You just spent three hours at the field dialing in your PIDs, filters, and rates. Then Betaflight Configurator prompts you for a firmware update, you click “yes” without thinking, and every setting vanishes. The CLI has a solution for this — but only if you know which command actually saves your configuration and not just your settings.
The Betaflight CLI Backup Commands You Actually Need
Betaflight’s CLI has three backup commands that sound similar but do radically different things. Understanding the difference between dump, diff, and diff all is the difference between a five-minute restore and an afternoon of re-tuning from scratch.
Step 1: Understanding dump vs diff vs diff all
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dump: Outputs every single setting in the flight controller, including all defaults. The output is 2000-3000 lines long. When you restore a dump, you are overwriting everything — including hardware-specific settings like motor direction and gyro alignment. If those were different on the target board, you just bricked it. -
diff: Outputs only the settings that differ from Betaflight defaults. Typically 80-150 lines. This is your “tune” — PIDs, rates, filters, modes, OSD layout. When you restore a diff, only your custom settings apply. Everything else stays at the factory default for that firmware version. -
diff all: Same as diff, but also includes settings that are normally hidden from diff output — resource mappings, timer configurations, and DMA assignments. Use this when migrating between different flight controller targets. It is the safest complete backup.
The rule: Save a diff all after every tuning session. Use diff (without all) for sharing your rates and PIDs online. Never restore a dump to a different board.
Step 2: Saving Your Configuration
Connect to Betaflight Configurator. Go to the CLI tab. Type:
diff all
Wait for the output to complete. Copy the entire output — including the leading # comment lines — and paste it into a text file. Name it something useful: quad_name_date_diff_all.txt. I keep a folder called betaflight_backups synced to the cloud with every quad’s current diff all.
If you prefer saving directly from the CLI without copy-paste, Betaflight 4.4+ supports:
diff all > my_backup.txt
This writes to the flight controller’s onboard flash. You must then download it via the Configurator’s file manager or MSP.
Step 3: Restoring from a Backup
To restore, paste the entire diff all output into the CLI and press Enter. Betaflight applies each line sequentially. After it finishes, type save and press Enter. The flight controller reboots with your settings restored.
Critical: If your backup contains resource mappings (the resource and timer commands), and you are restoring to a different board revision, those mappings may be invalid. Restoring invalid resource mappings can disable motors or UARTs. In that case, strip out the resource, timer, and dma lines before pasting, or use a plain diff instead.
Step 4: Migrating Between Betaflight Versions
Never restore a diff all from Betaflight 4.3 onto a board running 4.5 without reviewing it. Between major versions, Betaflight changes parameter names, removes deprecated settings, and adds new ones. A command that was valid in 4.3 might be ignored (harmless) or apply to the wrong parameter (dangerous) in 4.5.
The safe migration workflow:
1. Save a diff all from the old firmware.
2. Flash the new firmware with “Full chip erase” enabled.
3. Apply the default configuration for your target.
4. Manually re-enter PIDs, rates, and filters from the diff all. Do not blindly paste the entire diff.
5. For OSD layout and modes, it is usually safe to copy-paste those sections.
Betaflight CLI Command Reference
| Command | Output Size | Includes Defaults | Includes Resource Maps | Safe for Cross-Target Restore | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
dump |
2000-3000 lines | Yes | Yes | No | Full clone of identical board |
diff |
80-150 lines | No | No | Yes | Sharing rates/PIDs, quick restore |
diff all |
150-300 lines | No | Yes | Yes (same target) | Complete backup of current board |
dump hardware |
500-800 lines | Yes | Yes | No | Hardware debugging |
dump all |
3000+ lines | Yes | Yes | No | Forensics only |
CLI Backup Mistakes That Cost You Your Tune
Mistake 1: Saving a dump instead of a diff all and restoring it to a different board.
The consequence: The dump writes the original board’s gyro alignment, motor direction bitmask, and resource map onto the new board. Motors spin backwards, the quad flips on arm, or UARTs stop working. You spend 45 minutes debugging problems you created.
The fix: Always save diff all for backup. Reserve dump for cloning the exact same board with identical hardware.
Mistake 2: Not saving a backup after a tuning session because “I will do it later.”
The consequence: You fly five packs, crash on the sixth, and the USB port shears off the flight controller. Your tune is trapped on a board that cannot connect to a computer. You start from factory defaults on the replacement board.
The fix: Save a diff all the moment you come inside after flying. It takes 30 seconds. Make it a habit as automatic as pulling your SD card.
Mistake 3: Pasting a diff from Betaflight 4.3 onto 4.5 without reviewing every line.
The consequence: Betaflight 4.5 changed the gyro filter parameter names and PID slider framework. Old-style set gyro_lowpass_hz commands are silently ignored. Your filter settings do not apply. You fly with essentially no lowpass filtering and wonder why the motors burn up.
The fix: Between major versions, manually review each setting. If a parameter name changed, find the new equivalent and set it correctly.
Mistake 4: Sharing a diff all publicly online without stripping your VTX table and unique identifiers.
The consequence: Your VTX table is specific to your VTX model. Someone pastes your diff onto a build with a different VTX, sends a command on the wrong frequency, and fries the VTX PA. This happens more often than you would think.
The fix: When sharing settings online, use diff (not diff all) and manually review before posting. Strip VTX tables, OSD layouts with personal callsigns, and anything hardware-specific.
⚠️ Regulatory Notice: The flight recommendations in this article should be followed in accordance with the latest 2026 drone regulations in your country or region. Always verify local laws regarding flight altitude, no-fly zones, remote ID requirements, and registration before flying. Regulations vary significantly between the FAA (US), EASA (EU), CAA (UK), CAAC (China), and other authorities.
The CLI is also where you configure the fundamentals that make every other Betaflight feature work. Our guides on Betaflight Arming Disable Flags and Betaflight Modes Tab Configuration walk through CLI diagnostics and mode setup.
The best backup strategy is the one you actually use. uavmodel.com carries F7 flight controllers with plenty of onboard flash for storing multiple diff all backups directly on the board — no computer needed at the field.