Apps often feel essential not because they have the most features, but because all our work is already stored within them. Notes, customer lists, project documents, transaction histories, and even family archives can accumulate over the years. The problem only becomes apparent when the app raises its prices, removes features, experiences outages, or no longer fits our workflow.
Therefore, before making an app a dependency, there’s one question worth asking: if one day I need to move, can my data come with me? This capability is commonly referred to as data portability, which is the ease of transferring data from one service to another in a still useful format.
Convenience is not the same as control
Many apps make the process of entering data feel easy. We just need to create an account, upload files, and start working. However, the ease of entry is often not matched by the ease of exit.
For example, a note-taking app may provide a neat interface, quick search, and cross-device synchronization. But when all notes can only be exported as a messy web page, users may struggle to move them to another app. Data can technically be downloaded, but it may not be truly usable.
A similar situation occurs with business apps. Contact lists may be exportable, but without communication history. Transaction data may be available in a proprietary format that is hard to read. Folder structures, labels, comments, or relationships between data can also be lost.
This is where the difference between having a copy of the data and having data that remains useful comes into play. A copy is just the first step.
Five things to check before choosing an app
1. Is there an export feature available?
Look for menus like Export, Download your data, Backup, or Data portability. Don’t just read that the feature is available. Also check what types of data can be exported and in what formats.
For tables, CSV or XLSX formats are usually easier to reuse. For documents, DOCX, Markdown, HTML, or PDF serve different purposes. PDF is good for visual archiving but less ideal if the document's content still needs editing. For photos and videos, ensure the original files can be downloaded, not just compressed versions.
2. How complete is the export result?
Test with a small amount of data before committing everything. Create some folders, labels, comments, attachments, and relationships between items. After exporting, open the results using another app or a plain text editor.
Check if important elements are included, such as:
- File names and folder structures.
- Creation and last modified dates.
- Tags, categories, or statuses.
- Attachments and images.
- History or additional notes.
- User identity who made changes.
If the export result only contains the main text without helpful context, consider its portability still limited.
3. Is there a way to retrieve data periodically?
Manual exports are useful but easily forgotten. For apps that store important data, check if synchronization to other storage, APIs, or scheduled backup features are available.
API is a pathway that allows other applications to retrieve or send data in a structured manner. You don’t have to be a programmer to understand its value. The presence of an API usually indicates that data is easier to connect with other systems, although it’s still necessary to check access limitations and costs.
If there’s no API, set a manual export schedule. For example, customer data could be exported weekly, and document archives created at the end of each month. What matters is not whether the frequency seems sophisticated, but whether the process is simple enough to actually carry out.
4. What happens if the account becomes inaccessible?
Data is not very helpful if it can only be retrieved after successfully logging in. Check for account recovery options, backup email addresses, recovery codes, and mechanisms for managing data when the account owner is unavailable.
For business or family accounts, avoid storing important data in a single person's personal account without a succession plan. Use organizational accounts, access managers, or at least document who has administrator rights.
Also, be aware if the app uses two-step authentication that relies solely on one phone. Security is indeed important, but recovery pathways must also be realistic.
5. Can the data be read without the app?
Try opening the exported files without installing special software. Open formats like CSV, JSON, TXT, Markdown, or HTML tend to be easier to process by many tools. Proprietary formats from a single vendor may still be useful, but the risk is higher if that app stops being developed.
This doesn’t mean all data must be stored in the simplest format. Photos, designs, program code, and databases require different formats. The principle is to keep a copy in a documented format and not rely entirely on one app.
Differentiate between primary data and supporting data
Not all parts of an app have the same level of importance. Separate data into three groups.
- Primary data: documents, contacts, transactions, original photos, code, or notes that are hard to recreate.
- Supporting data: labels, comments, metadata, statuses, and folder structures.
- Temporary data: notifications, cache, search history, or personal views.
Prioritize exporting primary data first. After that, save supporting data if it is indeed needed to understand or continue the work. Not all display settings need to be preserved.
What can be done now
- Choose one app that is most important for your work or personal life.
- Look for export features and download some data as a trial.
- Open the results outside of that app.
- Note what data is missing, changed format, or hard to read.
- Store a copy in a different location, not just on the same device.
- Set the next export schedule and who is responsible.
For technical users, add a simple automated check. For example, ensure the number of files doesn’t change drastically, the archive size remains reasonable, and some sample files can be opened. For general users, a monthly reminder calendar is sufficient as a start.
What does this mean for us?
Choosing an app is not just about today’s features. We also need to assess how the app treats data when needs change. A good service should help users work, not make them afraid to leave.
Data portability does not eliminate all risks. Migration still takes time, and not all structures can be perfectly transferred. However, conducting checks from the beginning makes decisions more reassuring. We can enjoy the convenience of apps without relinquishing full control to a single service.
Ultimately, the best app is not always the one with the most features. Often, a healthier choice is an app that makes it easy for us to work, easy to back up, and—if necessary—easy to take data away.
– Rio Yotto @rioyotto