You back up your figurer , or at least know that you should . But what about your smartphones ? They have a bun in the oven monolithic sum of personal data point , and are subjected to life - or - death situations on a everyday basis . Here ’s how to back them up :
You do n’t have to employ a smartphone for more than a few weeks to amass a staggering amount of hooey on it , from text substance and phone numbers to personal options and photo library . And as with your laptop or background , a substantial portion of this poppycock is stuff you want to keep , whether you know it or not . And cellphone backing is n’t just a matter of restrain copies of data that you consciously file away every daytime , like contact , photos and eminence — it ’s about keeping transcript of information that you did n’t even know you wanted . How many times have you needed to dig through an old text message conversation ? Referred back to your receive call list to convalesce a number you did n’t relieve ? In a destiny of way of life , your smartphone is more closely tied to your personal identity than your data processor is . So , people : back it up . You ’ll feel better .
By platform :
iPhone
If you ’ve got an iPhone , there ’s a good chance you ’ve already sat through — and been nark by — its backup subprogram . iTunes updates your iPhone ’s backups at every sync , which make user ’ live a bit easier , and guarantee some kind of safetly net by default option . But ! As with most fully automated organisation , iTunes fill-in is kind of enigmatical . It just sort of … pass off , and it ’s not readable what you ’re saving , where it ’s going , and how to keep it sincerely secure .
What it ’s doing is do a full backup equivalent weight . In other word , instead of just mirror your entire equipment as a boastful range file cabinet , it ’s extracting all the useful chip , so it can restore your iPhone as if it had undergone a full , mirrored backup . This includes , among other things , bookmark , app options and data ( including in - app leverage , but not the apps themselves ) , contacts , call history , chain mail accounts , SMSes , videos and photos . In other words , pretty much everything . patronage are performed automatically , and restoring to one is a childlike matter of plug in your iPhone , alt - clicking on its icon in iTunes , and selecting “ Restore from Backup . ”
Crucially , this is different from selecting “ Restore ” in the machine summary pageboy : doing that will revert your machine to a clean , factory - default persona , which will delete all your personal data . Which is n’t what we ’re trying to do here ! ( In fact , it ’s the contrary ! ) If you attempt to do this , you will be prompted to perform a reliever , which should be a cherry flag .
iTunes salt away its backups as archive file in semi - cryptic directories , so if you want to pull them out of the close iTunes scheme for right relief , i.e. to an external HDD or online storage solution , you canfind them here , as per Apple ’s utilitarian support pageboy on the discipline :
On a Mac : ~/Library / app Support / MobileSync / Backup/
On Windows XP : Documents and configurations(username)software DataApple ComputerMobileSyncBackup
On Windows Vista : Users(username)AppDataRoamingApple ComputerMobileSyncBackup
To add a backup to iTunes , simply copy it back to its default directory , and it should show up as a restore pick , labeled by particular date , when you ’re setting up a wiped or recently capital “ radius ” Restored iPhone or iPod Touch .
Android
Google ’s position Android backup and sync has been translucent , perhaps to a fault : Since it depends so much on web service of process , it does n’t take to be backed up , right ! It ’s already backed up , in the swarm ! We ’re freakin ’ Google , y’ all ! THIS IS THE FUTURE ! ( post to its logical conclusion , this is theChrome OSethos . Anyway . ) To a sure extend this cloud - focused cheerleading is fine , and can be put to good use . Gmail and Gcal are always good , and your contact can be total to your Google account too — should you designate them to be saved as Google contact , not just SIM or telephone contacts . To do this :
1 . Open your Contacts lean
2 . Press the Menu clit
3 . Select Import
4 . Tick the “ Google Contacts ” box
But for anyone who wants to back up more than their Google - inspection and repair - ground info , this does n’t really help . For that , you ’ll need to go third - company . There are circumstances of backup apps for Android , but most of them are paid , either right away or after a free trial . I don just go with the best free(ish ) solutions , all of which you’re able to find by search for their name in the Android Market .
Backup apps on Android are split into two types : the all - in - one apps that sync your information to a undivided data file , and the piecemeal apps . Unfortunately , the AIO apps incline to be paid ; doing this for free have multiple downloads . Download these three apps : SMS Backup and Restore , Call Logs Backup & Restore , and APN Backup & Restore . Each one back up its various datum to your microSD card ( in /sdcard/appnameBackupRestore/ ) for easy return on another phone . Using these apps is ego - explanatory , since there are only three buttons : Backup , Restore and Delete .
Astro File Manager fills a remaining gap : app backup . It ’s a free data file web browser at heart , so the backup choice is kind of hidden — once in the app , press the bill of fare button , then click “ Tools . ” Select “ program Manager / Backup , ” and you ’ll be able to backup your apps to your SD card . To restore , just set up this same app on the machine , enclose the erstwhile SD card , navigate to the same “ software Manager / Backup screenland ” again , and choose the “ Backed Up Apps ” yellow journalism . Astro is also a solid file web browser , you may can manually move your data — like photograph and television — to a microSD batting order , where you should in all likelihood be storing them by default anyway . [ Picvia ]
There ! Sprite Mechanic does the same in a slightly simple way , but I ’m pick up report that it ’s a turn kookie on certain handsets ( the Hero strain and Droid , specifically ) . Still , it ’s complimentary , so it may be deserving a try .
Lastly , if you ’ve got a frozen phone , Backup for Root Users backs up virtually everything , and it ’s entirely liberal . That stop ? You demand to have a rooted phone , or else it wo n’t work . Which is either a crying shame , or a capital excuse toroot your phone .
https://gizmodo.com/android-hacking-for-the-masses-5341915
Palm Pre/Pixi
Where Android ’s cloud - ground not - really - a - computer backup arrangement does n’t feel remotely accomplished , the Pre ’s is really pretty unspoilt : Backup is performed mechanically , every solar day , and linked to your substance abuser story . This just covers the rudiments , though . For example , a list of apps is go on host - side , but the app data point itself is n’t backed up ; web web browser bookmarker are call up , but no form data or website parole . Media is n’t backed up at all . Here ’s thefull tilt . The solution is a bit hackish , but it exploit fine for most information . FromPreCentral , a brief guide on backing up using either Microsoft’Sync Toyfor PC , or with slight , obvious modifications , ChronoSyncfor Mac :
1 . quid in the Pre and take USB Drive .
2 . Download SyncToy and install .
3 . Click SyncToy on your background to melt SyncToy for the first time .
4 . Click Create New Folder Pair . For the Left Folder , Browse to the Pre ’s Drive ( maybe east : or F :)
5 . For the right folder browse to your documents folder and create a new subdirectory such as PreBackup and select it .
6 . Choose to sync and name your folder partner off something easy to remember like PreBackup .
7 . Click Run .
What you ’re doing here is basically backing up the Pre ’s internal storage , flake for mo . Unfortunately , this does n’t back up stage setting and some app data , so restoring from this image wo n’t guarantee that you do n’t lose some data ; just metier , ringtones , etc .
Between this , Palm ’s accompaniment and the natural backup constitutional in being tied to on-line services like Gmail and Flickr , the only notable thing not really support up right are specific covering datum and samarium conversation .
Windows Mobile
Microsoft has always offered some variety of support out of the box , and as of the release of version 6.5 , there are multiple options . The core backup utility , of course , is Windows Mobile machine Center , or as it ’s known in XP , ActiveSync . partner off your gadget with these apps is quite simple , and give shelter to most of the information you could need to back up , including tangency , calendar date and media .
In XP , download and installActiveSync , and when you secure in your telephone , begin the ActiveSync app , which you should be prompted to give anyway . place up a pairing relationship , select the data point you require to backup , and you ’re good to go .
In Vista , you ’ll need to downloadWindows Mobile equipment Centerand do the same ; in Windows 7 , you should be instigate to install Windows Mobile equipment Center as shortly as you stop up in a WinMo handset .
Now , permit ’s assume you ’re not using a Windows PC , or you do n’t want to get at with setting up a sync relationship with a computer . You ’ve have two free options , which together back up even more data than ActiveSync , without and outside motorcar .
My Phone , another Microsoft app , is usable for gratis to any Windows Mobile 6.0 , 6.1 or 6.5 user . It ’s a misleadingly introductory - seeming little app , which backs up well-nigh everything you salt away on your phone :
[ By default ] : contacts , calendar appointments , tasks , photos , videos , text messages , songs , web internet browser favorites and documents between your sound and your My Phone entanglement write up .
Restoring from MyPhone is just a thing of logging into your Live account from within the app . You get 200 MB of free storage , after which you ’ve got to devote . Still : pretty fantastic , especially if you set it up to do schedule backups .
If you want to back up your telephone ’s datum without a PC or a cloud - base service of process , there’sPIM Backup . This public utility feels and looks kind of ancient , but it ’s great at what it does . And what does it do ? Everything :
– backup / restore appointments
– backup / restore call logs
– backup / restore contacts
– backup / restore messages ( SMS , Mails , … ) NEW ! ! !
– backup / restore speed dials
– backup / restore tasks
– backup / restore custom files
right of all , it store your backup in a single file , which can be rejuvenate on any machine using the same app . The operation is dead - tardily : Download the PIM CAB data file to your twist , install it , open it , check the data you want to back up off the leaning , and go . To restore , you go through the exact same user interface , select “ Restore ” from the app ’s pulldown carte du jour alternatively of “ Back Up . ” In the intent of safe , you may want to back up PIM ’s backup files on some sort of international depot . PIM lets you designate where you ’d like to salt away its backups : choose your microSD notice if you have one , after which you could transfer it to any medium your privation . If not , you may want to transfer your accompaniment to a personal computer or external storage twist . ( unluckily , the easiest way to do this is probably with ActiveSync or Mobile equipment Center , since most WinMo speech sound do n’t allow you to browse the stem storage in Explorer . )
BlackBerry
RIM has made life easy for BlackBerry substance abuser , who can back up their entire equipment usingBlackBerry Desktop .
First , set up the app .
Under “ Backup , ” select “ Options , ” where you’re able to specify encoding and data case parameters ( cypher the information for guard if you want , but verify to select “ Back up all equipment covering datum . ”
get through “ Back Up , ” and select the destination directory for your substitute . It ’s a single file , so it ’s soft to throw on an external HDD , USB pin or microSD card for safe storage .
That ’s it ! Further program line , including a detailed restore guide , areavailable here . [ Picvia ]
Symbian
depend on which brand of handset and Symbian shell you ’re using , your backup options are go to disagree . TheOvi Suitewill do the legerdemain . It ’s a full , automatise backup suite , but it ’s PC - only and works exclusively with Nokia phones . Using it is as unproblematic as set up a sync relationship — just set up the suite and punch the Nokia telephone in via USB , and follow the wizard prompts — and it ’ll keep middleman , calendar item and medium backed up . [ Picvia ]
Non - Nokia Symbian users — Samsung folks , listen up — can utilize a free app calledThe Symbian Tool . This will actually pull up a full image copy from your Symbian phone , meaning that you could restore your phone morsel - for - bit to the state it was in at the time of backup . There are also less hard options for canonical media backup , or selective sync . More detailshere .
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