These are the apps you can use to backup your data to on your Android phone.
Many diligent users won’t skimp when it comes to backing up their desktop machine, but how many can say the same about their phones? Keeping a backup for your Android phone can feel like an unnecessary chore — until disaster strikes. What if your device is stolen, you install a bad ROM or you drop your phone in a puddle? Having a backup on hand just makes good sense.
While Google automatically backs up your contacts, Gmail and calendars, you can also do a lot to save your apps, as well as app data, documents and media files. Here are some of the best Android backup apps to help keep your app data, contacts list, photos, and media safe.
1.DropBox (Free)
If your primary concern centres around documents, photos, and media files rather than a backup of your contacts, SMS, and other phone details, then you may already be well served by cloud storage services like Dropbox. The cloud storage pioneer offers cloud-based, multi-device-synced storage for everything from documents to photos and other important files, with automatic backups and 2GB of online storage (expandable through promotions or premium plans). Premium subscribers get extra perks, such as more storage, file versioning features, and encryption. You won’t be backing up things like app installers or app data, but Dropbox is a great solution for simple cloud backups of your documents.
2.Resilio sync (Free)
Of course, if you don’t trust online cloud storage providers, well you can instead build your own. Resilio Sync builds off of BitTorrent protocols to help you sync files stored between your phone and your PC, Mac, and other network-attached storage devices. You can sync entire folders or individual files, and configure the app to automatically back up photos to and from your phone and PC.
3.Contacts+ (free)
If you’re looking to reduce the hassle of restoring your contacts when switching phones, you can try out contact managers like the excellent Contacts+. This address book replacement helps organize your contacts and integrates with your social media accounts and communications. Contacts+ uses a cloud-based system that can sync with Gmail, Outlook and iCloud, so the app automatically pulls data from your connected accounts. From there, Contacts+ recommends removing duplicates, potential updates, and ways to enrich contacts with photos, company info and social media activity. The app’s free tier allows for one linked account and 1,000 contacts, while premium tiers include more linked accounts, improved contacts syncing and business card scanning.
4.SMS Backup & Restore (Free)
If you’re mainly concerned about SMS messages and call logs, check out SMS Backup & Restore, which saves your messages and call logs in XML format which can be backed up locally or in the cloud. Users can schedule automatic backups, selectively backup and restore specific conversations, and transfer SMS and call logs to another phone by email or Wi-Fi. While the app is nowhere near as comprehensive as other backup options, it’s a simple and easy way to keep an extra copy of your SMS and call logs.
5.My Backup Pro (KSh 400)
My Backup is a reliable app backup and management tool for Android devices. My Backup provides app backup functions, with automated scheduling, cloud backups and more. While My Backup works well on non-rooted phones, the true potential of the app is unlocked when you run it on a rooted phone, allowing it to back up not just apps, but also app data and settings such as saved games, market links and more. A free 30-day trial version lets you demo the app.
6.App Backup & Restore (Free)
App Backup & Restore allows users to backup apps and links for protected apps to your SD card. It can also send apps between devices through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Batch backups and batch restoration make it a snap to use. It even works without root. The downside? Because it doesn’t work with superuser permissions, App Backup & Restore will only backup your .apk files, without your application data. Still, if all you need is a quick way to backup apps and restore them to a device after a factory reset, it does the job well.
7.Migrate (Free)
Migrate is a backup app designed to help rooted users migrating between rooted ROMs and devices. Migrate will automatically back up your apps and phone settings and data such as contacts, call logs, and others, with a little help from TWRP. Once you’ve backed up your device, you can then flash your new ROM, and then flash the backup zip files and root with Magisk — Migrate will inject a helper app into your system which will help the migration process of restoring your old apps and settings on your new ROM or device. That said, Migrate is still in open beta and requires root access, which needs at least some technical know-how and is not to be attempted lightly. Android users who aren’t as familiar with tinkering around the back end of the system should look elsewhere.
