MunshiTo restore a Munshi backup, open Settings → Backup & restore → Restore a backup, choose a backup from this phone, your Google Drive or a backup file, check what it contains and tap Restore. It comes back as a new business next to your current ones, so nothing you have now is changed. That makes restore safe to try, and it is the way to bring back an older copy of a business.
When to restore a backup
- You want an older state of a business back, for example before a bulk change.
- You moved to a new phone and want an extra copy of what you had, beyond the cloud sync.
- Someone sent you a backup file, such as a partner or your accountant.
If you only lost your phone, you do not need a backup file at all. Sign in with the same phone number on the new phone and your records sync back from the cloud. See how to back up business records on Google Drive for the three copies Munshi keeps.
How to restore, step by step
- Open Settings, then Backup & restore.
- Tap Restore a backup.
- Choose where the backup is: this phone, your Google Drive, or Choose a backup file for a file from somewhere else, for example one sent to you on WhatsApp.
- Pick the backup. Munshi shows what it contains: the business name, when it was backed up, and how many customers, ledger entries, Cash Book entries, bank transactions and expenses it holds.
- Tap Restore. You will see progress, such as “Restoring… 40 of 120”. Keep the app open until it is done.
- When it finishes, Munshi says it was restored under a name, for example “Ali General Store (restored)”. Switch to it from the business name at the top of Home.
What happens to your current businesses
Nothing. The restored backup is a separate business, with its own customers, Cash Book, bank accounts, expenses, Recycle bin and backups. You can compare it with the business you use now, copy over what you need, and delete the restored one if you do not want it. You can keep up to 5 businesses. See how to manage multiple businesses in one app.
If the connection drops
Restoring uploads the data to your account as it goes. If the internet is lost halfway, what was restored so far uploads when you are online again. To finish, restore the same backup again. Munshi tells you this in the message, so you are never left guessing.
If it says this is not a backup
If you choose a file that is not a Munshi backup, Munshi says so. Make sure you picked the backup file itself (not a screenshot or a PDF report), and that it was not renamed or changed.
Share your own backup file
You can send a backup to yourself or a trusted person from the Backup screen with Share backup file. The message that goes with it explains how to bring it back: Munshi → Settings → Backup & restore → Restore a backup → Choose a backup file. Treat the file like your cash book: it contains your customers’ names and balances, so share it only with people you trust.
Keep your copies safe
A backup helps only if it exists before you need it. Munshi saves one on the phone once a day, and you can add a copy in your own Google Drive. Turn on App Lock as well, so a PIN protects your records. If you are bringing customers in from a spreadsheet rather than a backup, use the import guide instead.
Planning a restore: a checklist
Restore is safe because it never overwrites your current data, but a little planning avoids confusion:
- Know why you are restoring. An older state of a business, an extra copy on a new phone, or a file someone sent you?
- Check you have room. You can keep up to 5 businesses, and a restored backup appears as a new one.
- Find the right backup. Note the business name and the backup date shown before you confirm.
- Make sure you are online and the phone is charged. Restoring uploads data to your account as it goes.
- Keep the app open until Munshi says it is done.
Working with the restored business afterwards
A restored business is a snapshot of the past. Once it appears, you can open it, look at its customers and balances, and compare them with your current business. If you wanted the older state back, you can continue working in the restored business, though you will need to re-enter anything recorded since the backup date. If you only wanted to look something up, such as what a customer owed in September, read it and then delete the restored business when you no longer need it, so you do not confuse the two. Name checks matter: the restored business ends with “(restored)”, so look at the name at the top of Home before you record anything.
Restoring on a new phone
For a new phone, you usually do not need a backup file at all. Sign in with the same phone number, and your ledger, Cash Book, bank book and expenses sync back from the cloud. Use Restore when you specifically want an older copy, or when you have a file from somewhere else. If your old phone had a local backup and your Google Drive is connected, both are options; the Drive copy is the easier one to reach from a new phone, because it is in your own Google account.
Receiving a backup from someone else
A partner or accountant might send you a backup file, perhaps on WhatsApp. Save the file to your phone, open Restore a backup, choose Choose a backup file, and pick it. Munshi shows what is inside before you confirm, so you can check it is the one you expect. Remember that a backup holds customers’ names and balances: only open files from people you trust, and only share your own with people you trust. If Munshi says the file is not a Munshi backup, check that you chose the right file and that it was not renamed or edited.
Large backups and slow connections
A business with many customers and years of entries takes longer to restore, and a weak connection can slow it further. Keep the app in the foreground, plug the phone in, and be patient. If the connection drops, what was restored so far uploads when you are back online, and you can restore the same backup again to finish. Avoid starting a second restore of the same file while the first is still running.
Restore versus import
These two features can look similar but do different jobs. Restore brings back a whole Munshi business from a backup: customers, entries, Cash Book, bank, expenses. Import brings customers and balances in from an Excel or CSV file, as new customers in a business you choose. If you have a Munshi backup, use Restore. If you have a spreadsheet, use the import guide. For keeping your copies safe in the first place, read how to back up business records on Google Drive.