Search

Thursday, April 14, 2011

How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone (Restore/Backup)

You may need to backup your data if you are planning on changing your phone, be able to get back everything in case of a theft/loss or to just get the phone the way it was before (without losing Contacts/SMS).
I did it for the last reason & surprisingly the battery life doubled, exactly what I needed (probably because of lots of background services not running anymore).
Better backup before the world gets upside down on you.
(Note: This guide is for both non-rooted & rooted phones but users having root access should try Titanium Backup)
Things we will Backup
  • Contacts
  • System Settings
  • SMS
  • Call Logs
  • - Applications
Software you’ll need
  • Astro File Manager
  • SMS Backup & Restore
  • Call Logs Backup & Restore
  • AVG Anti-Virus Free (Optional)
Contacts & System Settings
If you have a Gmail account associated with your phone (& definitely it is) than it’s a non-issue because all your contacts are automatically backed up with Gmail & in the same way restored automatically on a new/refreshed phone.
But if you still somehow want an offline backup or all you contacts in one file, go to Contacts, Press the Menu soft key, Select Import/Export, Select Export to SD Card, Select OK & all your contacts will be saved to the SD Card.
clip image003 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image005 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image007 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image009 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone
For system settings make sure in Privacy Settings ‘Backup my Data’ is checked (in previous versions, before Android 2.2, check ‘Backup my Settings’).
This will, like contacts, backup your settings online & restore them when needed. Some known settings that will get restored:
  • WiFi Settings (including saved networks)
  • Wallpaper
  • Accessibility Settings
  • User Dictionary
  • Privacy Settings
  • Certain Apps are Re-Installed
But don’t just expect you stuff to instantly re-appear after a restore. Give your phone sometime. The User Dictionary restore may only work in Android 2.2+.
clip image011 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone
Backing Up SMS
SMS Backup & Restore does what its name says and does just that. It exports all you messages to an XML file on your SD Card. You can get it Installed from the Market.
SMS Backup + is another tool that will backup all your SMS/MMS & Call Logs to your Gmail account. It actually sends them as email to your inbox & labels them appropriately. Am not exactly sure about it’s restore process though it claims it can restore them.
SMS Backup & Restore has a Preview feature to preview messages in the backup file before restoring it & also allows you to find duplicate messages, plus a delete all messages in memory option too.
clip image013 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone
Call Logs
Install “Call Logs Backup & Restore” from Android Market. The options are simple, just click Backup & it will save your logs into an XML file. The saved file has no ‘styling’ information so if you open it in IE, FireFox, Opera, and Chrome etc. it won’t look neat but is readable. The time, date & phone number can be read from it easily. Android keeps up to 500 logs, so that’s the max it an backup.
The same preview and delete options are here too.
Applications
Start Astro File Manager, press the Menu key & select Tools. Select Application Manager/Backup. Here you have an option to select individual Apps or all of them. Choose the ones that you like & click Backup, Oh you can’t click it… no worries just tap it ;)
clip image015 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image017 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image018 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone
[OPTIONAL] AVG Anti-Virus Free
AVG Anti-Virus Free is a ‘One App’ solution to all backup operations. The catch? You cannot backup individual category like say just the messages or just the bookmarks & the restore will delete all the previous info & replace it with the ones in the backup file. If it’s a new system that’s completely OK. Still it’s a powerful tool and largely hassle free. The ‘App Backup’ will backup your Applications, the same way as Astro. Why it is in the end and not recommended as the only solution? Because it is a Beta feature & may hang during the restore process.
clip image020 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image022 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image024 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone
Important Step:
Your call log, SMS, Contacts & Applications are now on your SD Card. Connect your phone to a PC & transfer the files/folders described below or email the smaller files to yourself (I use Gmail) as a fast easy way for online storage/retrieval.
Files: 00001.vcf (or 00002.vcf it that one already exists)
Folders: CallLogBackupRestore, SMSBackupRestore, backups (contains your apps), droidbackupdir (if you used AVG Anti-Virus Free).
Refresh Your Phone
Go to Settings > Privacy > Factory Data Reset.
clip image026 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image028 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phoneclip image030 thumb How to Backup / Restore your Android Phone
You phone will restart and it will be like new :)
Copy the above mentioned files back to the SD Card, install the respective apps and hit restore on each one of them, that’s all. Besides these there are tons of different apps on the Android Market, you are free to explore them :) Do check Lookout Mobile Security, unlike the other apps it backs them up online.

10 comments:

  1. Excellent way of telling, and nice post to take information regarding
    my presentation topic, which i am going to convey in academy.
    Also see my page: Danielle FTV

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News.
    Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News?

    I've been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thank you
    Stop by my web site : amazingteenbabes.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi there very cool website!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .

    . I'll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also? I'm happy to seek out
    so many useful info here within the put up, we want develop extra strategies on this regard, thank you for
    sharing. . . . . .
    My page Young teen fucked hard in her mouth and pussy - Videos

    ReplyDelete
  4. Malaysia & Singapore & brunei greatest internet blogshop for wholesale & quantity korean accessories, accessories, earstuds, locket,
    rings, hair, trinket & bracelet add-ons. Deal 35 % wholesale markdown. Ship Worldwide
    Also see my web site > curso de unas de gel

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello would you mind letting me know which web host you're working with? I've loaded
    your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a
    lot faster then most. Can you suggest a good internet hosting provider at a fair price?
    Thanks, I appreciate it!
    Also visit my web page ; penilarge najtaniej

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm impressed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that's
    both equally educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you've hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I found this during my search for something relating to this.
    my web site: visit the up coming post

    ReplyDelete
  7. I do consider all of the concepts you've introduced in your post. They're
    really convincing and can certainly work. Still, the posts are too quick for starters.
    May you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.



    Stop by my webpage: movie download sites

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very nice blog post. I certainly love this site. Keep writing!


    Also visit my web-site :: http://www.xxxvideofix.com/video/150521/Italian-Porn-mamma-si-masturba.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. fantastic points altogether, you just received a new reader.
    What might you recommend in regards to your submit that you just made
    some days in the past? Any certain?

    Also visit my webpage ... pissingpussies.org

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi there, after reading this awesome article i am also glad to share my familiarity
    here with colleagues.

    Here is my blog post http://www.sex4it.com

    ReplyDelete