status-app/docs/FURPS/local-user-backups.md

Local User Backup FURPS (#18106)

Functionality

• Replace remote Waku-based storage with local file-based backup for user data (settings, contacts, chat IDs, etc.).
• Allow exporting user data to a local file at any and every hour.
• Provide an import mechanism during profile setup or from settings to restore data from a backup file.

Usability

• Present intuitive options in the UI to export and import data (with clear labels and explanations).
• Guide users through the import process during onboarding or in settings with minimal friction.
• Handle errors (e.g., corrupt or mismatched files) with informative, user-friendly messages.
• Make the location and format of the backup file clear and accessible.

Reliability

• Ensure backward compatibility or graceful fallback if no backup is present.
• Ensure data integrity when saving and loading backups (e.g., hashing, validation, versioning).
• Fail safely: don’t overwrite current state unless the import is fully valid.
• Handle partial restores gracefully, ensuring app stability even if some data types fail.

Performance

• Perform export and import operations quickly, even with large data sets.
• Minimize memory usage during backup and restore processes.
• Run file I/O operations asynchronously to avoid blocking the UI.

Supportability

• Keep backup/export logic modular to support future extensions (e.g., selective data export).