GitHub is a free website for storing files. We use it as a private storage locker for your backup. Nobody else can access it. Setup takes about 5 minutes and you only do it once.

Step 1: Create a GitHub account (skip if you already have one)

1. Go to github.com/signup
2. Enter your email, create a password, and choose a username
3. Verify your email when prompted, then come back here

Step 2: Create a private storage folder (called a "repository")

Think of this as a private folder on GitHub where your backup file will live.

1. Go to github.com/new (you must be logged in)
2. In the Repository name box, type any name, for example: my-journal-backup
3. Under the name box you will see two options: Public and Private. Select Private. This is important. Public means anyone on the internet could see your file.
4. Leave everything else as-is and click the green Create repository button at the bottom
5. You will land on a page with a URL like github.com/yourname/my-journal-backup. You need the last two parts: yourname/my-journal-backup. Copy that and paste it into the Repository field below.

Step 3: Create an access key (called a "token")

A token is like a limited-access key card. This one will only allow this app to read and write your one backup folder. It cannot touch anything else on your GitHub account.

1. Go to GitHub token settings (you must be logged in)
2. In the Token name box, type something like journal-sync so you remember what it is later
3. Under Expiration, click the dropdown and choose Custom. Set the date to about 90 days from today. GitHub will email you a few days before it expires so you can renew it. (A shorter expiry limits the damage if the token is ever stolen.)
4. Under Repository access, select Only select repositories, then click the dropdown that appears and choose the backup folder you just created
5. Under Permissions, click Repository permissions to expand it. Find Contents in the list and change its dropdown from "No access" to Read and write. You do not need to change any other permissions.
6. Scroll to the bottom and click Generate token
7. GitHub shows you the token once only. It starts with github_pat_. Copy it now and save it somewhere safe (your password manager, a secure note, or even a piece of paper in a drawer) before pasting it into the field below. If you lose it you can always generate a new one, but you will need to paste it in here again.

Step 4: Fill in the fields below and push your first backup

1. Paste your token into the GitHub personal access token field
2. Paste yourname/my-journal-backup into the Repository field
3. Leave File path as data.enc
4. Click Push. If everything is set up correctly you will see a confirmation message.

Using the backup on a second device

1. Open this app on the other device and open the Sync panel
2. Fill in the same token, repository, and file path
3. Click Pull. Your data will be downloaded and applied.
4. Go to Security and enter the same password you use on your main device. The backup is encrypted with that password and cannot be read without it.

Renewing your token when it expires

GitHub will email you a few days before expiry. When that happens: go to github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens, find your token, click Regenerate, copy the new token, and paste it into the field below. Everything else stays the same.