Migration
Move from Things 3 to Done Bear
Things 3 has no export menu, but its database is readable. Run one CLI command on a Mac or upload main.sqlite. Areas, projects and to-do dates come across.
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The short answer
Done Bear imports Things 3 from a copy of its local database, so areas, projects, headings, tags, checklists, dates and completed work arrive together. Run it from the CLI on the Mac where Things lives, or upload main.sqlite in the web import wizard. Nothing is ever written back to Things.
What to export from Things 3
The file to bring: Things database file
- 1.On iPhone or iPad: Things → Settings → General → Diagnostics → Enter Code → 491348 → Send Things Database.
- 2.The file is Things Database.aar. Save it to Files. Tap it to unpack to Things Database.thingsdatabase, or import the .aar in the Done Bear iOS app.
- 3.On the web, choose main.sqlite from inside that bundle, or a zip of the folder. Web cannot unpack .aar yet.
- 4.On a Mac: in Finder, press ⇧⌘G and paste the folder path below. Do not type it: ~/Library is hidden.
- 5.Open the ThingsData-… folder inside it, then Things Database.thingsdatabase.
- 6.Copy main.sqlite to your Desktop. Copy it, do not move it, or Things loses its list.
- 7.Choose that copy here. The CLI (donebear import things) still finds the Mac database itself.
What Things 3 concepts become in Done Bear
| Things 3 | Done Bear | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Area | Team | Its projects join the team. |
| Project | Project | Arrives active: its start date and Someday placement are dropped. |
| Heading | Heading | |
| Tag | Label | Area and project tags go on each to-do inside. |
| Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday | Today, Upcoming, Anytime and Someday | |
| This Evening | Today | Without the evening split. |
| Repeating to-do | Repeat rule | Kept when Done Bear can run it, otherwise narrowed or kept as text. After-completion repeats lose their end, and the preview names them. |
| Logbook | Logbook | With completion dates. |
| Canceled to-do | Trash | Not the Logbook. |
| Contact | Not imported |
What comes across and what does not
Comes across
- Areas and folders (become teams)
- Completed tasks
- Tags and labels
- Projects and lists
- Repeating tasks
- Sub-tasks
Stays behind
- Attachments
- Reads a copy of the Things database; Things itself is never written to.
- On the web, choose main.sqlite or a zip of a .thingsdatabase folder. Apple Archive (.aar) is unpacked in the Done Bear iOS app; tap the export on iPhone to unpack it first if you are importing here.
Running the import
On the web, open Settings, then Import, choose Things 3 and upload your file. Nothing is written until you confirm the preview. Re-importing adds only what is new, and the completion screen offers an undo that keeps your later edits.
Or use the CLI, which finds the database itself:
npm install -g donebear
donebear auth login
donebear import things --dry-run
donebear import thingsFrequently asked questions
Does Things 3 have an export button?
No, on any platform. Done Bear reads a copy of its local database instead.
Is it worth importing a small Things list?
Under a hundred active tasks, copy and paste is faster. You lose dates, notes, areas and the Logbook, which is often the point.
Should I import everything or start fresh?
Import, then delete in the new app. One pass through Someday afterwards beats deciding item by item beforehand.
Does the import change my Things database?
No. The importer reads a copy and never writes to Things, so keep Things installed for a month as a safety net.