The Backup App is an internal Nextcloud ap­plic­a­tion that creates backup copies to reliably safeguard instances, data, databases, and ap­plic­a­tions. It can be installed directly via the built-in app store in the cloud software. Once activated, you can easily set up a schedule for Nextcloud backups through the web interface. [TOC]

Why is a Nextcloud backup important?

In today’s digital world, data is at the heart of many busi­nesses. Data integrity and avail­ab­il­ity often serve as the found­a­tion for smooth op­er­a­tions and the suc­cess­ful execution of projects. As a result, it’s essential to protect against events such as hardware failures, software issues, or human errors that could lead to data loss. This applies not only to the cloud software Nextcloud, but also to Nextcloud al­tern­at­ives like ownCloud.

Without regular backups of your Nextcloud instance, you risk losing important files or settings per­man­ently—whether due to ac­ci­dent­al deletion or technical mal­func­tions. Cy­ber­at­tacks on cloud servers also pose an in­creas­ing threat. Companies handling sensitive customer data or financial in­form­a­tion are par­tic­u­larly at risk of not only losing data but also facing repu­ta­tion­al damage and legal con­sequences without proper backups. Having a backup copy allows you to restore the system in case of a mis­con­fig­ur­a­tion. It’s essential to back up before a Nextcloud update or a Nextcloud migration.

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How to install the Nextcloud Backup App

In­stalling the Nextcloud Backup App is simple and can be done directly through the web interface. However, you will need at least version 23 of the cloud software to use it. To activate the app, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to Nextcloud: Log in to your Nextcloud instance with ad­min­is­trat­ive rights.

  2. Go to the App Store: Like all Nextcloud apps, the Backup App is installed via the built-in App Store. You can access it by clicking your profile icon and selecting the Apps section from the dropdown menu.

  3. Search for Nextcloud Backup: Enter the app’s name in the search field to quickly locate it.

  4. Install and activate the Backup App: First click on the app, then on the Download and Activate button. The app will then auto­mat­ic­ally integrate into your instance and be ready to use.

Image: Backup App in the Nextcloud App Store
You can find the app for Nextcloud backups in the ‘Tools’ category in the store.
Note

It’s also a good idea to activate the Nextcloud External Storage app to store backups on external storage. While this app is included with Nextcloud by default, it needs to be activated manually.

How to create a Nextcloud backup

Since the Backup App is in­teg­rated into the Nextcloud ecosystem, backups can be created directly through web interface. To create a Nextcloud backup, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Nextcloud Backup App: Click on your profile icon and go to Ad­min­is­tra­tion Settings in the dropdown menu. Then, click on the Backups section in the left-hand menu.
  2. Enable Back­ground Tasks: Tick the box in the Enable Back­ground Tasks section to allow automatic backups.
  3. Backup schedul­ing: Set the backup frequency under Backup Schedul­ing. If you tick the option Allow creation of full restore points on weekdays, data will be fully backed up during the week. Otherwise, the app will always create an in­cre­ment­al backup, which has the advantage of not requiring Nextcloud to be put into main­ten­ance mode. You can also adjust the interval between backups here.
Image: Backup scheduling in Nextcloud
Specify in detail when and at what intervals the backups of your Nextcloud instance should be created.
  1. Define backup prop­er­ties: In the Packaging Running section, specify whether backups should be com­pressed. If you wish to encrypt the backup, also tick Encrypt Restore Points.
  2. Set backup retention period: Under Restore Point History, you can specify how long Nextcloud backups should remain in local app data and on external storage before they are deleted.
  3. Export backup setup: Save the con­fig­ur­a­tion as a file to secure the settings. The as­so­ci­ated key - which should be kept safe - allows the backup to be restored on new hardware in case of total data loss.
Image: Exporting a Nextcloud backup configuration
Click on ‘Export con­fig­ur­a­tion’ to save the Nextcloud backup settings ex­tern­ally and generate the private key.
  1. Define storage location for backups: Under Location of Restore Points, specify where backups will be stored. You can set both local and external storage. Choosing an external drive or another server as the storage location is re­com­men­ded for added security.
  2. Create Nextcloud backup: Finally, click the Create Full Restore Point button to initiate the backup.
Image: Creating a backup for Nextcloud
Clicking 'Create full restore point' to start the Nextcloud backup will trigger a no­ti­fic­a­tion that main­ten­ance mode is being activated.
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How to restore a Nextcloud backup

Res­tor­a­tion is not done through the Nextcloud Backup App but via SSH and need to be performed manually. First, put Nextcloud into main­ten­ance mode. The following guide sim­pli­fies how to restore a Nextcloud backup.

First, display all available backups:

sudo -u www-data php occ backup:point:list
bash

Next, download the desired Nextcloud backup:

sudo -u www-data php occ backup:point:download <Backup-ID> --external <Number of external storage>
bash

Then, extract the files from the backup:

sudo -u www-data php occ backup:point:unpack <Backup-ID> --external <Number of external storage>
bash

Finally, restore your data from the extracted files:

sudo -u www-data php occ backup:point:restore <Backup-ID> --external <Number of external storage>
bash
Tip

With Managed Nextcloud, IONOS provides secure and hassle-free cloud storage with full data control. IONOS takes care of the in­stall­a­tion, main­ten­ance and updates for your Nextcloud server, so you don’t have to worry about any ad­min­is­trat­ive tasks. What’s more, dedicated support is available whenever you need it.

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