Migrate from HabitNow to HabitGrip: A Step-by-Step Guide

Short version: export from HabitNow (Settings → Backup → Export), import the file in HabitGrip's custom importer, then verify a week of history before deleting the old app. The full checklist is below — it takes about 20 minutes and your history comes with you.

People usually leave HabitNow for one of two reasons: the app leans hard on tasks and guilt-adjacent streak mechanics, or they want their data to live somewhere they control. HabitGrip is built for both — local-first, offline-capable, honest about skipped days — and it has a dedicated importer so switching doesn't mean starting from zero.

Before you switch: the 5-minute audit

Ten minutes of preparation prevents the classic migration regret of discovering a missing feature after you've already deleted the old app:

• List your active habits— name, schedule (daily/weekly/custom), reminder time, and whether it's yes/no, numeric, timer, or checklist.
• Note which histories you actually care about. Most people need full history for two or three keystone habits, not all twenty.
• Check archived habits. Decide whether any deserve to come along or can rest in your old export.
• Confirm HabitGrip covers your edge cases— e.g. interval schedules ("every 3 days"), ordinal rules, at-most numeric goals. The comparison below summarizes the differences.

The migration checklist

1. Back up in HabitNow. Settings → Backup → export your data. Keep the file somewhere safe (cloud drive) even after a successful import — it's your permanent archive.
2. Install HabitGrip and skim the basics. The beginner's guide covers habit creation and schedules in ten minutes.
3. Run the custom import. HabitGrip's importer maps exported habits and history onto matching schedules. Follow the custom import documentation for supported formats and field mapping.
4. Re-create what the importer can't carry. Reminders and fine-grained preferences are re-set manually — usually 5–10 minutes for a typical setup.
5. Verify a week of history. Open the stats view and check one keystone habit: do the done days line up with what the old app showed? Heatmaps and day-of-week views make gaps obvious.
6. Run both apps in parallel for one week. Track new check-ins in HabitGrip only, keep HabitNow installed and untouched as a reference. After a clean week, uninstall the old app.
7. Turn on automatic backups. So the next switch — if there ever is one — is a two-minute job instead of a project.

What carries over — and what starts fresh

• Carries over: habit names, schedules, and completion history for imported habits.
• Starts fresh:the current streak counter. A number that says "0" looks like a loss, but your data says otherwise — the history is intact, and consistency measured over weeks matters more than an unbroken chain. That's the whole argument in tracking habits without streaks.

HabitNow vs. HabitGrip, honestly

Both are solid Android trackers; they optimize for different people. HabitNow is strong if you want habits and tasks fused into one GTD-style system. HabitGrip fits better if you want:

• Local-first privacy: data on-device by default, no account required, no ads or marketing trackers; optional sync if you want it.
• Honest tracking: done, skipped, and failed are separate records — a planned rest day is not a failure.
• Flexible scheduling:daily, weekly, interval, ordinal, and frequency-based rules (e.g. "5 days per week").
• Vacation mode: pause habits without corrupting the record.
• Open data: full JSON export, so lock-in is never part of the deal.

If you're weighing several options rather than this specific pair, the HabitGrip vs. Loop Habit Tracker comparison covers the same decision factors against a different alternative.

Frequently asked questions

Switch once, own your data forever

The whole point of a proper migration is that the next one is cheap. Export often, keep the files, and pick tools that treat your history as yours. Twenty minutes now buys you that.