Skip to main content

Projects, Cloud Sync & Backups

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Your designs live in projects, and Protoboard Designer gives you three places to keep them: try things out in guest mode, keep boards local to one device, or sync them through the cloud across the web app and Android. This page explains the differences, plus the .pbd backup format that moves projects anywhere.

Guest mode — try before you sign in​

You can open the editor and start designing without an account. Guest mode is for kicking the tires:

  • Your work is temporary — if you leave guest mode without signing in, it's gone. The app warns you and offers to restore or discard an unsaved guest draft on your next visit.
  • Exports (PDF, Gerber, image) require signing in.
  • When you do sign in, the app offers to save and sync the board you were working on — nothing is lost.
Signing in is free

A free account gets you cloud-synced boards, custom footprints, and exports. Guest mode is a preview, not a place to keep real work.

Local vs cloud projects​

The project list has two sections:

  • Local — projects stored only on the current device. No connection needed, no account involved. Good for scratch work.
  • Cloud — projects stored with your account and synced automatically while you edit. Start on the web, continue on your phone; the latest version is always waiting. There's no in-editor sync indicator yet — open the project list on another device to confirm a board synced.

Your plan sets how many cloud boards you can keep: 3 on Free, 20 on Maker, unlimited on Engineer.

Project list with Local and Cloud sections and the Create project menu
Project list with Local and Cloud sections and the Create project menu

Backups: export and restore .pbd files​

A .pbd file is a complete, portable snapshot of one project — available to everyone, on every plan. Use it for backups before big changes, moving a board between accounts, or sharing a design with a friend.

  • Export: open the project's menu and choose Export project — the board is saved as a .pbd file wherever you choose (on Android the system share/save sheet opens).
  • Restore: in the project list, open the Create project menu → Import Project (.pbd)… and pick the file. The project is recreated as a new board.
Export project option saving a board as a .pbd backup file
Export project option saving a board as a .pbd backup file
Version compatibility

Backups are forward-compatible: a .pbd made in an older app version always restores in a newer one. The reverse isn't guaranteed — if a backup was made with a newer app version than you're running, update the app and import again.

Troubleshooting​

I lost work in guest mode​

Guest work is temporary by design. The app offers to restore an unsaved guest draft on the next visit — if you accepted the discard, it's gone. Sign in before doing work you care about.

"This backup was created with a newer version of the app"​

Update Protoboard Designer (refresh the web app, or update from Google Play), then import the .pbd again.

I hit my cloud board limit​

Free accounts keep 3 cloud boards. Export a board you're not using as a .pbd backup and delete it from the cloud — or upgrade to Maker (20) or Engineer (unlimited).

What's next?