Data loss can occur for various reasons. PlantPal stores your data on your device and—if enabled–on iCloud for convenient data sync among your devices.
While we don’t have access to your data and can’t help directly, there are a few things we recommend you to try to troubleshoot.
Check your iCloud status
When you experience sudden and total data loss, it may very likely be related to your iCloud account.
Verify the sync status of your PlantPal data with iCloud. On your iOS device:
- Open the PlantPal app on your iOS device.
- Navigate to Preferences tab (iPhone) or tap Preferences from the sidebar (iPad).
- Under “iCloud Sync”, PlantPal reports the status of your iCloud account.
Re-enable iCloud account
If PlantPal says “iCloud Unavailable”, it means you are not signed into iCloud on the device, or that you are signed in but do not have iCloud enabled for PlantPal.
If you were previously using iCloud but have signed out on your device, iOS may remove your data from the device.
To put the data back, you will need to sign into the same iCloud account you were using before. Follow this guide here from Apple.
If you are signed in, you should check and enable iCloud for PlantPal. Follow this guide here from Apple.
Sign into your old iCloud account
When you switch iCloud account, iOS may remove and replace the data you have on your local storage.
To put your data back, you must sign into the same iCloud account that you were using before. To do that, follow this guide here from Apple to learn how to sign out and sign into iCloud on your device.
Consider making an export
You can export and make a portable copy of your data. This can be convenient if you have to start using another iCloud account, or if you need a copy for safekeeping.
Note that you should only do this after your data is downloaded onto PlantPal.
To do that:
- Open the PlantPal app on your iOS device.
- Navigate to Preferences tab (iPhone) or tap Preferences from the sidebar (iPad).
- Scroll down to Storage – Data Backups.
- Tap Create New Backup and follow on-screen prompts.
- After the backup is created, tap on the backup file, and tap Share Backup.
- You can store the backup to a local location, or use AirDrop to share it to another device.
To restore from a backup:
- Open the PlantPal app on the device. PlantPal data on this device will be replaced by data in the backup.
- Navigate to Preferences tab (iPhone) or tap Preferences from the sidebar (iPad).
- Scroll down to Storage – Data Backups.
- Tap Import from Files. This will open Files app and you can select the backup you created earlier.
- Tap the imported backup file. Tap Restore from Backup. You will be warned that data on the device will be replaced. If you have iCloud enabled, data on iCloud will also be replaced.
- Follow on-screen prompts to finish restoring from backup process.
For more detailed and app-specific troubleshooting, consult the PlantPal user manual or visit their official support website.
We hope this guide helps you recover your lost data in PlantPal and get back to enjoying your plant collection management.