Data Migration from Old Domain

Export IndexedDB data from Android APP and restore to new site

📱 Data Migration from Old Domain

When a website domain becomes unavailable, you can extract locally stored IndexedDB data from the Android APP and import it to a new site.

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0️⃣ Prerequisites

Computer

Tool	Description
OS	Windows / macOS / Linux
adb	Android Debug Bridge
Terminal	Command Prompt / PowerShell / Terminal

Install adb

Windows

1. Download SDK Platform Tools
2. Extract to C:\platform-tools
3. Add to system PATH (see detailed steps below)

macOS

brew install android-platform-tools

Linux

sudo apt install adb

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Windows: Configure Environment Variables

1. Open Run Dialog

   Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, click OK

   
2. Open System Properties

   Select the “Advanced” tab

   
3. Click 'Environment Variables'

   
4. Edit Path Variable

   Find Path in “System variables”, click “Edit”

   
5. Add adb Path

   Click “New”, enter C:\platform-tools, click OK

   

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Phone

Requirement	Description
Android Phone	With target APP installed (e.g., com.liaobots.app)
USB Debugging	Enabled (see steps below)
USB Cable	Connect phone to computer

Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging

1. Go to “Settings” → “About Phone”
2. Tap “Build Number” 7 times → Become a developer
3. Go back to “Settings” → “Developer Options” → Enable “USB Debugging”
4. Connect phone to computer with USB cable

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1️⃣ Check adb Connection

Verify adb Installation

adb version

Shows version number if successful:

Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41

Connect Phone

adb devices

Phone will show authorization prompt → Tap “Allow”

Output example:

List of devices attached
ABCDEF12345    device

Shows device means connection successful

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2️⃣ Find IndexedDB Data

Enter adb shell

adb shell

Switch to App User

run-as com.liaobots.app

This command only works for debug version APK. Release APK requires root access.

Navigate to IndexedDB Directory

cd app_webview/Default/IndexedDB
ls

You’ll see output like:

https_liaobots.work_0.indexeddb.leveldb
https_liaobots1.work_0.indexeddb.leveldb
https_liaobots2.work_0.indexeddb.leveldb

These .indexeddb.leveldb folders contain your data

Exit adb shell

exit
exit

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3️⃣ Export Data to Computer

Run in computer terminal (not adb shell):

adb exec-out run-as com.liaobots.app tar cf - app_webview/Default/IndexedDB > IndexedDB_backup.tar

This creates IndexedDB_backup.tar in current directory.

Extract File

Windows

tar -xf IndexedDB_backup.tar

macOS / Linux

tar -xf IndexedDB_backup.tar

Extracted directory structure:

app_webview/
└── Default/
    └── IndexedDB/
        ├── https_liaobots.work_0.indexeddb.leveldb/
        ├── https_liaobots1.work_0.indexeddb.leveldb/
        └── ...

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4️⃣ Restore Data to New Site

1. Visit the data recovery page on new site (e.g., /downloadjson)
2. Click “Select IndexedDB Folder”
3. Select the extracted .indexeddb.leveldb folder

Make sure to select the .indexeddb.leveldb folder, NOT the .indexeddb.blob folder

4. Wait for parsing to complete, download JSON file
5. Import JSON file to new site to restore data

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❓ FAQ

run-as command shows 'Package not debuggable'

The APK is a release version, not debug. You need a debug APK or root access.

adb devices shows unauthorized

You didn’t tap “Allow” on phone. Check for authorization popup on phone screen.

Exported tar file is empty

Check if path is correct. Use adb shell to verify files exist on phone first.

tar command not found on Windows

Windows 10+ includes tar. If not available, use 7-Zip to extract.

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📝 Command Cheatsheet

Step	Command
Check adb version	adb version
List devices	adb devices
Enter shell	adb shell
Switch to app user	run-as com.liaobots.app
View IndexedDB	ls app_webview/Default/IndexedDB
Export data	adb exec-out run-as com.liaobots.app tar cf - app_webview/Default/IndexedDB > IndexedDB_backup.tar
Extract	tar -xf IndexedDB_backup.tar