Import / Omnivore
Bring an Omnivore export
into Aside.
If you still have an export file, Aside can read it on iPhone. This is a file import. Aside does not connect to Omnivore.
Omnivore is closed. The service closed, so Aside cannot fetch saves from the original site. Without a leftover file, the library cannot be recovered.
Start on iPhone · No sign-in needed for the Local Library
In the other app
Export the file
- 01
Find metadata_*.json or the original ZIP
If you still have an export file, look in Downloads, the Files app, iCloud Drive, and computer backups. Omnivore cannot produce a new export.
- 02
Keep the original export
Use metadata_*.json, or the original ZIP that contains those files. Do not rewrite the JSON. ZIP content/*.html and highlights are not imported.
- 03
Put the file on iPhone
Save it in the Files app. A ZIP can be picked as-is. Aside looks inside for metadata JSON only — not html or highlights.
Aside
Open the file in Aside
- 01
First-run ImportIntroductionSheet
The first time you open Aside, ImportIntroductionSheet offers “Import saves from these apps”. Choose the file there.
- 02
Empty Home: Import existing saves
If Home has no saves, tap “Import existing saves” (feed-empty-import).
- 03
Account, below Storage: account-import
Open Account. Below the Storage row, tap “Import from other apps” (account-import). This is not the Storage settings page.
What comes across
- url — the saved link
- title — the Omnivore title
- tags — labels map to tags
- addedAt — savedAt or createdAt
- notes — description maps to notes
- archived — state Archived maps to archived
What stays behind
- folderPath — Omnivore exports have no folders
- html — ZIP content/*.html is not imported
- highlights — Omnivore highlights are not imported
- javascript: and data: URLs — skipped, not saved
A few things to know
Before you begin.
What if the file is dirty or truncated?
Aside skips broken rows when it can, or says the file cannot be read. Use the original metadata JSON or ZIP. A rewritten copy may not import.
What about javascript: or data: bookmarks?
Aside skips javascript: and data: URLs. They are not saved.
What about a duplicate URL?
A URL already in Aside is not added again. Importing the same file twice does not duplicate those saves.
What if the file is large?
A large library can take a while. Stay in Aside until it finishes, or pause and continue later. Leaving the App may pause the import.
I cannot find the export. Can I recover the library?
No. Omnivore is closed, so Aside cannot fetch the library. If you still have an export file, come back and pick it. If you do not, those Omnivore saves cannot be recovered. You can still save from other apps through Share in.