Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install Gopher Backup?

After signing up, you will receive an email with download instructions for the Gopher Backup client. Install it on your device, enter your login credentials, choose your files, and your first backup will start automatically. Initial backups may take several hours depending on your data size and internet speed — subsequent backups only transfer changes and are much faster.

How do I restore my files?

Open the Gopher Backup client on your device, click Restore, and select the files or folders you want to recover. You can restore to the same location or a different folder. You can also restore from a specific point in time using the version history feature.

What happens if I exceed my storage limit?

You will receive an email notification when you reach 80% of your included storage. You will be given a chance to increase your storage capacity, or you can upgrade to a larger plan at any time from your account dashboard.

Can I back up multiple computers?

The Solo plan covers 1 device (Windows or macOS). The Family plan covers up to 3 devices (Windows, macOS or Linux). The Pro plan covers up to 5 devices (Windows, macOS, Linux or Synology NAS). You can check your registered devices at my.gopherbackup.com, the backup console. Synology NAS devices carry a $5/month surcharge per NAS device.

What languages does Gopher Backup support?

Both the backup client software and the account management console are available in 17 languages: English, Czech (Čeština), Danish (Dansk), German (Deutsch), Spanish (Español), French (Français), Croatian (Hrvatski), Italian (Italiano), Dutch (Nederlands), Polish (Polski), Portuguese — Brazil (Português Brasil), Portuguese — Europe (Português Europa), Russian (Русский), Ukrainian (Українська), Hebrew (עברית), Thai (ภาษาไทย), and Chinese Traditional (中文繁體). You can change your language at any time from within the backup client itself.

How is my data encrypted?

Your files are encrypted with AES-256 encryption before they leave your device. The encryption happens locally — your unencrypted files never travel over the internet. Only you have access to your data.

What is the 14-day free trial?

All new accounts start with a 14-day free trial with full access to the plan features. You will be asked for a payment method when signing up but you will not be charged until the trial ends. Cancel any time during the trial and you will not be charged.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel at any time by signing in to your account dashboard at gopherbackup.com/account and clicking Cancel Account under Plan and Billing. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. Your data is retained for 30 days after cancellation in case you change your mind.

Where is my data stored?

Your data is stored on private servers located in the United States. We use a three-tier redundancy system — your data exists on the primary backup server, a local disaster recovery replica, and an encrypted offsite cloud backup. We do not store data outside the US.

What if I need help outside business hours?

Use our contact form at any time. Messages sent outside business hours will be answered on the next business day. For urgent issues, we monitor critical alerts 24/7 and will respond to service outages outside business hours.

What happens if I lose or forget my password?

We do not offer password resets or changes, under any circumstances. While we have administrative access to your account, we have no reliable way to verify that a password change request is genuinely coming from you rather than someone impersonating you. Allowing password resets without verified identity would create a serious security risk — anyone claiming to be you could potentially gain access to your most private, personal files.

We recommend that you change your password the first time you log in.

If you do lose or forget your password, you will need to cancel your account, open a new one, and back up your files again. Because of this, we strongly recommend:

• Using a password manager, such as Bitwarden (an open-source password manager with a free plan available), to generate and securely store a strong, unique password for your account.
• Following the 3-2-1 backup strategy: keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy off-site. Gopher Backup provides your off-site (cloud) copy — we recommend also keeping two additional local backups on external drives, stored in a safe place, as a precaution.

Why don't you offer password resets like other services?

Most password reset systems work by verifying your identity through an email link, a security question, or similar. The problem is that these methods can be compromised — if someone gains access to your email account, for example, they could reset your Gopher Backup password too, and from there decrypt and access your private files.

Since your files are encrypted before they ever leave your device, and can only be decrypted with your correct login credentials, we've made the deliberate choice not to build in any mechanism that could let a bad actor bypass that protection — even if it means a genuinely forgotten password requires starting over with a new account.