Export a map journal: what belongs in your backup?
Understand Locary ZIP exports containing JSON and managed media, the separate photo-library originals, and the checks to make before replacing local journal data.
Updated 2026-11-13
A Locary ZIP export contains journal JSON and app-managed media, while photo-footprint originals remain in the system photo library. Treat the archive and the source library as separate parts of a preservation plan rather than assuming a journal export is a complete photo-library backup.
Define what you want to keep
A journal backup can mean several things: retaining readable text, preserving place and date information, keeping chosen attachments or keeping every original travel photograph. Write down your actual goal before exporting. A copy that serves one of these purposes may not serve all the others.
The documented ZIP includes JSON plus managed media. JSON is the structured record component, not a promise of a polished printable travel book. Managed media refers to media the app stores, which must be distinguished from original library assets referenced by automatic photo footprints. No exported destination database or public travel catalog is involved; these are your personal records.
Inspect the export as a real file
After using the available export flow, check that you have an actual archive in the destination you intended. A completed interaction is less useful than knowing where the file is and being able to identify it later. Open a copy for inspection while keeping the original journal installation intact.
Look for the expected structured data and managed media rather than assuming that a filename alone proves completeness. You can compare a few known memories with what you can identify in the archive. This is an authored verification routine; it does not assert a particular export dialog, filename convention or guaranteed third-party import format that the feature description has not established.
Keep original photos separately
Imported footprints reference system photo-library originals rather than copying all of them into the journal sandbox. If your goal includes preserving those original images, maintain the photo library through an appropriate separate plan. Do not remove originals merely because their places appear in the journal map.
User-selected attachments are different: those are copied into app storage and can belong to the managed-media portion. Knowing which kind of source produced a memory helps you inspect what an export should contain without assuming every visible image has identical storage treatment.
Separate ZIP export from iCloud restore
Private iCloud upload and snapshot restoration are separate operations. The snapshot and ZIP are different copy types. The ZIP format does not, by itself, establish that a ZIP can be imported back through the snapshot restore workflow.
Restore can replace local data and asks when the local store is nonempty. Before choosing replacement, identify newer local memories and any copies you want to retain. Do not assume an automatic merge will preserve everything from every source; that capability has not been established here.
Use a simple backup inventory
| Copy | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Current journal installation | Recent memories remain accessible |
| ZIP archive | File exists where intended; JSON and managed media can be inspected |
| Photo library | Referenced originals have their own preservation plan |
| Existing private iCloud snapshot | You know a snapshot exists before relying on restore |
This inventory is a suggestion for your own review, not an additional product feature. Its purpose is to reveal missing dependencies before you delete or replace the copy you currently use.
Preserve context, not only bytes
A saved file is more useful if you know what period and purpose it represents. Keep a plain note beside your archive describing why you made it and which original media are stored elsewhere. You do not need to expose private entry text in a public document to keep that context.
If you cannot identify a remembered item in an export, investigate while the original installation still exists. Avoid using deletion as a way to test backup quality. See private storage for cloud boundaries and photo footprints for source-library behaviour.
Where to get it
Locary offers ZIP export of JSON and managed media for its iPhone and iPad map journal. Use it when you want a separate journal archive, with a clear plan for any original photo-library items that the journal references.