A backup keeps your photos, contacts, messages, apps and settings safe in case your Android phone is lost, damaged or reset. The simplest way to do it is Google's built-in backup service, which is available on every Android phone out there. Apart from that, brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Vivo and Oppo have their own cloud and local backup tools. So, in this guide, I have explained how to back up an Android phone using Google backup, brand-specific backup services and local PC backups along with the best method for each major Android brand. On that note, let's begin.
What Does Android Backup Save?
Before we learn how to back up an Android phone, here is what Google backup saves from your device.
- Apps and app data: All your installed apps along with their app data where supported.
- Contacts: Synced directly to your Google account, so they show up on any phone.
- SMS and MMS messages: Your entire text message history.
- Call history: A complete log of incoming, outgoing and missed calls.
- Wi-Fi passwords: Saved networks and their passwords, so you don't have to enter them again on a new phone.
- Device settings: Display preferences, language, accessibility options, date and time settings and more.
- Wallpapers: Your home screen and lock screen wallpapers are restored on the new device.
Note that photos and videos are handled separately by Google Photos and everything counts against your shared Google account storage.
Important Things to Know Before You Back Up Your Android Phone
There are a few things you should keep in mind before you back up your Android phone, especially if you just reset your Android phone.
- Connect to Wi-Fi: Backups can be pretty large in size, so Google only syncs them over Wi-Fi by default. This also saves your mobile data.
- Plug in the charger: Android runs automatic backups only when the phone is idle and charging. The first backup can take up to 24 hours, so keep the phone plugged in.
- Sign in to your Google account: The backup is tied to your Google account, so make sure you are signed in and remember the credentials. You will need the same Google account to restore the backup later.
- Check your Google storage: You get 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos. If your backup is larger, you need to subscribe to Google One, which starts at Rs 130 per month for 100GB.
- Enable a screen lock: Google uses your PIN, pattern or password to end-to-end encrypt your sensitive backup data, so set up a screen lock before backing up.
How to Back Up an Android Phone Using Built-in Google Backup
No matter which Android phone you own, this method will let you back up all your data. Google backup is baked into Android itself and it saves your photos, videos, apps and app data, SMS/MMS messages, call history, contacts and device settings to your Google account. This is the easiest way to back up your Android phone to Google before a factory reset or phone switch.
By the way, photos and videos are handled by Google Photos. Apart from that, backups count against your Google account storage and you get 15GB for free shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
- Open the Settings app on your Android phone, scroll down and tap on Accounts & backup.
- Next, move to Google backup > Back up now.
- Alternatively, you can open the Settings app and move to Google > All services > Backup.
And that's it. Once set up, Android automatically backs up your data when the phone is idle, connected to Wi-Fi and charging.
In addition, if you own a Motorola or Nothing phone, this is the only method you need, as both brands ship near-stock Android and rely on Google's backup system. And if you are moving to iOS instead, follow our separate guide on how to transfer data from Android to iPhone.
Back Up Samsung Phones
Apart from Google backup, Samsung phones support Samsung Cloud for wireless backups and Smart Switch for full local backups to a PC or Mac. Samsung Cloud backs up things that Google doesn't include like your home screen layout, alarms, call logs and Samsung Notes. Here is how to back up your Galaxy phone to Samsung Cloud.
- Open Settings and tap on Accounts and backup.
- Under the Samsung Cloud section, tap on Back up data.
- Select the data you want to back up including apps, settings, messages, call logs, home screen, etc.
- Now, tap on Back up now and wait for the process to complete.
To automate this, tap on Samsung Cloud > More options (three-dot menu) > Settings > Sync and auto backup settings and enable Auto back up.
In case, you want a complete offline backup before you factory reset your Samsung phone, use Smart Switch instead. Download the Smart Switch app on your Windows PC or Mac, connect your Samsung phone via USB and click on Backup. It creates a full backup of your phone including apps, media, messages and settings without any cloud storage limits.
Back Up OnePlus, Oppo and Realme Phones
Since OxygenOS, ColorOS and Realme UI all share the same underlying codebase, the backup steps on OnePlus, Oppo and Realme phones are identical. All three brands use the Clone Phone app (earlier known as OnePlus Switch) for transferring data while switching phones. And there is a built-in local backup option too.
- Open Settings and go to System & Updates.
- Next, tap on Back up and reset.
- After that, tap on Back up & migrate and select Local backup.
- Tap on New backup, select the data you want to save and hit the Start button.
- The backup file is saved in your internal storage. You can now move it to your PC.
Back Up Vivo and iQOO Phones
Vivo and iQOO phones come with vivoCloud, which offers 5GB of free storage and can back up your contacts, messages, notes and bookmarks. Do note that vivoCloud doesn't sync photos and videos, so you will need Google Photos for your media library. Follow the steps below to back up your Vivo phone:
- Open the vivoCloud app on your phone and sign in with your Vivo account.
- Now, enable the data you want to back up and tap on Enable. You are done.
For everything else, go to Settings > Accounts & sync and select your Google account. Now, tap on Sync now. Finally, open Google Photos and enable Back up and sync from Settings to save your photos and videos.
Back Up Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco Phones
Xiaomi phones running HyperOS have two native options, which are Xiaomi Cloud and a local device backup. Xiaomi Cloud gives you 5GB of free storage and can sync contacts, messages, notes and call logs across your devices. To back up your Android phone to Xiaomi Cloud, follow the steps below.
- Open Settings and tap on Xiaomi Account.
- Next, tap on Xiaomi Cloud.
- After that, enable Sync and tap on Continue.
- Now, the backup process will start right away.
Apart from that, HyperOS includes a powerful local backup tool, which I recommend before a factory reset. You can go to Settings > About phone > Backup and restore > Mobile device. On some models, it's under Settings > Additional settings > Backup & restore > Local backups.
Now, enter your PIN and select what to back up. The backup file is saved in the AllBackup folder in internal storage, so make sure you copy it to a PC before resetting your phone.
How to Back Up an Android Phone to a PC
If you want to back up your Android phone locally without using cloud storage, a PC backup is the way to go. It's free and there are no storage limits and your data stays with you.
On a Windows PC, connect your Android phone via a USB cable and select File transfer from the notification that appears on your phone. Now, open This PC on your Windows computer and your phone will show up as a drive.
From here, copy the DCIM folder (photos and videos), Download, Documents, Music and any brand-specific backup folders like AllBackup (Xiaomi) or the Clone Phone backup folder (OnePlus, Oppo and Realme) to your PC.
On a Mac, things are slightly different since Google discontinued the Android File Transfer app. Instead, you can use free alternatives like OpenMTP or MacDroid to move files from Android phone to Mac. Simply connect your phone via USB, select File transfer on your phone and drag the folders you want to your Mac.
And if you own a Samsung phone, skip the manual method altogether and use the Smart Switch app (Download) on your Windows PC or Mac. It creates a complete one-click backup of your Galaxy phone including apps, messages, settings and media and it can restore everything seamlessly.
How to Back Up Photos and Videos on Android Phones
For most users, photos and videos are the most precious data on the phone, so here is how to back up Android photos using multiple services.
- Google Photos: Google Photos is the default and best option. Open the Google Photos app, tap on your profile picture and go to Photos settings > Backup and enable it. You can choose between Storage saver (compressed, it saves space) and Original quality. Also, tap on Back up device folders to include WhatsApp images, screenshots and other folders if you want them. You get 15GB of storage which is shared with your Google account.
- OneDrive: If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you already get 1TB of OneDrive storage. Free users get 5GB of storage. Open the OneDrive app, go to the Photos tab and enable Camera upload.
- Dropbox: Open the Dropbox app and enable Camera uploads from Settings. The free plan only offers 2GB though, so it can be used as a secondary backup.
- Local storage: Connect your phone to a PC and copy the DCIM folder manually. I recommend doing this before a factory reset even if you use cloud backups as it gives you images and videos in full-resolution.
How to Restore an Old Android Backup
Here is how to restore an old Android backup when you set up a new phone or reset your current one.
- Google Restore: When you set up a new Android phone or restore after a factory reset, sign in with the same Google account during setup. Android will offer to restore your apps, contacts, messages, call history and settings from the latest backup automatically. Note that you can't restore a backup to a phone running an older Android version than the one that created it.
- Samsung: Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Restore data under Samsung Cloud, select your backup and tap on Restore. For Smart Switch backups, connect your phone to the PC or Mac, open Smart Switch and click on Restore.
- Xiaomi local backup: Copy the AllBackup folder back to your phone's internal storage. Now, go to Settings > About phone > Backup and restore > Mobile device and the backup will show up for restoring. On some models, the path is Settings > Additional settings > Backup & restore.
- OnePlus, Oppo and Realme local backup: If you moved the backup file to your PC, copy it back to the same folder in your phone's internal storage first. After that, go to Settings > System & Updates > Back up and reset > Back up & migrate > Local backup. Your saved backup will appear here with its date and size. Simply tap on it and hit the Restore button.
How to Check Whether Your Backup Worked
Once you know how to back up an Android phone, you should always verify the backup before wiping your. There are three easy ways to check whether your Android backup worked.
- From Settings: Go to Settings > Google > All services > Backup. Here, you can see the last backup time along with a breakdown of what was backed up including apps, photos, SMS, call history and device settings.
- From Google Dashboard: Head to myaccount.google.com/dashboard/android and you will find your Android device backup listed here with its size and timestamp.
- From Google One: If you use the Google One app, open it and move to the Storage tab. It shows your device backup along with how much space it's taking up and the backup history.
If the last backup time is recent and photos show "Backup complete" in Google Photos, you are good to go.
Why Is Android Backup Not Working?
If your Android backup is stuck or not working, one of these may be the culprit.
- Not enough Google storage: If your 15GB free storage is full, Android backup won't work. You can free up space or upgrade to Google One.
- No Wi-Fi connection: Backups run over Wi-Fi by default. Either connect to Wi-Fi or enable backup over mobile data from the Backup settings page.
- Phone is not idle or charging: Automatic backups only run when the phone is charging and idle. Plug it in, leave the screen off and give it time. Alternatively, tap on Back up now to force start the backup process.
- Outdated Google Play Services: Backup is handled by Google Play Services, so update it from the Play Store if backups keep failing.
- Account sync is off: Go to Settings > Accounts, select your Google account and make sure sync is enabled.
- Screen lock is missing: Some backup data requires a screen lock for encryption, so set up a PIN or pattern on your Android phone.
If nothing works, remove your Google account from the phone, add it back and run the backup again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does Android automatically back up?
Yes. Once you enable Google backup, Android automatically backs up your data when the phone is idle, charging and connected to Wi-Fi. You don't need to trigger it manually. That said, you still need to know how to back up an Android phone manually, since automatic backups don't always run right before a factory reset.
Q. Can I back up my phone without Google?
Yes, you can. Brands like Samsung (Samsung Cloud and Smart Switch), Xiaomi (Xiaomi Cloud and local backup), Vivo (vivoCloud) and OnePlus/Oppo/Realme (local backup or Clone Phone) offer their own backup tools. You can also back up your Android phone locally to a PC over USB without any account at all.
Q. How do I back up my Android phone before a factory reset?
Go to Settings > Google > All services > Backup and tap on Back up now. Also, verify the last backup time before you proceed. For extra safety, I recommend creating a local backup on your PC as well, especially your DCIM folder which stores your photos and videos.
Q. Does Google Photos back up everything?
No. Google Photos only backs up photos and videos, and by default, only from your camera folder. You have to manually enable other device folders like WhatsApp Images and Screenshots from Photos settings > Backup > Back up device folders. Your apps, messages, contacts and settings are handled by Google backup, not Google Photos.
So that's how you back up your Android phone, no matter which brand you own. My advice would be to turn on Google backup and let it create a backup right before any factory reset or phone switch. In case, you want to back up WhatsApp chats on your Android phone, follow our detailed guide. Finally, if you have already lost photos without any backup, our list of the best photo recovery apps for Android might come in handy.
