Last checked October 26, 2026
Your watch history is a record you build over years, every film, every episode, every rating. Cinopsys lets you keep a complete copy of it in a place you already control: your own Google Drive. The backup lives in your cloud, on your account, and restores onto any phone in a couple of taps.
- Settings → Sync & Backup → turn on Google Drive under "Extra backup," or pick a backup folder on your phone instead.
- Set automatic backups: daily, weekly or monthly (weekly is the default), to your own Drive or a folder on your phone.
- It stacks on top of any choice, a backup copy, not a sync service.
Back up your library in 5 steps
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Install and open Cinopsys
Grab Cinopsys from the Google Play Store and open it. You don't need an account to start. You can build your library first and back it up whenever you're ready.
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Open Sync & Backup in Settings
Head to Settings → Sync & Backup. Under "Where your library lives" you'll see a tile for Trakt, Simkl, MDBList and WeTrakr; a service you have not signed in to offers Sign in or Use on this phone. Scroll on to "Extra backup." It sits below your sync choice and is described as "Keep a copy of your library beyond your sync account."
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Turn on Google Drive or pick a folder
Flip the Google Drive toggle and sign in to your Google account, "a private copy in your own Drive, in case you switch phones." The copy sits in the private app-data area of your Drive, so it does not show up as a normal file there. Prefer to keep it on the phone? Choose a backup folder instead. Either way it stacks on top of whatever you picked under "Where your library lives" (a service tile, or On this phone), so it works alongside sync or completely standalone.
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Set your backup schedule
Choose how often Cinopsys backs up automatically, daily, weekly or monthly (weekly is the default), or use Back up now. From then on it keeps a fresh copy of your library, watch history, ratings and lists in your Drive or folder without you lifting a finger.
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Restore on any device
On a new phone, install Cinopsys, open Sync & Backup and restore from Drive or from a backup file. Everything comes back as it was, which makes moving to a new device painless.
What's in the backup
A Cinopsys backup is a complete snapshot of your library, so a restore puts you right back where you left off:
- Your full watch history and play counts
- Ratings, including half-star ratings
- Watchlist, collection, favourites and hidden or dropped titles
- Custom lists and the items in them, plus lists you have liked
- Notes and your own comments
- Your chosen artwork, profile name and photo
- All four service libraries in one file
The backup lives in your Google Drive, not on a Cinopsys server. That means your record of what you've watched stays in your cloud, under your control, no account with us, nothing held hostage. Read more on the idea in our note on owning your library.
A backup does not include app settings or sign-in details, and restoring only adds to your library, it never overwrites or deletes.
Backup, sync, and copying: what each does
These three are easy to mix up, and they do different jobs:
- Sync: your watch history and watchlist stay in step both ways with a service you are signed in to.
- Copy activity (Also save my activity to...): sends your new actions from the active service to other services you are signed in to. It only copies new actions from the moment you turn it on and does not move old history.
- Backup: a file (Google Drive or a folder) holding all your Cinopsys libraries. Restoring merges it back in; if a service is connected, anything it lacks is sent on the next sync.
Your data, in your cloud
That's a full backup saved where you control it. Run it standalone for a private copy, or pair it with Trakt/Simkl sync for belt-and-suspenders peace of mind, either way, the library stays yours.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my backup stored?
In your own Google Drive account, in the private app-data area Cinopsys uses (it does not appear as a normal file in Drive's file list), or in a folder on your device if you choose that instead. Cinopsys keeps the newest 10 Drive backups and the newest 5 folder backups. It lives in your cloud and stays under your control, Cinopsys can't see it as data to collect or sell.
Can I back up to a folder on my phone instead?
Yes. Under Extra backup, choose a backup folder (any folder, including one that syncs to another cloud), pick Daily, Weekly or Monthly (default Weekly), or use Back up now. You can also restore from any backup file.
Can Cinopsys back up automatically?
Yes. Once Google Drive or a backup folder is set up, you can choose a daily, weekly or monthly schedule (weekly is the default), so your latest watch history and lists are always saved without you having to remember.
Do I need an account to use Cinopsys?
No. Cinopsys is fully standalone and every feature works the moment you install it. The Google Drive backup is optional, turn it on only if you want a personal copy in your cloud.
Can I restore on a new phone?
Yes. Install Cinopsys on the new device, open Settings, choose to restore from Drive and pick your backup. Your library, history, ratings and lists come back as they were.
Do I still need a backup if I sync with Trakt, Simkl, MDBList or WeTrakr?
Sync is great for keeping devices and apps in step, but a personal Drive backup means you own a full copy outright, in your own cloud. It's a belt-and-suspenders way to be sure your library is truly yours.