How to back up a crypto portfolio tracker before changing browsers

Before you replace a computer or browser profile, export your tracker data while the old Owlio installation still opens. Save the downloaded JSON file somewhere you control, import it into the new installation, and compare the wallet lists before removing the old one. Owlio’s backup transfers addresses, hidden-item choices and saved results from frozen-network checks. It does not transfer private keys, transaction history, cached prices or a complete snapshot of your portfolio.

This guide covers Owlio 1.1.0, the version listed in the Chrome Web Store on 3 October 2026. Other portfolio trackers may use different backup formats. A tracker backup is also different from a wallet recovery phrase: Owlio watches public addresses and cannot sign transactions or recover access to your funds.

Why a local tracker needs a separate backup

Owlio keeps its wallet list in the browser’s local extension storage. It has no account or Owlio server from which to restore that list on another computer. Chrome distinguishes local extension storage from synced storage; according to Chrome’s storage documentation, local extension data stays on the device and is cleared when the extension is removed. Owlio’s export file is the deliberate way to carry its watch list to another installation.

Export the data before uninstalling Owlio, deleting the old browser profile or wiping its data. If the old installation is already gone and you have no backup, Owlio has no server copy to retrieve. You can add the public addresses again if you kept them elsewhere, but doing so will not reconstruct your hidden-item choices or saved frozen-network checks.

The export is a local download, not cloud sync. Owlio creates the file in your browser without making a network request for the export itself. After import, the tracker must still ask public blockchain and market-data services for fresh portfolio data. Those services can see the requested addresses and your IP address, as the privacy policy explains.

What the Owlio backup contains

The backup is a readable .json document named owlio-backup-YYYY-MM-DD.json. It is not encrypted. Anyone who obtains a copy can read the public addresses in it. It may also contain records of balances found during a frozen-network check. Treat the file as private portfolio information even though it contains no wallet keys.

Included in the file	Not included in the file
Public wallet addresses, network kind and saved display text	Seed phrase, private keys or the ability to sign
IDs of hidden unverified items	Transaction history and download progress
Saved results of frozen-network checks	Cached live balances, market prices and NFT data
Export date and backup format version	Privacy Mode state and consent for a frozen-network check

Owlio 1.1.0 has no control to name or rename wallets. For an address added through its interface, the exported label field contains the address text as entered. A previously imported backup can carry a different non-empty display label, which Owlio keeps if that account is added and may export again.

The settings field is empty in the 1.1.0 format, so its presence does not mean that all settings are transferred. In particular, Privacy Mode is a local display choice and is not restored from this file. Frozen-network records are past check results, not proof that funds remain unclaimed today; the zkSync Lite withdrawal guide explains why a frozen balance can still appear after withdrawal.

This is a backup of your tracker setup, not a CSV for tax reporting or an archive of historical valuations. The new installation rebuilds its own history and price cache as sources respond. A chart can therefore be incomplete just after import, even when every address transferred correctly. If a current total still looks wrong after the sources have responded, follow the portfolio balance checklist to distinguish an address, source, price or coverage problem.

Export from the old browser

1. Open the Owlio side panel in the browser profile that still contains your wallets. Check the All accounts list and note the addresses you expect to move. If the panel is empty, make sure you opened the correct Chrome profile before exporting.
2. In Settings, open Data and select Export data. The same export control is available from the account list when wallets are present. Chrome downloads a file whose name starts with owlio-backup- and ends in .json.
3. Find the downloaded file and check that it is not empty. If you are comfortable opening JSON as text, confirm that it contains "format": "owlio-export" and "version": 1, and that the accounts section lists the expected addresses. You can inspect the file locally without pasting it into a website.
4. Keep a copy somewhere you control until you have verified the move. Avoid public folders and untrusted upload or conversion sites: the file exposes your watch list and any saved frozen-network findings. Do not add a seed phrase to the file or send one to anyone offering to “restore” Owlio.

The YYYY-MM-DD part of the filename is the UTC export date; it does not mean that prices or balances were frozen on that date. If you add another address afterward, export again so the file reflects the latest list. Keep the old profile intact while you test the new one.

Import into the new browser and verify

1. Install Owlio from the Chrome Web Store in the new Chrome profile or computer and open its side panel. On an empty installation, Import data is available before you add an address. If you have already added wallets, find Import data in Settings → Data or the account list.
2. Choose the Owlio .json file you exported. The importer reads the local file and adds valid addresses to the current list. It does not erase wallets that are already present. The panel reports how many addresses were added. If it skips invalid wallet or frozen-network records, it displays a warning instead of a clean success message.
3. Open All accounts and compare its displayed addresses with the old installation. The menu shortens addresses, so use the backup file when you need to check every character of a full address. Check a wallet for each address type you use. If an address already exists in the new installation, import keeps its current saved account record rather than replacing it with the record from the file. An imported record may carry a display label, but Owlio 1.1.0 has no control to rename it.
4. Give the new installation time to fetch balances and rebuild history. Check Data status before treating a blank position or missing price as evidence of a failed import. A source error is not the same as an absent wallet. If you use frozen-network checks, inspect their saved results separately and verify any withdrawal through the network’s official portal.

Importing the same file again does not duplicate an address that resolves to the same canonical address. Owlio merges the sets of hidden items and keeps the existing local frozen-network record when both installations have one. A message that no new wallets were added can therefore mean that the addresses were already present. Compare the lists instead of using the added count alone as proof of either failure or success.

Do not delete the old installation until the new account list is correct and you have kept a separate copy of the backup. Restored addresses let Owlio read public data; they do not restore control of any wallet. Your signing wallet has its own recovery procedure, independent of Owlio.

If the import fails or looks incomplete

The file is rejected. Check that you selected an Owlio JSON export rather than a wallet keystore, CSV or file from another tracker. Owlio distinguishes malformed JSON, the wrong backup format and a format version that the installed extension does not support. Do not edit the version number by hand to force an import. Use an Owlio version that supports the file’s format; an update may help if the file came from a newer version. If the file was damaged while being copied, return to the old installation and export a fresh one.

Some addresses were skipped. The importer keeps valid records and warns about invalid wallet or frozen-network entries. Compare the addresses in the new list with the original file. Refreshing prices cannot repair an unrecognized or malformed address. If the old installation is still available, correct the source list there and export it again.

The address list matches but the total or chart does not. This can happen while the new installation is fetching data, and the mismatch can persist if a public source is unavailable or the tracker does not cover a position. Check Data status, then compare one address and network at a time with an explorer or protocol record. Owlio does not include its history or price cache in the export file, so a matching wallet list is the first migration check, not a promise that every number will immediately match.

The old browser is unavailable. Without an export file, there is no Owlio account to sign into and no server backup to request. Re-add any public addresses you know. If your concern is access to funds rather than a missing watch list, follow the recovery instructions for the actual wallet that holds your keys; Owlio has no key material to recover.

Finish by checking three things: the expected addresses match, there is no skipped-record warning, and you have reviewed the relevant network rows in Data status. Keep the backup private for the next move, and create a new export whenever you substantially change the wallet list.