Restoring Files

How to back up and restore ROMs, saves, BIOS files, and other data

Whether you're switching devices, reinstalling Provenance, or migrating from a sideloaded build to the App Store version, this guide covers how to back up and restore your data.

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What Can Be Backed Up?

Data	Location	Notes
Battery saves (in-game saves)	Battery/	Most important — these are your actual game progress
Save states	Save States/	Quick-save snapshots; may not survive app version changes
ROMs	com.provenance.[system]/ folders	Your game files
BIOS files	BIOS/	System firmware files
Cover art	Custom Artwork/	Any custom images you've added
Controller skins	Skins storage	Custom .deltaskin files

Save states are not guaranteed to be compatible across app versions. Core updates can break save state compatibility. Always create in-game saves (battery saves) before updating Provenance.

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Option 1: iCloud Sync (Easiest)

If you use Provenance Plus, iCloud automatically syncs your library, saves, BIOS files, custom artwork, and skins across all your devices.

What syncs:

• ROMs and game library

• Battery saves and save states

• BIOS files

• Controller skins

• Custom cover art

• Settings and preferences

How to enable:

1. Open Provenance → Settings

2. Enable iCloud Sync

3. Data syncs automatically in the background

Restoring on a new device:

1. Install Provenance from the App Store

2. Sign in with the same Apple ID

3. Subscribe to Provenance Plus (or restore your subscription)

4. Enable iCloud Sync — your library will download automatically

Apple TV users: iCloud/CloudKit sync is included free — no Provenance Plus subscription required.

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Option 2: Manual Backup via Files App (iOS/iPadOS)

Backing up

1. Open the Files app on your device

2. Navigate to On My iPhone (or On My iPad) → Provenance

3. You'll see folders like Battery/, Save States/, and system-specific ROM folders

4. Select the folders you want to back up → tap Share → save to:

   • iCloud Drive

   • A computer via AirDrop

   • Any cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)

Restoring

1. Install Provenance (fresh install or update)

2. Launch Provenance once and open a game briefly — this creates the folder structure

3. Open the Files app → navigate to Provenance

4. Copy your backed-up files back into the matching folders:

   • Battery saves → Battery/

   • Save states → Save States/

   • ROMs → import via normal import methods

Do NOT rename files. ROM filenames must match exactly — Provenance links saves to ROMs by filename. If a filename changes, the app won't associate your saves with the correct game.

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Option 3: Manual Backup via Web Server

Best for bulk transfers and Apple TV (which doesn't have the Files app).

Backing up

1. Open Provenance → tap + (or Settings → Import/Export) to start the Web Server

2. Note the IP address shown (e.g., http://192.168.1.42)

3. On your computer:

Web Browser

1. Go to http://[device-ip] in your browser

2. Browse to Battery/, Save States/, and ROM folders

3. Download the files you need

WebDAV (Finder/Explorer)

Restoring

1. Start the Web Server in Provenance (same steps as above)

2. Upload your files back:

   • ROMs and BIOS: Upload to the Imports/ folder — Provenance auto-sorts them

   • Battery saves: Place directly into Battery/

   • Save states: Place directly into Save States/

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Option 4: Desktop File Manager (USB)

For direct USB access to Provenance's files:

1. Connect your device to your computer via USB

2. macOS (Catalina+): Open Finder → select your device → Files tab → Provenance

3. Windows/older macOS: Use a third-party tool:

   • iMazing (recommended)

   • iExplorer

   • DiskAid

4. Browse Provenance's file structure and copy files in either direction

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Migrating Between Install Methods

Sideloaded → App Store

The App Store and sideloaded versions use separate data directories. To migrate:

1. Back up from the sideloaded version (Files app, Web Server, or USB — see above)

2. Delete the sideloaded version

3. Install from the App Store

4. Restore your backed-up files into the new installation

5. If using Provenance Plus, enable iCloud Sync to prevent future data loss

App Store → Sideloaded (or vice versa with different Bundle IDs)

Same process — back up, install the new version, restore files.

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Folder Structure Reference

Provenance/
├── Imports/              ← Drop ROMs and BIOS here for auto-import
├── Battery/              ← In-game saves (most important!)
├── Save States/          ← Quick-save state files
├── BIOS/                 ← System firmware files
│   └── com.provenance.[system]/
├── Custom Artwork/       ← User-added cover art
└── com.provenance.[system]/  ← ROM storage by system
    ├── com.provenance.nes/
    ├── com.provenance.snes/
    ├── com.provenance.gba/
    └── ...

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Troubleshooting

Saves don't appear after restoring

• Verify filenames match exactly (including extensions and capitalization)

• Launch the game once to create the folder structure, then quit and place your save files

• Force quit Provenance and reopen to refresh the database

Save states crash or don't load

Save states are tied to specific emulator core versions. If you've updated Provenance (or switched cores), old save states may be incompatible. Battery saves (in-game saves) are always compatible — use those for long-term game progress.

ROMs show as "Unknown" after restoring

Provenance matches ROMs by checksums (MD5/CRC). If you see unmatched games:

1. Long-press the game → Game Settings → manually assign the system

2. Or delete and re-import the ROM through the standard import process

Can't access Provenance folder in Files app

• Make sure you're looking under On My iPhone/iPad, not iCloud Drive (unless you have iCloud Sync enabled)

• If the Provenance folder doesn't appear, launch and quit Provenance once to create it

• Check Settings → Provenance → ensure file access is enabled

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Best practice: Enable Provenance Plus iCloud Sync and let backups happen automatically. For extra safety, create in-game saves (not just save states) for your most important games.