Where Does BusyCal Store Data and Backups?
BusyCal keeps its database in a sandboxed container that moved in 2025, plus automatic daily backups in BusyCal Backups.
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BusyCal is sandboxed, so its data hides inside container folders rather than plain Application Support. The exact container changed with version 2025.3.1, which is why migration guides disagree with each other.
Separately, BusyCal backs itself up every 24 hours and keeps the last ten archives. For most restores those backup files are the better target: they open through File then Restore without touching containers at all.
Where BusyCal stores this, by platform
~/Library/Group Containers/N4RA379GBW.com.busymac.busycal3
Data home for BusyCal 2025.3.1 and newer. Older builds used ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal3/Data/Library/Application Support/BusyCal instead. Daily backups sit in ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal3/Data/Documents/BusyCal Backups regardless.
Frequently asked questions
how do i restore busycal from a backup
Use File then Restore BusyCal and pick an archive from BusyCal Backups. To recover single events without wiping recent ones, restore into an On My Mac calendar in offline mode, drag events out as .ics, then restore the latest backup.
how do i move busycal to a new mac
Launch BusyCal once on the new Mac so the container exists, quit, then copy the data folder over. Re-enter account passwords after starting. Settings sync over iCloud on their own.
which busycal folder do i copy for old versions
On 2025.2.2 and below copy ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal3/Data/Library/Application Support/BusyCal plus the com.busymac.busycal3.plist preferences file. Paste both paths into Go to Folder, since Finder displays the folders under a plain BusyCal name.
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