Backup, Sync & Offline
"What if I lose my phone? What if there's no internet?" Fair questions about your business data. MGH Books is built to keep working when you're offline and to protect your data in more than one place — on your device, synced to a secure cloud, and kept as restorable backups. Here's exactly how it works and how to stay safe.
Read this first — your data lives in three places
- On your device (offline-first). The app stores your data locally, so it works even with no internet — invoice, take payments, manage stock anywhere.
- Synced to a secure cloud. When you're online, your data syncs to the server so it's safe and available across your devices.
- Kept as backups. The server keeps recent restorable backup snapshots of your data, so you can roll back if something goes wrong. You can also export your own copy any time.
- Your first login needs internet. After that the app works offline and syncs when you reconnect.
- Sync needs an occasional connection. If you work offline for a long time, connect periodically so your latest data is safely backed up to the cloud.
- A limited number of recent backups are retained. For long-term archives, export your own backup file and keep it safely.
- Don't wipe your browser data while offline and un-synced. Sync first, or you may lose un-synced changes held only on the device.
Working offline
No signal at a market stall or a customer site? Keep working — create invoices, record payments, add parties and items. Everything is saved on the device immediately. The moment you're back online, it syncs up automatically. (You don't press a "sync" button for normal use; it happens in the background.)
help-shots/bk-01-offline.pngBackups — create, restore, export
Open Backup
Go to 🔄 Settings → Data / Backup.
Create a backup
Make a fresh restore point of your current data on demand (the app also keeps recent ones for you).
Restore
Pick a previous backup to roll your data back to that point — handy if something was deleted or imported wrongly.
Export / Import a file
Export downloads a backup file you keep safely; Import loads one back in (e.g. on a new device).
help-shots/bk-02-backups.pngWhere is my data stored? (the honest answer)
Your live working copy sits on your device; it syncs to a secure server hosted in India over an encrypted connection. The server keeps recent per-customer backup snapshots so your data can be restored. You can export a copy whenever you like, so you're never locked in.
Once a week, export a backup file and store it somewhere safe (your email, a drive). It's the simplest insurance for your business records.
Real situations
📖 Billing at a market with no signal
Lakshmi sells at a weekend market with patchy internet. She bills all day offline; that evening at home on Wi-Fi, everything syncs to the cloud automatically.
📖 Undoing a mistake
She accidentally deletes a batch of items. She opens Backups, restores yesterday's snapshot, and they're back.
📖 Moving to a new phone
She logs in on a new phone (needs internet the first time); her synced data loads. For extra safety she'd exported a backup file she could import too.
Words you'll see, in plain language
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Offline-first | The app stores data on your device and works without internet. |
| Sync | Copying your data to/from the secure cloud so it's safe and on all your devices. |
| Backup (snapshot) | A saved point-in-time copy you can restore to. |
| Restore | Rolling your data back to a chosen backup. |
| Export / Import | Downloading a backup file / loading one back in. |
Troubleshooting
| What you notice | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| My other device doesn't show recent changes | The first device hasn't synced yet | Connect both to the internet so sync completes |
| Data missing after clearing the browser | Un-synced local data was wiped | Log in to restore synced data / import your backup |
| Can't log in first time | Offline on a first-ever login | Connect to the internet once; offline works after |
| Need an older version of my data | A recent change was wrong | Restore an earlier backup snapshot |
Best practices
- Connect to the internet at least daily so your data syncs and backs up.
- Export a backup file weekly and keep it somewhere safe.
- Don't clear browser/app data while you have un-synced offline changes.
- Before a big import or bulk change, create a backup first.
FAQ
Is my data safe?
Your data is stored on your device, synced to a secure India-hosted server over an encrypted connection, and kept as restorable backups. You can also export your own copy any time.
Does it really work offline?
Yes — after the first online login. Create invoices, take payments and manage stock offline; it syncs when you reconnect.
Can I download all my data?
Yes — export a backup file. On Shakti you also get bulk export and Tally-compatible export.
How many backups are kept?
A set number of recent snapshots are retained for restore. For long-term archives, export your own copies.
- Everything → all your modules' data is included in sync and backups.
- Import / Migration → bring data in or move it out — see Import & Migration.
- Login & Account → your account is the key to your synced data — see Login & Account.
📸 Screenshot capture checklist
Drop each PNG into help-shots/ with the exact filename and it appears automatically.
| # | Screen to capture | Save as |
|---|---|---|
| BK-01 | Offline / sync status | help-shots/bk-01-offline.png |
| BK-02 | Backups (Create / Restore / Export / Import) | help-shots/bk-02-backups.png |
Tip: capture the sync indicator clearly so users recognise online vs offline.