Back up and restore your browser game saves
Keep a copy of your progress before changing browsers, clearing site data or trying another game version. A local save is not a cloud backup.
These steps apply to the EmulatorJS player used by RomHaven's GBA and other supported launches. The separate Nintendo DS player may expose different controls. If an export option is absent, do not clear browser storage to troubleshoot.
Make a backup before you need one
- Save normally inside the game. Wait for its saving message to finish.
- Open the emulator toolbar. On a touch screen, tap the game to reveal the controls.
- Choose Export Save File. Keep the downloaded file in a folder you can find again.
- Write down the game title and version beside it. Keep more than one dated backup rather than replacing your only copy.
The Gaia player exposed Export Save File and Import Save File during a desktop launch check on 5 September 2026. A complete save round-trip has not been verified for every game.
Restore on the same game and version
- Back up any existing progress on the destination device first.
- Open the same title and release, then choose Import Save File in the emulator toolbar.
- Select your exported save. Follow any restart prompt from the emulator.
- Use the game's Continue option and check your trainer, party or last location before deleting any backups.
Save compatibility between different hacks or releases is not guaranteed. Keep the original file if a newer version does not recognise it.
A save file and a save state are different
| Type | What it represents | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| In-game save / exported save file | The progress written by the game itself. | Your primary backup, paired with the game version. |
| Save state | A snapshot of the emulator at a particular moment. | A convenient additional checkpoint. It may depend on the emulator/core version. |
Keep an in-game save even if you use states. Do not assume that a state will move between emulators or survive a core update.
If your progress seems missing
- Check that you are using the same browser profile and device.
- Check the game and version. Similar names can refer to different files.
- Look in your Downloads folder for an earlier export.
- Do not use Clear site data or Cache Manager as a first response. Export any accessible progress first.
- Contact RomHaven with the title, version, device, browser and the step that failed. Do not send a ROM file.