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Final Fantasy XIV has three distinct ways to preserve settings: a character-specific server backup, a client-wide server backup, and a local launcher export for Windows and Mac. Use the character backup for HUD layouts, hotbars, cross hotbars, key bindings, gear sets, and character configuration; use Client Settings Backup for display, sound, input, accessibility, and shared macros. The launcher creates a local FFXIVconfig.fea file, but it cannot transfer settings to consoles. Keeping the scopes separate is the key to restoring the setup you actually want.
If you are changing only one character, the character upload may be enough. A complete move normally requires both server uploads, because the two windows protect different categories. The local launcher file is an additional offline copy for Windows or Mac, not a replacement for either server backup.
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Choose the backup method that matches your data
Before changing computers, reinstalling the game, or moving between platforms, decide whether you need character data, client-wide data, or both. Final Fantasy XIV presents these as separate backup windows, so uploading only one category leaves the other category untouched.
| Method | What it preserves | Best use | Platform considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Settings server backup | Character Configuration, HUD Layout, hotbars and cross hotbars, gear sets, key bindings, log filters, log text colors, individual macros, miscellaneous data, and social data | Protecting one character’s gameplay layout or retrieving it after a reinstall | Server-backed and intended for use through supported game clients and platforms |
| Client Settings server backup | Display, sound, input device, theme, accessibility, miscellaneous movie/cutscene options, and shared macros | Preserving preferences that apply to the client rather than one character | Some values depend on the computer or input hardware and may not restore identically |
| Launcher Backup Tool | Character configuration and HUD settings, hotbars and cross hotbars, gear sets, macros, log filters, and log text colors | Keeping a local file or moving settings between Windows and Mac installations | Windows and Mac only; not a transfer method for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Configuration Sharing | Selected temporary hotbar and configuration data, including HUD layout, hotbars, individual and shared macros, Character Configuration, partial System Configuration, and miscellaneous data | Applying selected settings to another character for a short-term purpose | Not the routine archival backup or same-character cross-platform workflow |
For a complete safety copy, perform both server backups. Add the launcher export if you use Windows or Mac and want an offline file that can be copied to another drive. If you have several characters, select and upload each character whose individual HUD, bars, gear sets, key bindings, or macros matter; a character upload does not automatically cover every character on the account.
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The two server categories also explain many apparently failed restores. A character download cannot supply shared macros or monitor-specific preferences, while a Client Settings download cannot recreate a character’s hotbars. Identify the missing item first, then use the matching category rather than repeating the wrong download.
Back up a character to Square Enix’s server
The Character Settings backup belongs to the selected character. It is the relevant copy for hotbars, cross hotbars, HUD arrangements, key bindings, gear sets, and other character-level preferences.
- At the Character Selection screen, highlight the character you want to protect.
- Open that character’s Character Settings backup window.
- Choose Upload and accept the confirmation prompt.
- Wait for the upload to finish before closing the game or signing out.
The eligible character data includes:
- Character Configuration
- HUD Layout
- Hotbars and Cross Hotbars
- Gear Sets
- Key Bindings
- Log Filters
- Log Text Colors
- Individual Macros
- Miscellaneous character data
- Social data
Individual macros are tied to this character category. Shared macros are not; they are part of Client Settings Backup. That distinction matters when a macro appears on one character but is absent from another or after a client reinstall.
This is a server copy, not a screenshot of your interface. It does not include screenshots, character appearance data, item-sorting choices, or the locations of items in your inventory. If any of those matter, preserve them separately—for example, by taking screenshots or writing down an arrangement—because downloading the backup will not recreate them.
The backup is best understood as a package of settings that the game can apply to the selected character. It does not preserve the visual files in your screenshots folder, and it does not turn an inventory arrangement into a restorable preference. Keep those items outside the backup process.
Restore a character backup
- At Character Selection, select the same character whose data you backed up.
- Open the Character Settings backup window.
- Choose Download.
- Review the confirmation prompt and allow the download to complete.
Download the copy only after selecting the intended character. Character Settings is scoped to that character, and it should not be confused with the client-wide backup described next. If you are trying to copy settings to a different character, use Import Character Settings instead of downloading over the destination character’s own backup.
Back up client-wide settings and shared macros
Client Settings Backup is separate from the selected character’s backup. It covers preferences that belong to the game installation or user environment rather than to one character, including shared macros.
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- Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- Open Client Settings Backup.
- Choose Upload and confirm.
The client category includes display, sound, input-device, theme, accessibility, miscellaneous movie and cutscene settings, and shared macros. Use this upload when you want the same general client preferences available after changing machines or reinstalling the client.
Client Settings is especially useful when the same shared macro set or accessibility choices should be available regardless of which character is selected. It is still a separate upload, so completing a Character Settings upload does not silently include these values.
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- Challenging trials, dungeons and raids for groups of up to 24, and exciting player-vs-player (PvP) content for groups of up to 72 players
Restore client settings
- Return to Character Selection and click the upper-right gear icon.
- Open Client Settings Backup.
- Choose Download and confirm the operation.
Some values are tied to the destination environment. Display resolution, graphics quality, and input-device details are examples of settings that may not be exportable or restorable exactly as they were on the original computer. Check those manually after the download, especially when moving between different monitors, graphics hardware, keyboards, controllers, or operating systems.
Character Configuration and individual macros are not client-wide items; they belong in the Character Settings backup. Shared macros, by contrast, are included with Client Settings. When troubleshooting, classify a macro by whether it is individual or shared before deciding which download to repeat.
Use the Windows or Mac launcher to create a local file
The launcher has a separate Backup Tool for a local export. This creates a file named FFXIVconfig.fea in a folder you choose. It is useful as an offline copy and for moving settings between Windows and Mac versions of the game.
Create the export
- Open the Final Fantasy XIV launcher.
- Select Config.
- Under Backup Tool, select Back Up.
- Choose Backup.
- Select the destination folder and let the launcher write
FFXIVconfig.fea.
Keep the file in a folder you can identify later. You can also copy it to optional external storage, such as a USB flash drive, to maintain a second local copy. External storage is an extra safeguard; it is not required for the in-game server backups. If you use external storage, keep the original folder as well until you have verified the destination restore.
The launcher export contains character configuration and HUD settings, hotbars and cross hotbars, gear sets, macros (including shared macros), log filters, and log text colors. It excludes system configuration, screenshots, and character appearance data. Consequently, it is not a complete mirror of every preference shown in the two server-backup windows. In particular, use Client Settings Backup for client-level preferences that the local export does not carry.
Restore the local export
- Open the launcher and select Config.
- In Backup Tool, select Restore.
- Choose the folder that contains
FFXIVconfig.fea. - Confirm the restore and wait for it to finish before launching the game.
The restore dialog expects the folder containing the file, not a renamed or reconstructed file. If you enabled the option labeled Do not overwrite older data while making a backup, existing data that is older than the exported copy can be preserved according to that option. Read the prompt carefully before confirming, because a restore can replace local settings.
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Where this method works—and where it does not
The launcher export is documented for Windows and Mac transfers. It cannot transfer settings to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch 2. When the destination is a console, use the server-backed Character Settings and Client Settings workflows instead. The local file is also not a substitute for backing up both server categories when you want the broadest coverage.
Move settings to another character with Import Character Settings
Restoring a server backup to the original character is different from copying selected settings to another character. For the latter, use the character import workflow.
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- At Character Selection, select the character that will receive the settings.
- Choose Import Character Settings.
- Select the source character.
- Select the individual settings you want to import.
- Acknowledge the warning or confirmation prompt.
- Choose OK to apply the selected data.
The import lets you choose which settings to copy rather than replacing every destination setting automatically. Character appearance data is not copied, so importing a HUD or hotbar arrangement will not change the destination character’s appearance.
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Use this when you have deliberately built a layout on one character and want a similar setup on another. It is not the same as downloading a server backup, which retrieves the saved copy for the selected character. The source and destination choices are explicit, so pause at the selection screens and verify that you have not reversed them.
Understand Configuration Sharing in Patch 7.5
Patch 7.5 added Configuration Sharing for applying selected settings to another character through temporary server data. Its choices include HUD layout, hotbars, individual and shared macros, Character Configuration, partial System Configuration, and miscellaneous data.
Configuration Sharing is designed for a targeted, temporary handoff. It should not be treated as your regular archive. The patch guidance directs players to the normal server backup functions for routine backups and for using the same character on another platform. Make a Character Settings and Client Settings backup before experimenting with Configuration Sharing, particularly if the destination character has a carefully tuned setup.
Choose Configuration Sharing when the goal is to apply a selected subset quickly, not when the goal is to preserve a complete long-term record. Its inclusion of only partial System Configuration also means it should not be presented as a full client migration.
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Windows to a new Windows PC
- On the old PC, upload the selected character through Character Settings Backup.
- Upload Client Settings Backup from the gear icon.
- Optionally create a launcher export and copy
FFXIVconfig.feato external storage. - Install and sign in on the new PC.
- Download the Character Settings backup for each character you need.
- Download Client Settings Backup.
- If using the local route, open Config, choose Restore, and select the folder containing
FFXIVconfig.fea. - Check resolution, graphics quality, and input devices on the new hardware.
Using both routes gives you a server copy and an offline file. They are independent, so a local restore does not eliminate the need to download the client-wide server backup if you want those settings preserved through the official server workflow.
Mac to a new Mac
Use the same sequence. The launcher Backup Tool supports Mac, so a local FFXIVconfig.fea copy can provide an additional offline route. Still perform the two server uploads if you want the character and client categories independently available.
Windows and Mac interchange
The launcher export is the documented local-transfer option between Windows and Mac versions. After restoring, review hardware-dependent display and input settings because the destination environment can differ even when the game settings file transfers successfully.
Moving to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch 2
Do not rely on the launcher file. Upload Character Settings and Client Settings from the original installation, then download them through the corresponding backup windows on the destination platform. The server path is the appropriate cross-platform method; the Windows/Mac launcher export is not.
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For a console move, preserve any excluded material separately before leaving the original system. The server downloads can restore supported HUD, hotbar, macro, and preference data, but they do not create copies of screenshots, appearance data, item sorting, or inventory locations.
What will not come back automatically
- Screenshots: Neither the character server backup nor the launcher export includes them.
- Character appearance data: It is omitted from character backup, launcher export, and character import.
- Item sorting and inventory locations: Character backup does not preserve these choices.
- System configuration: The launcher export excludes it, while the client backup can contain client-level preferences with environment-dependent limitations.
- Hardware-specific values: Resolution, graphics quality, and input-device details may need manual adjustment on the destination system.
Capture screenshots of important inventory arrangements or appearance settings before a move if you need a visual reference. Those references are separate from the official settings backups. A screenshot can show how to rebuild a layout, but it cannot itself restore clickable hotbars or key bindings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common backup and restore mistakes
Hotbars are missing after the restore
Check that you downloaded Character Settings, not only Client Settings. Hotbars and cross hotbars are character-scoped. If the bars were created on a different character, use Import Character Settings and select that character as the source.
Shared macros are missing
Download Client Settings Backup. Shared macros belong to the client-wide category. Individual macros are part of Character Settings, so restore the appropriate category for the type of macro that disappeared.
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Use Config > Backup Tool > Restore and select the folder containing the file named exactly FFXIVconfig.fea. Selecting a parent folder, a renamed file, or a folder that contains only a shortcut will not provide the expected backup.
The console has no option to use the local file
That is expected. The launcher export is for Windows and Mac. Use the server backup windows on the original and destination platforms instead.
The game looks different on the new computer
Review display resolution, graphics quality, and input-device assignments manually. These values can depend on the destination hardware and may not transfer as-is even when the backup itself completed successfully.
An appearance or inventory arrangement did not return
Those items are outside the covered backup data. Use your saved screenshots or notes to recreate them manually.
I restored one category but still have missing settings
Return to Character Selection and check the other category. Character Settings and Client Settings are independent uploads and downloads. A complete move commonly requires both, while a targeted hotbar recovery may require only Character Settings.
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A reliable checklist before you change installations
- Upload Character Settings for every character whose HUD, hotbars, key bindings, gear sets, or individual macros matter.
- Upload Client Settings for display, sound, accessibility, theme, input, movie/cutscene preferences, and shared macros.
- Create a local launcher export on Windows or Mac if you want an offline copy.
- Verify that
FFXIVconfig.feaexists in the folder you selected. - Copy the file to optional external storage if you want a second local copy.
- Record or screenshot appearance, screenshots, item sorting, and inventory locations, because they are not included.
- On the destination, restore the matching server category before checking the result.
- Manually review hardware-dependent display and input settings.
The safest general sequence is therefore: Character Settings Upload, Client Settings Upload, optional launcher export, then matching downloads or a launcher Restore on the destination. Configuration Sharing and Import Character Settings are targeted tools for copying selected data, not replacements for that complete backup routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to back up both Character Settings and Client Settings?
For the broadest coverage, yes. Character Settings protects HUD layouts, hotbars, cross hotbars, gear sets, key bindings, character configuration, individual macros and related character data. Client Settings protects display, sound, input, accessibility, theme, movie and cutscene preferences, and shared macros.
Where are FFXIV hotbars and cross hotbars stored?
They are included in the selected character’s Character Settings server backup. Download Client Settings alone and the hotbars will not return.
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Can I move FFXIV settings from PC to PS5, PS4, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch 2?
Use the server-backed Character Settings and Client Settings uploads and downloads. The launcher file export is documented for Windows and Mac and is not a console-transfer method.
What is the FFXIVconfig.fea file?
It is the local file created by the Windows or Mac launcher Backup Tool. Create it through Config, Back Up, and a chosen destination folder; restore by selecting the folder that contains the file.
Why are my shared macros missing?
Shared macros belong to Client Settings Backup. Individual macros belong to Character Settings, so restore the category matching the macro type.
Can I copy a layout from one character to another?
Yes. Select the destination character at Character Selection, choose Import Character Settings, select the source character and the settings to copy, acknowledge the prompt, and confirm. Appearance data is not copied.
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No. Patch 7.5 describes it as a temporary, selected-settings handoff. Use the regular Character Settings and Client Settings backups for routine protection and for using the same character on another platform.
Why did my resolution or controller settings change after restoring?
Display resolution, graphics quality, and input-device details can depend on the destination computer or hardware. Review those values manually after restoring, even when the backup completed successfully.
The Bottom Line
Back up both categories when you want a complete FFXIV settings safeguard: Character Settings for each character’s HUD, hotbars and gameplay data, and Client Settings for system preferences and shared macros. On Windows or Mac, add the optional FFXIVconfig.fea launcher export. Use Import Character Settings or Configuration Sharing only for targeted copies, and remember that screenshots, appearance data, inventory locations and some hardware-specific settings require separate manual handling.
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