobody can recover it for you, not even Apple.

5

Sign in if asked

Your iPhone may ask for your Apple Account password. That is normal.

Add Face ID or Touch ID

This step is optional and we recommend it. Face ID and Touch ID make unlocking quick, so a passcode stops feeling like a chore.

You will find both in the same place. Tap Set Up Face ID, or Add a Fingerprint, and follow the prompts.

Now try the export again

Open My Life Practice. Go to Settings, then Export My Data. You will see a short warning about what the file holds, then your iPhone will ask you to unlock.

Once you unlock, the file is written. Keep it somewhere you trust.

Apple's own guide

Apple publishes step by step instructions with pictures, kept current with every version of iOS.

Read Apple's passcode guide

Still stuck?

Write to us and we will help you get your data.

data-rights@mylifepractice.com

Your content lives on your device and in your own iCloud. We hold no copy of it, so we cannot pull it out for you. What we can do is walk you through getting it yourself.

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