How to Back Up Your Android Phone And Save All The Data

How to Back Up Your Android Phone And Save All The Data - Your phone is the guardian of your digital life. It contains videos of your baby's first words, touching messages from your partner who always cheers you up, and the latest saves of your favorite mobile games.

How to Back Up Your Android

You invested the time to get what you wanted and have  irreplaceable memories on board. Spending a few minutes backing up is a small price to pay to ensure you don't lose everything.

We'll show you how to back up your Android phone in multiple ways, so choose the one you like. We have separate guides on how to back up your iPhone and how to back up your computer.

Updated March 2024: We've tested all the steps, updated Samsung's backup steps, and added screenshots for illustration.


Backing Up to Google

The easiest and simplest  backup option is Google's cloud service,  built into Android.

  1. Go to Settings, Google and select Backup.
  2. You can see the available storage space for the Google account you're signed in to at the top.
  3. Below that, you'll probably see an option that says Backup to Google Drive with a toggle next to it (If you have Google One installed, it might say Backing up with Google One.) Make sure this feature is turned on.
  4. There is a Backup button right below. Click on it. Remember that the backup process can take several hours  if you have not backed up before. It's best to leave your phone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi overnight.
  5. The section at the bottom shows details about your backup. Tap  Photos & Videos and make sure backup is turned on. You can also do this in the  Google Photos app menu.
  6. At the bottom of the Backup Details section, you can tap Google Account Data (also accessible via Settings > Accounts > [Your Google Account] > Account Sync). This is where you can choose what you want to sync with your Google account. The list of toggles that appear here varies depending on the apps and services you use.


Manage Backups and Extra Storage

You can find your backups in the Google Drive app by tapping the menu at the top left and selecting Backups. It can be difficult to stay under 15GB of free Google Drive storage, so you might consider signing up for a plan with Google One.

You can get 100 GB for $2 per month or $20 per year, 200 GB for $3 per month or $30 per year, or 2 TB for $10 per month or $100 per year. Once you sign up, you'll see options for even more storage, from 5TB for $25 per month or $250 per year to 30 TB for $150 per month.

You can share this storage with up to six family members. The Google One app provides more information and control over your backups. You'll find this information in the Storage tab listed under Device Backups.

You might not want to pay extra for more space, so see how to back up files directly to your computer before using alternative backup services.


Backup to your Windows PC.

It's easy to back up files from  Android phone to Windows PC. Here's how:

  1. Plug your phone into a USB port on your desktop or laptop.
  2. Swipe the notification shade on your phone and look for an Android system notification  that says Charge this device via USB, tap for more options, and tap it.
  3. Look for the option that says File Transfer and select it.
  4. Now a window will appear on your PC or you can open Windows File Explorer and click on your phone listed in the left pane under This PC.
  5. You can explore folders, copy and paste any files you want to back up. However, this is not the most user-friendly layout. For example, your photos will probably be in a folder called DCIM, Camera.

If you want something like iTunes to handle this process, or an app to handle wireless backup from phone to PC,  you can find various premium options online, although We do not recommend any of those options.

If you're trying to send files from your Android phone to your PC, try using Microsoft's free Link to Windows app.


Back up to your Mac

Backing up files from  Android phone to Mac is also quite simple. Here's how:

  1. Install the official Android File Transfer app on your Mac.
  2. Plug your phone into a USB port on your Mac.
  3. The Android File Transfer window will open on your Mac, and you'll see a list of folders and files on your phone.
  4. Dig, copy, and paste all the files you want to back up. You may need to search to find the files you want. For example, your photos will be in a folder named DCIM, Camera.

There are  premium apps for MacOS that provide a more  iTunes-like experience, but  we can't guarantee anything.


Back up to your Chromebook

Here's how to back up files from your Android phone to a Chromebook:

  1. Plug your phone into the USB port on your Chromebook.
  2. Swipe down the notification shade and look for an Android system notification  that says Charge this device via USB, tap for more options, and tap it.
  3. Find the option that says File Transfer and select it.
  4. The Files app will open on your Chromebook and you can drag and drop any files you want to copy.


Backup to another cloud service.

Maybe you've run out of Google storage or want to use another cloud service. There are Android apps for Dropbox, Microsoft's OneDrive, MEGA, Box, and others. Most of them offer free cloud storage, but what you can save and how you do it will vary by app.

We've looked at how to back up mobile photos on some of them, and you can usually set this to automatic mode, although other files often need to be backed up manually.

If you want to automatically sync photos and other files across devices using one of these services, see the Auto-Sync app. There are specific versions for Dropbox, OneDrive, MEGA and Box.