Complete Guide to Backing Up Your Android Phone

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Editor's Note: Because Android is moving at a rapid pace, so we've updated this guide with the latest information on more recent versions of Android. You can find the new version here.

There is a clear difference in how Android and the iPhone handle your personal data. With the iPhone, you connect the phone to a PC with a USB cable, and use iTunes to manage content. It might seem increasingly archaic these days to rely on a PC to use a smartphone, but there is a practical upshot to it. Apple has built in a simple, fast backup solution for the iPhone into iTunes. If you end up getting a new phone for whatever reason, you can just restore the backup to the new handset. On Android, the picture isn't as clear.
Android takes the cloud-based approach. At first, the platform wasn't really showing off its cloud-connected potential. It really felt unfinished in that way. But it is becoming increasingly clear where Google is going with Android, and how that relates to data backup and security. As it stands right now, you just can't do a complete backup of an Android phone without rooting the device and voiding the warranty.



Let's go over what you can backup, what you don't need to backup, and what you can look forward to in Android backup.
Contacts, SMS, and Call Logs

First off, we suggest you don't use a third party app to backup your contacts. This is one piece of the puzzle Google has handled well from the start. The contact database on the phone is completely integrated with Google Contacts. This is a service that any Gmail user is taking advantage of whether or not they know it. When you log into an Android phone it will sync the contacts associated with that account. For many, this might only include email addresses. But adding in your phone numbers (which you can do on either the phone or the PC) will ensure your address book will remain safe and sound in the cloud, ready to be synced to any Android device you want.



You will find innumerable apps on the Market that will offer to backup your contacts, SMS, and call log. We've already talked about contacts, but having a record of calls and texts is important to some. For the most part, these apps just create a file on the SD card that can be restored later. But what if you lose your phone? Having data on the SD card isn't going to help much.
Some apps have online backup to add a little peace of mind. We use Sprite Mobile Backup because it has options for saving data to Dropbox and Box.net. It works well, but the file it outputs is a single block of data that you'll need Sprite to restore. Sprite can also backup some of the stock Google app settings. Similarly, you can backup SMS to your Gmail with an app called SMS Backup. The only problem is this is a one way process. You cannot pull this data back onto a phone.
There is a really interesting way to keep your call log backed up that actually provides additional functionality. CallTrack adds an entry to your Google Calendar for each call you receive, make, or miss. Each of these categories can be turned off, so if you only need to keep track of your missed calls, for instance, you can do so. This, like SMS Backup, isn't traditional backup as there's no way to import the data back into a phone, but we feel it fulfills the spirit of a backup by making the data available even if the phone is lost. Also, it's just an awesome app.
Apps





The situation with apps is a strange one. Most apps save all their data on the internal memory, though some do you a favor and create a folder on the SD card for easy backup. If everything is on the internal memory, you can't save the app's state without rooting. However, if the app is not copy protected, you can backup the package so you can install it later. Our favorite app for doing this is Astro , since it's a great file manager, it's always on our phones anyway. In the tools menu, you can select the Application Manager. There you can pick the apps you want to backup. The protected apps are not selectable here. The apps will show up as APK files on your SD card. These can be loaded on an Android phone without the Market.


About the Market, though--restoring apps with this method cuts you off from updates through the Android Market. If you just install an application via an APK file, the Android Market on the phone has no idea you've got it installed. So that means you won't get updates the usual way. You're better off just installing apps from the Market if possible. The Market will keep a list of all paid apps associated with your account. The APK backup method only makes sense if you need an older version of an app, or if the app is no longer available.


Google has made some strides that make this process less necessary. Starting in Android 2.0, Google began doing cloud-based backups of the apps associated with a particular Google account. Logging into a new 2.0+ phone will cause the previously installed apps to be restored. Well, sometimes they're restored. It's often like a form of black magic to get everything to go smoothly. In our experience, if you log into the phone and do not launch the Android Market, your apps should be restored. In fact, it's best to just set the phone aside for a few minutes. If your apps don't seem to be coming back, you can try hard resetting the phone to try again.

To activate this functionality, you have to make sure 'Back up my settings" is checked in the Privacy settings before you switch devices. The restored apps won't have any of their associated data, though. So your progress in games and in-app settings are lost. Do not despair though, Google is working on this.

At the recent Google I/O conference we got some excellent app backup news. Google will be allowing developers to use a new data backup API in Android 2.2 (Froyo). Combined with the existing app syncing introduced in Android 2.0, your apps should be able to sync down to a new phone and exist just as they did before. The only caveat is that developers have to actually take advantage of the data backup feature in their apps. It won't just happen automatically like the syncing of the apps themselves. They didn't discuss it, but we're really hoping they clean up the process of syncing apps so it's easier to see what's going on. For Google's brief explanation of app cloud backup, and the new data backup API, check out this video from I/O (might not load properly in HTML5 player).
System Settings




This is an easy one. If you're on an Android 2.0+ phone, you don't have to worry about most of your system settings. Just logging into a phone and waiting a few minutes will get your settings back to normal. This is controlled by the same privacy checkbox as the app restore functionality. The data you can expect to magically reappear includes Wi-Fi networks, privacy settings, accessibility options, wallpaper and search settings. This will not save any third-party account sync settings like Facebook, Exchange, or Twitter (in Froyo). For us, the only big category missing is the custom dictionary. We've never seen that sync properly. Might be worth using a third-party app for this is you've added a lot of words.
Unfortunately, this too sometimes just fails to work. We've had instances where everything is back, and others where only bits and pieces seem to be restored. Since the phone has no data on it at this point, a quick hard reset lets you try the sync again. This is what we've seen so far with Android phones. It is possible the final version of Froyo could have more robust syncing abilities. If you don't want to trust this admittedly sketchy process, Sprite Backup can backup your system settings as well.







The backup situation on Android is far from perfect. We can see where Google is going now, we just wish they'd get there faster. The idea of having everything important to our phone in the cloud is comforting in a way an iTunes backup can never be. If you choose to root your Android phone there are apps like Nandroid and Titanium Backup that can make full backup images of your phone. But this just isn't the answer for most consumers. Google is making progress, and we're encouraged. For the time being though, it's a bit of a hodgepodge to keep your Android phone backed up. Do you backup anything on your Android phone? Let us know how you do it.

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Google has had more than a enough time to develop some sort of unified backup solution for Android. They haven't, and we don***8217;t expect them to ever do it. Google, and by extension Android, are about the Cloud. A lot of the data on your device ends up in Google***8217;s servers, ready to be pushed back down to your device should you ever need it. But for the data that isn***8217;t handled by Google, you***8217;re on your own.



A year ago we went over how to backup your Android phone, and it***8217;s about time we revisited the issue. Technology marches on, things change, apps fall behind, and new services appear. Read on to find out what you can backup and how to do it.
Full Backups for Root Users




If your device is rooted, a full image backup is a must have. When flashing ROMs and swapping out recovery images, you don***8217;t want to be left with a brick should something go wrong. For users that are just rooting for the first time with the intention of installing a custom ROM, make sure to get a nand backup (Nandroid) taken care of first. This is handled through the recovery system on most phones (you probably flashed a custom recovery shortly after rooting). Booting into recovery will vary by device.
The other angle for rooted users is backing up apps. This can be done more easily and comprehensively than on non-rooted phones. We suggest picking up Titanium Backup from the Market. A pro license will run you about $6. With this app, you can get serious control over your apps to backup not just the apps themselves, but all the data associated with them.
So root users have to jump through a few hoops, but have a much more powerful set of backup tools. Non-root users can still feel secure with a few backup methods. For rooted users without a custom recovery, some non-root methods below could be of use.
SMS, Call Logs, Apps, and more

The primary tool we***8217;re going to suggest for non-rooted users at this time is MyBackup Pro. Last year we were big proponents of Sprint Backup, but it***8217;s more or less fallen into disrepair. MyBackup allows for a ton of data to be stored on the RerWare servers for safekeeping. Or if you're the paranoid type, you can store the backups on your SD card. The full version is $4.99, but a 30-day free trial is available.



One of the reasons we***8217;re smitten with MyBackup is that is has systematically expanded the items it can store for you. SMS and call logs are the ones most people know about, but MyBackup also offers support for storing the custom dictionary, home screen settings, apps, alarms, and MMS.
MyBackup allows you to set a schedule for backups to happen in the background with your chosen settings. The app outputs a single file that can be easily restored. Should you just want to just get your texts, dictionary, home screens, and calls backed up, the file will be small. MyBackup Pro comes with just 100MB of space online, so if you want cloud backups of apps, it***8217;s going to cost you a few bucks. You might consider manually uploading the backup file to a cloud service like Dropbox.
MyBackup lets you pick the apps you want backed up, but they are also turned into a single restore file. The time to use this is when you are already using MyBackup Pro for your other data and don***8217;t want to deal with another solution. The other way to get your apps backed up is the store the APK files directly. We still use Astro File Manager for this since it also happens to be a killer file browser.
Apps will sync down from the Google servers when you log into a phone for the first time, but this process is not universally reliable. It also does no good if an app is no longer available or you don***8217;t like the updated version. The web Market also has a list of all the apps you have installed, so it***8217;s easy to get them back on the phone in a pinch. If this system seems fine to you, we recommend skipping the manual backup of apps in favor of the Google method.
Images and video




Backing up your images is going to be a bit of a pain in general. It***8217;s a lot of data and most services won***8217;t want you to keep a ton of 8 megapixel snapshots and HD videos on their servers. Even if you do get the content up there, the interface for actually restoring so much data is no good. Our favorite way to backup images and video is to make use of Dropbox.
Dropbox is the totally awesome could storage and syncing service that you***8217;ve probably heard about through people trying to get you to use their referral links (let's not do that here, cool?). You can sign up for a 2GB free Dropbox account, which is more online storage than a lot of apps offer. If you need more, you can always pay, or get people to use your referrals. Dropbox also runs the occasional scavenger hunt or contest to get you more storage.
There are two apps that we really live for backing up your DCIM directory to Dropbox. The first one is an app we told you about just recently called DropSnap. This app automatically uploads your snapshots to Dropbox on the spot. It costs $4 for the full version, but we***8217;ve found it to be very reliable.
The other method we have tested is Titanium Media Sync. From the same folks that brought you Titanium Backup, this non-root app pushes new files to your Dropbox at predetermined times. You pick the variables like power, Wi-Fi access, 3G/4G, and so on. When the conditions are met, Titanium Media Sync will fire up and upload new photos and videos to Dropbox. Titanium Backup also has the option of pushing files to an FTP server of your choice.
Music

This is less of a backup scheme, and more of an alternative storage system. If you haven***8217;t already, sign up for Google Music and await your invite. Upload all your music to the Google service, and it will be available on your Android phone. The tracks live in the cloud, but can be played back on the phone or tablet.
From there, you can download music to the phone by ***8220;Pinning***8221; it in the music app. You can access this functionality by long-pressing or hitting the down arrow next to each artist and album. By going this route, you get the best of both worlds. Easy local playback if you need it with a full backup of your content accessible in the cloud.
Calendar, settings, bookmarks, app data, and contacts




These are all items that you don***8217;t need to worry about backing up. Google has taken it upon itself to keep this data in the cloud for you. Google Calendar has always lived in the cloud and is part of the Google account login and sync. Contacts works the same way. If you have your contacts on the phone, Google has them in the cloud. When you log into any Android phone, the contacts will be pushed down.
Bookmarks, settings, and app data are all part of the Google data backup API. Much like the app restore mentioned above, these bits of data will be stored online by Google and then dropped on any phone you log into as the primary account. It***8217;s great to not have to recreate Wi-Fi passwords or bookmarks, but some data is controlled by developers.
The app data backup API was added in Froyo, but not all developers have supported it. For apps that do use it, when Google pushes the app to a phone, the data will come with it. We***8217;re talking about things like saved games, internal settings, and account details. Our favorite Android automaton tool, Locale uses the data backup API, and we***8217;re grateful it does. Just make sure you have the backup check boxes filled under the privacy settings.
That***8217;s everything you need to know about backing up your Android phone, circa 2011. It might seem a little daunting at first, but just two or three apps for non-rooted users and you***8217;re data will be safe and sound. We would like to see Google expand the cloud backup abilities of Android, and maybe make the process a little more transparent, but third-party solutions like MyBackup Pro and Dropbox connected apps stand in well enough. Let us know how you keep your Android device backed up. Are there any apps you can***8217;t live without?