Your presets travel with you. Your photos stay private.
Max Photo Frames gives you three ways to keep your work safe: a backup file you control, iCloud Sync between your devices, and a separate personal-details file for device replacement. None of them upload your photos.
Three paths, three purposes
Backup file
Presets & Settings Backup
A single .mpfbackup file you save wherever you like
Contains all your custom presets, captions, app settings, and personal details
You choose what to restore: presets, captions, settings, or details independently
Does NOT contain photos, in-progress frames, or exported images
iCloud Sync
Library sync across devices
Keeps saved presets and captions the same on every device signed in to your Apple Account
Updates your preset library, not the photo on your screen
Off by default. You switch it on when ready
Does NOT sync photos, personal details, or your current canvas
My Details
Personal details file
A small .mpfuser file with your birthdays, trackers, theme, and content preferences
Export from the Hub, save to iCloud Drive, import on a new device
Also included inside a full backup automatically
Never travels with a shared preset. Your personal data stays personal
What travels where
Presets
Backup ✓ · Sync ✓ · Share ✓
Your custom looks travel through all three paths. Built-in presets are already on every device.
Captions
Backup ✓ · Sync ✓ · Share (referenced only)
Your saved captions sync and back up. A shared preset carries only the captions it uses.
Personal details
Backup ✓ · .mpfuser ✓ · Sync ✗ · Share ✗
Birthdays, trackers, theme. Per device by design. Explicit export only.
Photos
None of the above
Your photos never leave the device through the app. Apple's own device backup handles them.
How iCloud Sync works
You switch it on in Hub → Maintenance & Data.
Your presets and captions are pushed to your private iCloud account (Apple's CloudKit).
Your other devices pull changes on launch, on foreground, and within seconds of an edit.
A change from another device updates your library. The photo on screen is never replaced while you are editing.
When a preset has changed elsewhere, its card says "Updated on another device". Tap it to use the new version.
If both devices edit the same preset while disconnected, the later save keeps the name and the earlier version is saved as a copy. No design work is lost.
When a preset from another device has the same name as one you already have, it appears with a ◆ mark so you can see both side by side and delete whichever you do not want.
How backup and restore works
Hub → Maintenance & Data → Export Backup File.
The app creates a .mpfbackup file and opens the share sheet.
Save it to iCloud Drive, AirDrop it, or email it. It is a normal file you own.
To restore: open the file from Files, or use Hub → Import Backup File.
Choose what to bring back (presets, captions, settings, personal details).
The app tells you exactly what was added: "3 presets added, 12 captions added, settings applied."
Nothing you already have is overwritten. Restored content is added alongside your existing library.
The technology underneath
CloudKit private database
Your data in your iCloud
Stored in Apple's CloudKit private database. Only your Apple Account can access it
The developer cannot see, read, or recover your synced data
Silent push notifications wake the app when another device writes
Custom zone with change-token pagination for reliable multi-page fetches
Conflict resolution
Last writer wins + conflict copies
Each edit carries an app-level timestamp (not the server clock)
The newer edit keeps the original preset identity
The older version is preserved as a named copy, never silently destroyed
Divergence detection ensures copies fire only on genuine concurrent edits
Common questions
Does backing up or syncing upload my photos?
No. Photos never leave the device through the app. The backup carries your presets, captions, and settings: configuration, not images.
Can a sync problem delete my presets?
No. An empty or missing answer from iCloud is never treated as an instruction to delete your library. If the cloud copy goes missing for any reason, each device keeps everything it has and quietly puts the library back. This rule is enforced in code and covered by automated tests.
What if I switch iCloud accounts?
The app detects the account change and resets its sync bookkeeping. Your local presets and captions stay exactly as they are. The next sync treats the new account as a fresh start.
What happens if I delete iCloud data?
"Delete iCloud Data" in the Hub removes the iCloud copy and switches sync off on this device. Everything on this device stays, and your other devices keep their own copies. If sync is still on elsewhere, that device will upload its library again, so switch sync off on every device first if you want the cloud copy gone for good.
Can I restore a backup on a different device?
Yes. The .mpfbackup file works on any device with the app installed. Save it to iCloud Drive and open it from there, or AirDrop it directly.
Do my birthdays and tracker dates sync?
No. Personal details stay on the device you entered them on. Export them with "Export My Details" in the Hub and import on the new device. A full backup also carries them.