From the support desk 2026-11

How do I make a backup right now, and why isn't my older backup in the restore list?

In short

The Backup button is in Settings › Homes. Open your home and tap Backup in the Backups section, then choose Backup to iCloud. Turning on Automatic Backups doesn't back up straight away, because the first automatic backup runs the next day. When you restore from inside a home, the list shows only that home's backups. If you're looking for a backup of a different or older home, start Restore from the Homes list instead.

Backing up now

Go to Settings › Homes, open your home, and tap Backup in the Backups section. Choose Backup to iCloud, which every device on your Apple Account can restore from, including Apple TV. Or choose Backup to Custom Location… to save a file in a folder you pick. The Backup row appears only on a controller with Full Access.

Why iCloud looks empty after turning on Automatic Backups

Automatic Backups run once a day, at 4:00 AM local time with a retry at 2:00 PM. Turning them on doesn't trigger one right away, so the first automatic backup appears the next day. If you want a backup today, tap Backup as described above.

Why an older backup doesn't appear

Each backup belongs to a specific home. If you tap Restore while a home is open, Roomie lists only that home's backups. If you created a new home instead of restoring your old one, the old backups belong to a different home and are hidden from that list. Go back to the Homes list without opening a home, tap the Restore icon there, and choose Restore from iCloud to see backups for every home.

Backups from older versions

Backups made before Roomie 10.3 weren't stored in Roomie's iCloud backup list. They were saved as a RoomieBackup.zip file or a folder. Restore those with Restore from Custom Location (.zip) or Restore a Legacy Backup (Folder). A backup made under a different Apple Account won't appear in your iCloud list either.

Before you restore

Restoring makes the device you restore on the Primary Controller, so restore on the device you want to be the Primary. Don't use an iPhone or iPad iCloud device backup to get an older Roomie setup back. That also restores old permissions and an old Primary, and makes things harder to fix.

In the QuickStart Guide

Distilled from real support conversations, with details generalized. Every setup differs — if this doesn't resolve it, contact support with diagnostics.