Playing without an account does not mean a save automatically follows you. Forked Lives currently stores records in the local browser. The same device, browser profile and website address are the starting point for finding a previous life. Export a file when you want a durable backup.
A card, an invitation and a JSON backup are different
A keepsake is a readable image. A same-start invitation recreates an origin from a simulated seed. A JSON backup holds records that the website can import. A card or invitation cannot restore your complete halfway-through life.
Treat the JSON file as private. It can contain notes, an epitaph and life records. Sending it shares more than sending a card or invitation. You do not need to post a complete backup publicly to invite someone to a challenge.
Export before leaving the old browser
Choose export records in the home keepsake section, local memorials or transfer control. Confirm that the browser has downloaded the JSON, then give the backup a recognizable name, such as a date and “life records”.
Do this before clearing site data, replacing a device or moving to another domain. A bookmark or screenshot does not transfer website storage. Using a different browser on the same phone does not transfer it either. If there are no records, the export control will ask you to start a life first.
Import the file manually at the destination
Open the website in the destination browser, choose import records and select the exported JSON. The site checks its format and state; the current file limit is 5 MB. Records merge by life identifier, and an imported record replaces a matching identifier rather than comparing which copy is more recent.
Export the destination’s own important records before importing another backup. The current shelf retains up to 100 lives, so keep your complete original file when restoring a large collection. Importing once also does not synchronize subsequent changes between devices.
Check the address and browser before assuming a save is gone
Check whether you changed domains, devices, browsers or browser profiles. Private windows commonly use temporary storage, and clearing site data removes local records. Avoid deleting more data or importing an unfamiliar file while investigating.
Return to the ordinary browser and address you used before. If the life is there, export it first. If the storage has already been removed and no backup exists, the website has no server copy to restore. A future account system cannot recreate an old local record that was lost.
Do not repair a rejected file by guessing at numbers
A damaged file, another game’s format, excessive size or an invalid state can be rejected. Keep the original and confirm that you selected a JSON actually exported by this site. A picture or text summary is not an importable save.
Changing seeds, dates, choices or branching snapshots by hand can create a record that contradicts its own history. You can keep an image and a written summary as additional memories, but they still do not replace the state needed to continue playing.
Keep two kinds of memory for a life that matters
After a meaningful ending or branch, export a JSON and save a keepsake card. The first preserves importable state; the second is something you can read without opening the game.
When sharing, generate a card or invitation and check the visible text. A simulated life does not need your real personal details, and a challenge does not require sending your private journal to a friend.