How to Back Up Your Android Phone

How to Back Up Your Android Phone

If your Android phone is lost, broken or reset, a backup is the difference between a ten-minute setup and starting from zero. Android's built-in backup saves most of what matters to your Google Account. Photos and files need one or two extra steps.

Menu names below follow Google's Android Help. Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and other makers sometimes use different names or add their own backup service - where your phone's menus differ, use the Settings search bar and type "backup".

Step 1: Turn On Google Backup

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Google, then All services (on some phones the option is directly under Google).
3. Tap Backup.
4. Turn on Backup by Google One (or Back up to Google Drive on older versions).
5. Tap Back up now.

On Samsung phones you can also find it under Settings > Accounts and backup > Back up data (Google Drive section).

What It Saves

According to Google, the device backup includes:

• Apps and app data (for apps that support it)
• Call history
• Contacts
• Device settings (including Wi-Fi networks on most phones)
• SMS and MMS messages

Some data is encrypted with your phone's screen lock PIN, pattern or password. You'll need that screen lock when you restore it.

Step 2: Back Up Photos and Videos

The device backup doesn't save your camera roll. Use Google Photos:

1. Open Google Photos and tap your profile picture (top right).
2. Tap Photos settings (or Google Photos settings), then Backup.
3. Turn on Backup and choose a quality: Original quality or Storage saver.

Photos and videos count toward your 15 GB of free Google Account storage. If you'd rather not use cloud storage, copy them to a PC instead (step 3).

Step 3: Copy Files to a PC

Downloads, documents, WhatsApp media and files in other apps' folders aren't always covered by the Google backup. A copy on a PC is the simplest safety net.

1. Connect the phone to the PC with a USB data cable.
2. Unlock the phone. In the USB notification, choose File transfer.
3. On the PC, open File Explorer > This PC and select the phone.
4. Copy the DCIM (camera), Pictures, Download and Documents folders to a folder on the PC.

If the phone doesn't appear, see Android phone not showing up on PC. For a wireless option, see how to share files between Android and Windows PC.

Step 4: Check App-Specific Backups

Some apps keep their own backup that the system backup doesn't cover:

• WhatsApp: Settings > Chats > Chat backup - back up to your Google Account.
• Authenticator apps: check the app's own export or cloud sync option before you reset or replace the phone. Losing these codes can lock you out of accounts.
• Google Messages: messages are in the device backup; the app's settings may also offer its own backup option.

Restore on a New Phone

1. During setup of the new phone, sign in to the same Google Account.
2. When asked, choose to copy apps and data and pick your backup (or connect the old phone with a cable if you still have it).
3. Enter your old phone's screen lock when asked.
4. Keep the new phone on Wi-Fi and charging - Google says restoring can take up to 24 hours.

You can't restore a backup made on a newer Android version onto a phone running an older one, so install any updates the new phone offers first.

Backup Not Working?

• Storage full: check your Google Account storage in the Google One app or at one.google.com; delete large emails or Drive files, or upgrade.
• Backup greyed out: your phone may be managed by work or school, or you may need to add a Google Account first (Settings > Passwords & accounts).
• Last backup date is old: the phone only backs up automatically on Wi-Fi while charging and idle. Tap Back up now while on Wi-Fi.
• Phone storage full stops many things working: see smartphone storage full - 14 things to do.

Back up before a factory reset or before trying fixes such as those in Android phone running slow.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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