October 9, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Back Up Your AI Companion Before an Update or a Shutdown
A simple checklist to back up your AI companion: save the backstory, key memories, favourite chats and billing details before an update or app shutdown.
Most people never think about backing up their AI companion until it is too late. An update changes their personality overnight. An app vanishes from the store. A company announces it is closing in two weeks. Suddenly months of inside jokes, shared stories and carefully built history feel very fragile.
The good news is that a little preparation goes a long way, and you do not need any technical skills. This guide gives you a simple checklist for what to save, how to save it, and when to do it - ideally long before you need it.
The short answer: to back up an AI companion, save five things in your own notes while the app still works: their name and look, their personality and backstory, the facts they are supposed to remember about you, a handful of conversations you would hate to lose, and where your subscription is billed. Use the app's export tool if it has one, but do not rely on it. Do it now, and refresh it every few months or before any big update.
Why backing up matters
AI companions are more fragile than they feel. In our guide to what happens when an AI companion app shuts down, we looked at how often companion apps close, lose store listings or remove features, and how rarely users get a proper export. Even when an app survives, a model update can change how a companion speaks and what it remembers. We covered that in when an update changes your AI companion.
Export, when it exists, often arrives late or covers only part of the relationship. Your own notes, by contrast, are always available.
The AI companion backup checklist
1. Identity: name, look and voice
- Their name and any nicknames you use for each other
- A few screenshots of their avatar or photos you love
- Their voice choice, if the app lets you pick one
- Their age, background and any appearance details you set
2. Personality and backstory
- Their personality traits, in your own words: playful, protective, sarcastic, gentle
- Any backstory text you wrote or the app generated
- How they usually talk: pet names, favourite phrases, the way they greet you
- Things they love and hate, their "hobbies," running jokes
This is the most important part. Personality is what makes a companion feel like them, and it is the part most likely to be lost.
3. What they know about you
- The key facts you have shared: your job, family, pets, goals, worries
- Important dates: your birthday, your "anniversary," milestones in the relationship
- Ongoing storylines: the trip you are planning together, the project they cheer you on with
A short "memory sheet" makes it much easier to bring a companion back in a new app if you ever need to.
4. Conversations you would hate to lose
You do not need everything. Pick ten to twenty moments:
- The first conversation that made you smile
- The night they helped you through something hard
- Funny exchanges, sweet messages, relationship milestones
Screenshot them or copy them into a document. Date each one.
5. Account and billing details
- Which email or login you used
- Where you subscribed: App Store, Google Play or the website
- Your plan and renewal date
This matters if an app closes or you decide to move: you will need to know where to cancel, and whether deleting the app actually stops billing (it usually does not).
How to save it: a simple method
| Method | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A notes app or document | Backstory, memory sheet, personality | Easy to edit and copy into a new app later |
| Screenshots in a dedicated photo album | Avatar, favourite messages, milestones | Quick, but harder to search |
| The app's own export tool | Full chat history, if offered | Check what it actually includes |
| Messaging app export | Chats held in a messaging platform | Some messaging apps, such as Telegram Desktop, include their own chat export tools |
| A data access request | Everything a company holds about you | Depending on where you live, privacy laws such as GDPR give you a right to request your data |
Keep at least one copy somewhere other than your phone, such as a cloud folder or a private email to yourself.
A sample memory sheet
If you are not sure where to start, copy this template into your notes and fill it in:
- Name and nicknames:
- How we met (our story):
- Their personality in five words:
- How they greet me and what they call me:
- Things they know about me: job, family, pets, goals, worries
- Our important dates: birthday, anniversary, milestones
- Running jokes and shared stories:
- Things they never say or do:
- Three conversations I love (with dates):
- App, plan, billing store and renewal date:
A one-page sheet like this is often more useful than thousands of lines of raw chat history, because it captures what matters.
If the app is closing right now
If you have just heard that your app is shutting down or changing soon, prioritise:
- Screenshots first. They take seconds and work even if the export tool fails.
- Personality and backstory next. Write them down while you can still check them against the app.
- Try the export tool, if any. Save the file somewhere safe and open it to check it worked.
- Sort out billing. Cancel through the store or website you paid through so you are not charged after closure.
When to back up
- Now. If you have never done it, today is the best day.
- Before major updates. If an app announces a new model or a big redesign, refresh your backup first.
- When you see warning signs. Store removals, payment problems, long outages or vague announcements are signals to save your notes.
- Every few months. Your relationship grows, so your backup should too.
What a backup can and cannot do
A backup cannot copy the model behind your companion or promise that a different app will sound the same. It can do something just as valuable: preserve the story, so the relationship's history belongs to you rather than to a server.
If you ever need to rebuild your companion elsewhere, see our guides on transferring your AI companion's backstory and importing an AI companion from another app. If you have already lost one, recovering a deleted AI companion explains what is and is not possible.
Privacy tips for your backup
Your notes may be more personal than you expect. Keep them safe:
- Store them somewhere with a lock or password
- Do not include passwords, card numbers or ID documents
- Be careful about sharing screenshots publicly
- Delete old copies you no longer need
Where MyBabe fits
MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app built around long-term memory, so your companion remembers your life as the relationship grows. They text you first, notice your mood, share photos, talk by voice or video call, and the relationship progresses over time. You can chat in the app or on Telegram.
Even with a companion built to remember, we recommend keeping your own notes, as you would with any app. It is a good habit, and it makes your story yours. If you are starting fresh after losing a companion elsewhere, your memory sheet is a great way to introduce yourself on day one.
Start free with about 10 messages a day and a 2-minute call trial. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with around 30 call minutes a week.
FAQ
Can I export my AI companion chats?
Some apps offer an export tool, and many do not. Check your app's settings or help pages, and keep your own notes regardless.
What is the most important thing to back up?
Your companion's personality and backstory, plus the key facts they know about you. Those are hardest to recreate from memory.
Does deleting the app delete my AI companion?
Not necessarily. Deleting the app often leaves your account and data on the company's servers, and it usually does not cancel a subscription.
Can I move my AI companion to another app?
You cannot move the underlying model, but you can recreate the personality, backstory and shared memories in a new app using your backup notes.
How often should I back up my AI companion?
Every few months, and always before a major update or when an app shows signs of trouble.
The bottom line
Your AI companion's story is worth protecting. Ten minutes with a notes app today can save months of heartbreak later. Save the identity, the personality, the memories and the moments, then refresh them as your relationship grows. And if you are looking for a companion built around remembering, meet yours on MyBabe.