So you left your phone on the street. Then it ran over. twice. Then you are almost hit by a Subaru trying to rescue from the middle of the crosswalk.
If this sad story sounds familiar-or at least reasonable-it is likely that the first thing in your mind is all the contacts, photos, text messages, and notes stored in your device. In this case, what will Android fans do? As your mother once said: “Plan ahead.”
Planning ahead is the easiest way to ensure that your data will not be lost, even if your phone is destroyed. Fortunately, as long as you allow, Google will automatically sync your contacts, calendar appointments, documents and even app purchases.
Although Google will keep a lot of your data, you might consider other methods and backup procedures. Read on to learn how to back up the contents of an Android phone to a PC.
Stick with Google
The permissions granted to Google to back up your content vary from phone to phone, and there are several ways to do it. The easiest way is “Settings”> “Google”> “Backup”. On Samsung Galaxy phones, you can also get there via Settings> Cloud and Accounts> Backup and Restore> Google Account.
If you own one of Google’s Pixel phones or another stock Android device, then you can also follow these steps: Settings> System> Advanced> Backup> Backup to Google Drive. For devices running Android 8.1 and higher, this should cover the following:
- App data (installed apps and settings)
- Call history
- Contacts
- Device settings (including Wi-Fi passwords, wallpapers, and default apps)
- Photos and videos
- SMS text messages (doesn’t include MMS)
For some older Android devices, the full list is as follows:
- Google Contacts data
- Google Calendar events and settings
- Wi-Fi networks and passwords
- Wallpaper
- Gmail settings
- Apps
- Display settings (brightness and sleep)
- Language and input settings
- Date and time
- Settings and data for apps not made by Google (varies by app)
You can also add some bits and pieces to the list, and configure exactly what you want to back up and not back up. In “Settings”, go to “Accounts”, then click on your Google account, then click on “Account Sync”.
On Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings> Cloud and Accounts> Accounts> Google> Sync Account. It may be slightly different on different devices and versions of Android, but what you are looking for is a long list of sync icons, including calendar, Chrome, contacts, documents, Drive, Gmail, Google Fit data, Google News, Google Play Movies and TV, Google Play Music, Keep Notes, character details, Play Games Cloud Save and any other services that you can virtually back up.
The list will vary based on the content on your phone. Make sure to open everything you want to back up. That’s it.
Drag and drop content from your device to PC
You can also transfer photos, videos and music from your Android phone directly to your PC or Mac by inserting your phone into your computer and manually copying the files to the hard drive. This is not a perfect solution, but it is quick and easy, especially on a PC where Windows installs it as an external drive.
All you need to do is to insert the phone into the computer, if it does not immediately pop up as a drive, please pull down the notification bar on the phone, and then expand the notification, such as charging the device via USB, click for more options, and then select file transfer.
What if Windows doesn’t detect my smartphone?
Do you have the correct USB cable? Sometimes people try to connect the smartphone to the computer using any Micro USB or USB-C cables used around, but not all cables are equal, so this may be the reason why the smartphone cannot be displayed in Windows.
For example, in the image above, the third-party cable on the left can only charge Android smartphones. However, the official LG Micro USB cable on the right can transfer data.
After connecting the correct cable, your smartphone will be listed as one of the drives in Windows File Explorer. If you are using a Mac, please download Android File Transfer, install the software, and then run it after connecting your phone. After that, it will start automatically.
Go with a third-party backup utility
We strongly recommend that you stick to Google for your backup needs, but if you don’t want to use Google for some reason, you can choose another method.
My Backup Pro
If we were to design a simple backup system for Android, it might work just like My Backup Pro. The app is available for purchase in the Google Play store for $7.
It can back up everything that can be backed up without backing up your phone-photos, application data, browser bookmarks, contacts, system settings, home screen shortcuts, Alarms, calendars, MMS, SMS messages, music, etc.
The app allows you to schedule a backup at a convenient time (such as while sleeping) and save the backup file to your phone’s MicroSD card or the cloud, allowing you to instantly access the data on the My Backup Pro site.
If the phone dies, or if you transfer to a new phone, use My Backup Pro’s software to restore all settings, data, and applications in a single session. It looks old, but it works.
G Cloud Backup
As a free alternative to My Backup Pro, G Cloud Backup allows you to back up everything from contacts and photos to application data, videos, music, SMS, etc.
With the convenient “memory” function, all content is safely backed up to the cloud, you can easily sort photos or messages on a specific date, and you can choose the time to schedule the backup.
You can get 1GB of storage space for free, but you can earn more through the app (up to 10GB), or you can upgrade it as needed. If the phone dies or you have purchased a new phone, you can click to restore or migrate the data.
SMS Backup & Restore
Do you want to keep all drunken text messages for future generations to use? SMS Backup and Restore is a free application that can be integrated with your email account, Google Drive or Dropbox to backup your SMS messages in XML format.
You can store the backup on your computer and send the backup via email. You can select or view and restore your messages at once. You can also use the app to schedule regular backups.
Use your device manufacturer’s software
Almost all smartphone manufacturers provide proprietary backup solutions for your devices. However, most brands are giving up computer-based (or SD card-based) storage. Instead, they launched a secure exchange application that allows you to port information.
From contacts and game progress to photos and saved messages, everything can be effectively connected wirelessly to the new device. The following is a list of some options provided by the manufacturer:
If you are connected to an Android device, you should take a look at Titanium Backup. This impressive backup tool has a large number of user-friendly and useful features.
You should also know that you can ask your smartphone operator if they offer any unique data exchange applications. If all other methods fail, the counter of the mobile phone provider can also provide a solution.
Back up now
If you don’t back up your device regularly, you may lose everything, so regular backups are essential. After all, you cannot know if you will lose your phone or bump your phone into a puddle, or if someone decides to steal the phone.
All smartphone users know that accidents happen when you least expect it, such as after you pay off your device or when your insurance expires. However, although the device itself is replaceable, the data on the device is not.
Consider all the photos, videos, messages, and contact information stored on the device. When all the carefully nurtured data disappears, it may be difficult to recover, or even impossible to recover at all.
You don’t want to be idle and worry about lost and irreplaceable photos. If you care about any content, contacts, photos and other information on your phone, please don’t delay the backup. Start researching your backup options now-avoid heartbreak in the future.
