Google Drive Backup

The same connection powers both backup and continuous Cloud Sync — they are not separate features. This page covers connecting, restoring, and disconnecting; the sync mechanics live in Cloud Sync, and the two security modes in Encryption.

Connecting

1. Go to Settings → Data → Cloud Sync.
2. Tap Connect Google Drive.
3. Sign in with the Google account you want to store your data in, and grant access.

Comma then asks you to set a backup password, which encrypts everything before it reaches Drive. That's the whole setup: connect the account, set the password, and sync switches on — there's no separate toggle to find.

Comma requests only the drive.appdata scope. That gives it a private per-app folder that does not appear in your Drive and that no other app can read. It cannot see your documents, your photos, or anything else in your account.

Where your data goes, and who can read it

Your data is encrypted on the device before it leaves, with the backup password you set — so what sits in that private folder is ciphertext only. Google stores bytes it cannot read, and only a device with your password can open them.

The trade-off is absolute: Comma cannot recover that password. If you forget it, the cloud copy is unreadable — but the data on your device is untouched, so you rebuild the cloud copy from it under a new password. See Encryption for the full picture.

What is included

Everything in your local database:

• Shifts, including saved route paths
• Expenses
• Vehicles and maintenance logs
• Goals
• Platforms
• Tax history
• Profile and preferences (name, country, units, goals, tax rate)

What is not:

• Raw GPS scratch data (the unsimplified location fixes) — large, and worthless once the route is simplified
• Per-device state such as the device ID and sync cursors

Sync schedule

By default Comma syncs about once a day, plus whenever you press Sync now. Change it under Settings → Data → Cloud Sync → Advanced:

A pull happens on every app open regardless — that is what makes another device's changes appear.

Restoring or joining from another device

You rarely need a manual restore, because sync is continuous. To bring your data onto a new device, connect it to the same Google account and your data flows down — the profile syncs too, so the device comes up already configured.

The new device will ask for your backup password before it can read anything — the vault is always encrypted, so enter the same password you set on the first device.

For the step-by-step, see Moving Between Devices.

Demo mode

While demo data is loaded, connecting Google Drive is blocked and sync is disabled. Exporting or restoring a backup file is blocked too, so sample data never reaches your cloud or escapes as a file.

Disconnecting

Settings → Data → Cloud Sync → Disconnect.

This removes Comma's access token and stops syncing. Your local database is untouched, and the files already in your Drive stay there until you delete them from your Google account's app-data settings.

Troubleshooting

Could not connect — check your connection, then disconnect and reconnect. On Android, make sure a VPN or firewall is not blocking Comma.

A second device shows no data — it has nothing to pull until the first device has pushed. On the first device: Sync now, then retry on the second.

It asks for a backup password — your vault is encrypted (it always is). Enter the same password you set on the first device. If it says the password is wrong, sync pauses rather than forking your data; enter the correct one, or use Forgot your password? to rebuild the cloud copy from a device that still has your data. See Encryption.