How to back up and restore your Kobo

KoBup works entirely in your browser. This guide walks you through a backup, a restore to the same or a new Kobo, and exporting your highlights.

What you need

Connect your Kobo with the USB cable, unlock it and tap “Connect”.
Open “Back up” and select the Kobo drive (usually “KOBOeReader”).
Check the summary of books and highlights KoBup found.
Choose what to include. Add a password if you will store the backup in the cloud.
Pick where to save the ZIP. KoBup writes it and then verifies it.

Set up the new Kobo and sign in to your Kobo account.
Connect it, open “Restore” and select your backup file.
Select the new Kobo drive.
Choose “Merge reading data”: your progress, highlights and collections are added while the new Kobo keeps its account.
Start the restore, then eject the Kobo safely.

Connect the Kobo and open “Restore”.
Select the backup and the Kobo drive.
Choose “Replace everything” for an exact copy of the backed-up database, or “Merge” to keep the current account.
If something looks wrong afterwards, use “Undo this restore”: the previous database was saved on the Kobo.

Open “Library” and connect your Kobo.
Go to the “Highlights” tab.
Export everything to Obsidian (one Markdown note per book) or to Anki (CSV flashcards), or export a single book.

The Kobo does not appear as a drive: Use a data-capable USB cable, unlock the Kobo and tap “Connect”. On Windows, check File Explorer for a drive named KOBOeReader.
“This folder is not a Kobo”: Select the root of the drive, not a subfolder. The root contains a hidden “.kobo” folder.
The backup is slow: Speed depends on the Kobo’s storage and the USB connection. Libraries of several gigabytes can take a few minutes.
Books show up without progress after a restore: Books must be restored to their original folders. Let the Kobo finish processing after you eject it; if needed, reconnect it once.