Chapter 7 · 7.1
Making a backup or export of your vault
With Proton Pass and 1Password, your vault is stored on their servers and on your devices. Even so, you want a backup of your own: in case you lose access to your account, something goes wrong at the provider or you want to switch. You can read more about backups in general in the lesson The 3-2-1 rule and what you should back up of the Safe online course.
Please note: An export is a file containing all your passwords. With 1Password that file is always unencrypted, and with Proton Pass it often is too. Anyone who has the file has all your passwords. So also read the section on storing it safely below.
Proton Pass: exporting
You can export in the browser extension, in the web app at pass.proton.me and in the Windows app. You can't do it in the iPhone and Android apps.
- In the extension, open the menu with the three lines and choose Settings. In the web app, click the gear icon at the bottom left.
- Choose the Export tab.
- Under File format, choose PGP-encrypted (recommended).
- Choose a Passphrase for the file. Use a strong, new passphrase and write it down with your recovery phrase.
- Confirm and save the file.
| File format | Encrypted? | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| PGP-encrypted | Yes, with your passphrase | The best choice for a backup. You restore it in Proton Pass via the Import tab. You'll need the passphrase to do so. |
| ZIP without encryption | No | Only for importing straight into another program. |
| CSV | No | Same as above. Many programs can read CSV, but less of your data is included. |
- The export only contains vaults that belong to you. Vaults that someone else shares with you are exported by their owner.
- Attachments are not encrypted, not even in the PGP export. If you have attachments in your vault, store the export just as carefully as an unencrypted file.
- According to Proton, you can also export passkeys. Whether another manager can read them in is uncertain. Expect to create your passkeys again after switching (see Saving and using passkeys).
1Password: exporting
You can only export in the app on your computer. Not on the website and not in the browser extension.
- Open 1Password on your computer and unlock it.
- On a Mac, choose File in the menu bar and then Export. On Windows and Linux, click the three dots at the top of the sidebar and choose Export.
- Choose the account you want to export and enter your account password.
- Choose the format and save the file.
| Format | Encrypted? | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| 1PUX | No | Most of your data. Can be restored in 1Password. The best choice for a backup, provided you encrypt it yourself. |
| CSV | No | Only logins and passwords: title, website, username, password, two-step verification code, tags and notes. No custom fields. |
Passkeys are not included in the export on your computer. Only the app on a newer iPhone or Android phone can pass passkeys directly to another app. So after switching, you'll usually create your passkeys again (see Saving and using passkeys).
Storing an unencrypted export safely
If you want to keep the export as a backup, make it safe first. Choose one of these two methods:
- An encrypted zip file. Pack the export with a program that can create zip files with a password and AES-256, such as 7-Zip on Windows. Choose a strong, new password and write it down with your master password. An encrypted file like this can go in your Nextcloud or on a USB stick.
- A USB stick in a safe. Put the export on a USB stick that you only use for this, and keep it in a fireproof safe or bank safe deposit box. Preferably on an encrypted stick.
Then delete the unencrypted file:
- Delete the export from your computer, including from your Downloads folder.
- Empty the recycle bin.
- Check whether the file was in a folder that syncs to the cloud automatically, such as Nextcloud, OneDrive or iCloud. Delete it there too, including from that service's bin or old versions.
Never email an export and never put it online unencrypted.
Tip: Test once whether your backup works. With Proton Pass: import the PGP export into a second, empty Proton account. With 1Password: check that you can open the zip file and that the export is complete. A backup you've never tested is a gamble. Make a new one every few months and throw the old one away.