How to move your plan to another device, privately
Your plan lives on the device you built it on, never on our servers. When you want it on a second phone or laptop, you have two private ways to carry it: optional sync that keeps an encrypted copy in your own Google Drive, or a backup file you move yourself. Neither one lets us, or anyone else, read your plan.
The short version
Turn on sync in Share the guide, and an encrypted copy of your plan is saved to your own Google Drive. On any other device, sign in with the same passphrase and load it. Four steps:
- Pick a passphrase you will remember. It scrambles the copy so only you can open it. There is no reset, so write it down somewhere safe.
- Tap "Sync now" and sign in to Google once. An encrypted copy of your plan is saved to your own Google Drive. The app only ever touches the single file it creates, nothing else in your Drive.
- On your other phone or laptop, open the guide and go to Share the guide.
- Enter the same passphrase and tap "Load from my Drive." Your plan appears on that device. Do it again whenever you want the newest copy.
What sync actually does, and does not do
Your plan is scrambled (encrypted) inside your own browser with your passphrase before it ever leaves the device. What lands in your Google Drive is unreadable ciphertext. Google cannot read it, and neither can we: we never receive your plan and never receive your passphrase, so there is nothing on our side to breach, sell, or lose. Sync is off until you turn it on, and your device always stays the original copy.
Because we hold no key, there is no "forgot password" reset. If you lose the passphrase, the synced copy stays locked. That is the trade for real privacy, so choose a passphrase you will remember and keep it somewhere safe.
The other way: carry a backup file
If you would rather not use Google Drive at all, move your plan by hand. In Share the guide, download a backup file on the old device, then use Restore from backup on the new one. The backup file is never uploaded anywhere; you carry it yourself, by AirDrop, an email to yourself, a USB drive, or any way you like. Many families keep a backup file even with sync on, as a second copy.
Which should you use
- Use sync if you check your plan on more than one device and want it to stay current once you load it.
- Use a backup file if you prefer to touch no cloud at all, or you are moving to a brand new device just once.
- Do both for belt and suspenders: sync for convenience, a saved file as insurance.
Put this to work, free
The guide turns all of this into your own plan: the grants and scholarships you qualify for, a FAFSA estimate, real college costs, and every deadline in one place. No account, and nothing you enter is ever sent to us.
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Common questions
Do I need an account to sync?
No. ClaimYourCollege has no accounts. Sync signs you in to your own Google Drive, and the app only ever touches the single encrypted file it creates there. There is nothing to register, and no password to give us.
Can ClaimYourCollege see my synced plan?
No. Your plan is encrypted in your own browser with a passphrase only you know, before it is uploaded. We never receive your plan or your passphrase, and Google receives only unreadable ciphertext. Neither we nor Google can open it.
What happens if I forget my passphrase?
The synced copy stays locked, because no one holds a key to reset it. This is the cost of real privacy. Choose a passphrase you will remember, write it down somewhere safe, and keep a downloaded backup file as a second copy.
Does sync cost anything, or is it required?
Sync is free and completely optional. Everything works fully on a single device with no sync at all. Turn it on only if you want your plan on more than one device.
Reviewed as of September 4, 2026. Federal and state aid rules change; this guide is re-verified on a schedule, but always confirm specifics at studentaid.gov and each college's aid office.