Except for the bravest of souls, most electronics users view backing up their personal computers as an intelligent, prudent thing to do. It makes sense; there is a lot of valuable information contained within them. Unfortunately, all too many users fail to carry this same mentality over to their smartphones.
Backing up their smartphones seems like a time-consuming, unnecessary chore left only for the most enthusiastic technology lovers. It's not until they're staring down at the soaked, cracked or otherwise dismembered remains of their beloved mobile devices that they realize they should have backed up their data, because they've now lost the parts of their phones that they hold so dearly.
Backing up Android phones is a simple, easy way to protect that valuable data, make it accessible to multiple mobile devices and even make it easier to transfer to newer devices, should you choose to upgrade.
Here is a look at a few different methods to back up your phone quickly and easily.
Undoubtedly, most electronics users have heard of The Cloud. Also true is that few users actually know what it really is, so it is incredibly easy to take it for granted. As long as music or videos play, emails are delivered, and entertainment entertains when the correct button is tapped, no additional understanding is necessary.
Instead of being a floating, mysterious place of data storage, it is actually a massive physical infrastructure of computers housed in humongous warehouses situated in various locations all around the globe.
Making the choice to back up an Android device to The Cloud offers users numerous benefits. First, it is incredibly convenient. Adjusting a few settings is all that is needed; there is no need for wires, just an Internet connection, and users can be on their way.
Another benefit is that The Cloud gives users the ability to quickly access their data from a number of Internet-connected devices. A final benefit is that The Cloud can serve as a backup to a user's backup. Backing up to The Cloud in addition to backing up to an SD card or computer is a fantastic way to ensure that, no matter what happens, there will always be a fresh, up-to-date copy of their smartphones' content available for when disaster strikes.
To use The Cloud to perform an Android backup, take the following steps:
Related: Best Online Backup Services
Using a computer to perform an Android backup is another great way to provide a little extra insurance in case of disaster. Computer backups of Android devices offer some fantastic benefits. First, it's free. There's no need to pay for an app or pay for Cloud storage.
Also, it gives users the option to have a backup of their devices available, even if they lack a solid Internet connection. Finally, not all users are comfortable with having their information backed up in The Cloud, so a computer-based backup seems to be the more private option.
To perform an Android backup using a computer, take the following steps:
Occasionally, an automatic pop-up will not display. In this event, take the following steps
Please note that there may be a secondary DCIM folder located on the SD card. To find it, you will need to search through the applicable files. Once located, drag and drop the desired files to the preferred location on your computer.
Another useful method for protecting data is to back it up to the SD card right on the Android device. In addition to providing a redundant backup, another advantage of this method is that storing large payloads of pictures or other data can actually help to keep your device running smoothly.
To perform an SD card backup of your contacts, follow these steps:
You are now finished, and it is safe to unmount and remove the SD card.
To back up your videos and photos to the SD card, please take the following steps:
Once the process is complete, you can test this by removing the SD card, then looking in your videos and photos in your photo album or gallery. If you have opted to "Move" the files, with the SD card removed, you should no longer see them listed in the gallery.
The steps for creating backups, although fairly straightforward, are not always the best option for each user. The good news, however, is that there are a variety of apps available on the Google Play Store that can provide users with a unified solution for backing up important contact, videos and photos, as well as saving app data like precious game scores, settings and so on.
Here is a look at just a few of the many apps available.
Phone insurance is a great way to protect your financial investment, but it does nothing to save the really important parts of your phone, the data stored inside it. For that, you'll need to back up your phone, whether it's to the SD card, the Cloud or your computer.
