Ping Export Documentation

Overview

Ping's export feature allows you to create comprehensive backups of your relationship data in portable formats. This ensures your data remains accessible and transferable while maintaining complete privacy on your device.

Export Features

🔒 Privacy First

All exports are generated locally on your device
No data is uploaded to any cloud service
You control where your export files are saved and shared
Export files are created in your device's temporary storage and can be saved anywhere you choose

📊 Complete Data Coverage

Your export includes:

Friends: All personal information, relationship details, and contact preferences
Interactions: Complete history of all communication and activities
Check-ins: Scheduled reminders, birthdays, anniversaries, and custom events
Computed Data: Due dates, overdue status, and relationship insights

Export Formats

JSON Format

Best for: Complete data backup, technical users, potential re-importing

Structure:

{
  "exportMetadata": {
    "appName": "Ping",
    "appVersion": "1.0",
    "exportVersion": "1.0",
    "exportDate": "2025-06-21T10:30:00Z",
    "dataFormat": "Complete friend relationship data with interactions and check-ins",
    "privacyNote": "This export contains your private relationship data. Handle with care."
  },
  "friends": [
    {
      "firstName": "John",
      "lastName": "Doe",
      "nickname": "Johnny",
      "fullName": "John Doe",
      "displayName": "Johnny",
      "relationshipTier": "Friend",
      "isFamily": false,
      "isProfessionalNetwork": false,
      "canMeetInPerson": true,
      "preferredContactFrequency": "Monthly",
      "phoneNumber": "+1234567890",
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "contactID": "ABC123",
      "birthday": "1990-05-15T00:00:00Z",
      "anniversary": null,
      "lastContactDate": "2025-05-20T14:30:00Z",
      "customNextContactDate": null,
      "nextContactDate": "2025-06-20T14:30:00Z",
      "daysSinceLastContact": 32,
      "daysUntilNextContact": -1,
      "isOverdue": true,
      "daysOverdue": 1,
      "isDueToday": false,
      "notes": "College friend, loves hiking",
      "createdDate": "2025-01-15T09:00:00Z",
      "updatedDate": "2025-05-20T14:30:00Z",
      "interactions": [
        {
          "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
          "date": "2025-05-20T14:30:00Z",
          "type": "Phone Call",
          "notes": "Caught up about work and weekend plans"
        }
      ],
      "checkIns": [
        {
          "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440001",
          "type": "Birthday",
          "title": "Birthday - Johnny",
          "dueDate": "2025-05-15T00:00:00Z",
          "isCompleted": true,
          "completedDate": "2025-05-15T10:00:00Z",
          "notes": "Remember to wish Johnny a happy birthday!"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

CSV Format

Best for: Spreadsheet analysis, data visualization, sharing with others

Features:

One row per friend with key information
Includes computed fields like days overdue and contact status
Summary counts for interactions and check-ins
Excel and Google Sheets compatible

Sample CSV Structure:

First Name,Last Name,Nickname,Display Name,Full Name,Relationship Tier,Is Family,Is Professional Network,Can Meet In Person,Preferred Contact Frequency,Phone Number,Email,Contact ID,Birthday,Anniversary,Last Contact Date,Custom Next Contact Date,Next Contact Date,Days Since Last Contact,Days Until Next Contact,Is Overdue,Days Overdue,Is Due Today,Notes,Created Date,Updated Date,Total Interactions,Total Check-ins
"John","Doe","Johnny","Johnny","John Doe","Friend","No","No","Yes","Monthly","+1234567890","john@example.com","ABC123","1990-05-15T00:00:00Z","","2025-05-20T14:30:00Z","","2025-06-20T14:30:00Z","32","-1","Yes","1","No","College friend, loves hiking","2025-01-15T09:00:00Z","2025-05-20T14:30:00Z","1","1"

Data Fields Reference

Friend Information

Field	Description	Example
`firstName`	Friend's first name	"John"
`lastName`	Friend's last name (optional)	"Doe"
`nickname`	Preferred nickname (optional)	"Johnny"
`fullName`	Computed full name	"John Doe"
`displayName`	Name shown in app (nickname or full name)	"Johnny"

Relationship Details

Field	Description	Possible Values
`relationshipTier`	Closeness level	"Close (Inner Circle)", "Friend", "Acquaintance"
`isFamily`	Family member flag	true/false
`isProfessionalNetwork`	Professional contact flag	true/false
`canMeetInPerson`	Can meet in person flag	true/false
`preferredContactFrequency`	How often to stay in touch	"Daily", "Weekly", "Bi-weekly", "Monthly", "Quarterly", "Bi-annually", "Annually"

Contact Information

Field	Description	Notes
`phoneNumber`	Phone number	Optional
`email`	Email address	Optional
`contactID`	iOS Contacts integration ID	System generated

Important Dates

Field	Description	Format
`birthday`	Friend's birthday	ISO 8601 date
`anniversary`	Anniversary date	ISO 8601 date
`lastContactDate`	Last interaction date	ISO 8601 date
`customNextContactDate`	User-set next contact date	ISO 8601 date
`nextContactDate`	Computed next contact date	ISO 8601 date

Status Information

Field	Description	Notes
`daysSinceLastContact`	Days since last interaction	Number or null
`daysUntilNextContact`	Days until next scheduled contact	Negative if overdue
`isOverdue`	Currently overdue for contact	true/false
`daysOverdue`	How many days overdue	Number or null
`isDueToday`	Due for contact today	true/false

Interaction Types

Phone Call: Voice conversations
Text Message: SMS, messaging apps
In Person: Face-to-face meetings
Email: Email communications
Social Media: Social platform interactions
Video Call: Video chat sessions
Event/Activity: Shared activities or events
Gift/Card: Gifts, cards, or special gestures

Check-in Types

Regular Check-in: Standard relationship maintenance
Birthday: Birthday reminders
Anniversary: Anniversary reminders
Custom: User-defined special occasions

Using Your Export Data

For Backup Purposes

Save the export file to your preferred cloud storage (iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox)
Keep multiple export versions over time to track relationship evolution
Store securely as the file contains personal relationship information

For Analysis

CSV Format: Import into Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers for analysis
Relationship Insights: Track contact frequency patterns, identify neglected relationships
Trend Analysis: Monitor relationship maintenance over time

For Migration

JSON Format: Contains complete data structure for potential future imports
Cross-platform: Standard formats work across different devices and apps
Future-proofing: Ensures data accessibility regardless of app changes

For Sharing (Use Caution)

Export data contains personal relationship information
Only share with trusted individuals
Consider creating filtered exports if sharing partial data
Remove sensitive information before sharing

Technical Details

Date Format

All dates use ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ

Example: 2025-06-21T14:30:00Z
Timezone: UTC (Z suffix)
Compatible with most systems and programming languages

File Naming

Export files are automatically named with timestamp:

JSON: ping-export-2025-06-21T14-30-00Z.json
CSV: ping-export-2025-06-21T14-30-00Z.csv

CSV Escaping

All text fields are quoted and escaped for safe CSV parsing
Special characters and line breaks are properly handled
Compatible with Excel, Google Sheets, and other CSV readers

Privacy & Security

Local Processing

All export generation happens on your device
No network connections required for export
No data sent to external servers

Data Sensitivity

Your export contains:

Personal contact information
Relationship details and notes
Communication history and patterns
Personal preferences and family information

Recommendations

Secure Storage: Store export files in secure, encrypted locations
Access Control: Limit access to export files to trusted individuals only
Regular Cleanup: Delete old export files you no longer need
Sharing Caution: Be extremely careful when sharing export data

Troubleshooting

Export Issues

No data to export: Ensure you have friends added to the app
Export fails: Check available storage space on your device
Cannot share: Ensure the Files app has necessary permissions

File Issues

Cannot open CSV: Try different apps (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Cannot open JSON: Use text editors or JSON viewers
Corrupt file: Try exporting again with a stable network connection

Import to Other Apps

Excel: File → Open → Select your CSV file
Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload your CSV file
Numbers: File → Open → Choose your CSV file

Support

Don't hesitate to reach out: Contact

This documentation covers Ping Export Version 1.0. Export format and features may be enhanced in future updates while maintaining backward compatibility.