How to Backup Android phone? (Root + Unroot)

Google Android is the most popular operating system for smartphones. From entry-level smartphones to high-end flagship phones runs on the android. While you run an android on your phone, backing up your phone before resetting is important. There are many methods available to backup your android phone. This guide explains to you how to backup android phone with and without root access.

Backup Android Device

There are two types of scenarios that we are going to see today. First is when your device is unrooted and the other is backup rooted device. The unrooted method is a conventional method with some things you have to do manually. While, in a Rooted phone, Android phone backup is an automated task.

A) How to Backup Android phone without root

There are many users who want to reset/ format there phone for various reasons. Before resetting, you must backup your data, so that you don’t have to lose anything after formatting. Your phone data that can be backed up contains contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, and documents that you created or downloaded.

We will see all the methods to back up these things one by one.

1. Backup contacts using Google sync

Backing up the contacts is very easy. Even in most cases, you don’t have to do anything to back up the contacts if you have added your Gmail account to the phone.

Google sync automatically backup up contacts in the background. If in case it’s not, you can manually sync the contacts and backup to cloud storage.

Go to the Settings –> Users and Accounts –> select your Gmail account id.

From account sync option, turn ON the sync toggle of contacts option. You can backup many other things by turning on them.

 

Another alternative of backing contacts is using the SMS contacts backup. This app backs up your contacts to your phone storage / SD card.

 

Just download the app and click on “contacts backup” to backup your contacts in CSV file. You can now use this file to restore contacts on any phone or share the file to use it on other basic phones

Download SMS contacts Backup App

2. Backup Messages using the App

Backing up messages also done by using SMS contacts backup app.

 

Open the app and click on the SMS backup option. Wait for the Messages to get back up. These Messages are now stored on your phone memory/SD card.

You can also backup Messages to cloud storage by setting up the cloud account ( e.g Google drive).

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3. Backup Photos/Videos

Backing up photos is the ever easy process to do. You just need to download google photos app and login with your Gmail account.

Then open the app and from settings enable backup and sync option.

If you have high-speed WiFi, you can also back-up the videos with Google photos.

4. Backup Applications

You can back-up the apps that are installed on your android phone using SMS contacts back-up app. This app lets you backup APK files of the installed apps to your phone memory / SD card.Download the app and click on “back up apps”. Now select which apps you want to backup from the list and press the backup button. Wait for the backing process to complete.

You can also do the auto backup of the app when the new app is installed on your phone. So you don’t have to do apps backup while resetting your phone. This can be done by scheduling the backing process from the settings menu.

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5. Backup Music/documents

You can copy-paste the music files, documents files to your computer if available. Or else you can upload them to Google drive.

B) How to backup Rooted Android phone

Well, if you have rooted your phone and want to backup android phone this should be an easy task.

Before we proceed, be sure that you rooted your device and know all the risks that come with rooting. ( There are more benefits than risks :P)

1. Backup Apps and App Data

You can backup your installed App with its data. the benefit of backing app data is your app restores in the same state. That means if you have a game with level 20 completed, you can back up with that level saved. Now when you restore, you can continue the game from level 20.

To backup app and app data, install Titanium Backup App from play store. With Apps backup, using Titanium Backup, you can backup SMS, Contacts, Call Logs, WIFI passwords also.

1. Once you install Titanium backup, open it and grant root permission.
2. Go to the menu and open Batch operations.
3. Now select Backup all user apps + system data.
4. A list of all apps is now displayed. Once you tap on the √ button, the data backup process begins.
5. Wait for the process to finish.

You have easily backup all apps and its data into your device storage.

Remember that this backup is stored in the phone’s internal memory by default. so, if you format your internal storage, you cannot recover it. However, you can change the location to external SD card (if you are using) by going into menu –> preferences –> backup folder location –> and select your micro sd card

2. Full System Backup/Nandroid Backup

In a rooted phone, you can backup the whole system partition so that you don’t miss any system setting. If you have installed a custom ROM, Nandroid backup is helpful to backup whole ROM so that you can restore it any time.

To perform a Nandroid backup, you need a custom recovery. e.g TWRP recovery. Usually, a rooted phone has a TWRP also, so you don’t need to actually install it. But, if you have not chosen to install TWRP while rooting, please install it by going to XDA developers and choosing your model.

• Step1: First restart your phone to recovery mode. Press Power button + Vol. down button to go into recovery mode.
• Step2: Once the TWRP recovery main screen appears, select the Backup button.
• Step3: Now select all partitions. i.e System, Boot, Data, and EFS.
• Step4: If you are using  SD card then you can store this Nandroid backup on SD card. Click on Select Storage and select the SD card.
• Step5: You can also explore more options like compress zip by selecting the Options tab.
• Step6: Also, you can set a password for you Nandroid backup from Encryption tab.
• You can now swipe right to start the Nandroid backup.
• Wait for the backup to finish and don’t reboot your phone in-between.

Once the backup completed, you can reboot your phone and use normally. When you need you can restore this Nandroid backup anytime.

How to Restore Nandroid Backup

1. Boot into TWRP recovery using Power button + vol down button.
2. From the main screen, select the Restore button.
3. Now choose the most recent backup. ( if you have done multiple backups, then select appropriate backup as you want to restore).
4. Then do swipe to the right to start Nandroid backup restore process.
5. This process takes more time to finish, you have to wait for a little longer.

Once the process finished, you can restart your phone and your old Nandroid backup is restored.

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Summary –

Backing a device is an important factor. When you get the new device or need to reset your phone contains a risk of losing data. You can backup Android phone without root access and also for free.