Importing a 2Timer Backup

A .2t file is 2Timer’s own backup of a meet. Use it to move a meet to another device, recover a meet, start a new meet from an old one, or replace parts of a meet with an earlier copy. There are two ways in: from the home screen, which creates a new meet, and from inside a meet, which replaces or adds to that meet.

Make a backup

Inside a meet: press Back up now at the bottom of the meet dashboard, or choose Backup (.2t) in the dashboard’s Export menu.
From the home screen: choose Export .2T backup in the meet’s ⋮ menu.

Back up before any big change, and at the end of every meet.

Create a meet from a backup (home screen)

On the home screen, under Import a meet, press Choose file (or drop the backup on it) and choose the backup. The Import a 2Timer backup wizard has four steps:

Details: check or change the Meet name. If the meet the backup came from is on this device, this step says so first (see below).
Options: under What to bring in, choose:
- Everything from the backup, results included.
- Meet setup only: the meet’s setup (events, divisions, and settings), its teams, and its timing setup. No athletes, entries, or results.
- Meet setup and roster: the same, plus athletes, entries without their results, and chip assignments.
- Choose categories: pick them yourself. When you pick entries, Bring in recorded results with the entries decides whether their results come too.
Review: press Create meet from backup.
Done: open the new meet.

This wizard creates a new meet; it never replaces one. If you already have a meet with that name on the same date, Review offers Open that meet instead. On another date, it offers the name with the year added. Either way you can keep your name and create the new meet alongside.

A backup of a meet that is already on this device

When you choose a backup of a meet this device already has, the Details step says “This is a backup of Harvest Invitational … on this device.” and offers:

Restore into Harvest Invitational: opens that meet’s Restore a 2Timer backup with the file already read, where you choose what to replace (see Replace parts of a meet from a backup).
Make a separate copy: goes on to create a new meet from the backup. The copy is a meet of its own: 2Timer treats it as a different meet from the one it came from.

Restore into is chosen for you while the meet is still to come. Neither is chosen when the meet on this device was changed after the backup was made, because restoring would undo those changes, or when the meet’s date has passed: a backup of a meet that is over is often brought to start next year’s meet, so the step says to choose Make a separate copy for that.

At the Basic level, this home screen card is how backups are restored.

Move a meet to another computer or device

On the first device, open the meet and press Back up now, or use Export .2T backup on the home screen.
Copy the .2t file to the other device, for example by email, a USB stick, or a shared drive.
On the other device, press Choose file under Import a meet on the home screen, choose the file, keep Everything from the backup, and press Create meet from backup.

Each browser keeps its own meets, so the meet isn’t on the other device until you do this.

A backup made by a newer 2Timer than the other device runs is refused there, with This backup was made by 2Timer v1.0.55. Update 2Timer to restore it. Update 2Timer on that device, then choose the file again.

Replace parts of a meet from a backup (inside a meet)

To roll a meet back to an earlier backup, or replace some categories:

Open the meet, press Import… on the dashboard, and choose 2Timer backup. This is at the Standard level.
In the Restore a 2Timer backup wizard, choose the file.
Under What should this backup do?, choose Restore by clearing and replacing categories.
Under What to replace, choose:
- Replace this meet with the backup
- Clear and replace reads, stopwatch sessions, and chip assignments (only for a backup of this same meet)
- Custom clear and replace
Review shows how much of the meet’s current data will be cleared. Acknowledge that it can’t be undone, then press Replace N categories.

Categories that link records together are only offered when the backup is of the same meet. Replacing the whole meet works with a backup of any meet. Make a fresh backup first if the meet has work you might need.

Add a backup’s athletes, teams, and entries without clearing anything

Inside a meet, the Restore a 2Timer backup wizard’s other choice, Import athletes, teams, and entries without clearing, adds or updates athletes, teams, and entries from the backup and removes nothing. Rows are matched the same way as other roster imports. Results and internal record numbers in the backup aren’t used.

After restoring a backup

2Timer checks the meet’s data again. Any identity problems stored in the backup don’t stop the restore; they appear on the meet’s Data Issues page to review. A damaged file that can’t be loaded safely is refused, and nothing is changed.

Why start from a backup instead of from scratch

An earlier meet’s backup already has setup you trust: events, divisions, venue, teams, and scoring settings. Starting from it with Meet setup only is usually faster and safer than building the same meet again. A “base meet” with your standard divisions and events works as a template.

If the meet exists outside 2Timer, start from that system’s file instead, such as a Hy-Tek meet file or a registration site’s link, with Import a meet (see Creating a Meet from a Hy-Tek Meet File).

Metadata

Last Updated: 2026-10-24
Document Version: 0.7
Status: Active