Backyard AI (which rebranded from Faraday in 2024) deprecated its free local desktop application, directing users toward its browser and cloud-based experience. The official desktop page now states the desktop app is deprecated and no longer supported. If your character library is tied to that app, the safe move is to export what you can now and convert it into portable, open formats you control.
Why this matters
When a platform changes direction, the risk to users is not malice — it is lock-in. Characters you spent hours writing can become stranded if the only app that reads them stops being maintained. The lesson that applies to every platform, not just Backyard AI, is simple: keep an exportable copy of anything you care about in a format that many apps can read. V2 PNG and V3 CharX are both good insurance.
Step 1: Export your characters while you still can
Open the app you currently use and look for an export or "save character" option. Backyard/Faraday characters have historically been exportable as PNG cards or as JSON. Export every character you want to keep, and store the files somewhere durable — a folder you back up, not just the app's internal library. If you can export as a PNG card, that is ideal, because PNG cards are the most widely supported format.
Step 2: Understand what you exported
A Backyard/Faraday export may come out as a Tavern-style V2 PNG (which nearly everything reads) or as the app's own JSON with fields like aiName, aiPersona, and firstMessage. The PNG path is the easy one. If you have the app-specific JSON, you will want to convert it so the field names match what your next app expects — otherwise the persona can import as blank.
Step 3: Convert to a portable format
Decide where your characters are going. If you are moving to SillyTavern, target a V2 PNG. If you want a voice-first experience, target Voxta. If you want maximum future-proofing, upgrade to V3 (CharX), which bundles the persona with its art. Our converters run in your browser, so your exported characters never touch a server during the process — important when you are moving personal creative work.
Step 4: Verify the imported character
After converting, open the card in your new app and check the essentials: does the greeting appear, is the personality intact, do the example messages read correctly? If a field is blank, it usually means the source used a key name the target did not recognize — re-convert with the correct source format, or check our guide on why cards fail to import. Verifying now saves you from discovering a broken card weeks later.
Where to go next
The most common destinations for former Backyard AI users are SillyTavern (deepest features), RisuAI (modern, V3-native), and Voxta (voice-first). Each reads a portable card, so you are not locked into any one of them. For a broader look at the landscape, see our roundup of the best character card platforms in 2026 and our guide to alternatives that don't delete your bots.
The portable-library habit
Whatever app you land on, adopt one habit: after creating or editing a character, export a copy to a V2 PNG or V3 CharX and keep it in a backup folder. Formats and platforms will keep changing; a portable copy means the next migration is a five-minute conversion instead of a rewrite. That single discipline is the best protection against any platform's roadmap changes.