If you need to do a factory reset on your phone, you'll probably want to back up your phone's data. But even if you aren't having trouble with your device, it's a good idea to back it up regularly. For many of us, our smartphones are essential to getting through the day and it's worth taking the time to back up what's important to you.
Android Sync
If you're using an Android phone, and you have Sync on, then your Google contacts, Calendars and Wi-Fi network passwords are automatically backed up. Note, contacts saved locally on your phone that are not in your Google contacts will not be backed up by syncing.
The following are not backed up by syncing your phone:
· Text messages (SMS or MMS)
· Playlists
· Alarms
· Applications
· Application data such as saved games
Backing up Contacts to the SD Card
If you have a phone that uses an SD card and you'd like to back up your contacts to it, follow the steps below:
1. Tap Contacts
2. Tap Menu key
3. Select Import/Export
4. Select Export to SD card
When you want to put these contacts back onto your phone, just choose "Import from SD card" in step 4.
Backing up an Android Phone using the on-board back up
Many Android phones have a Backup and Restore option right in the reset menu. Using this, you can set an account to back up your app data, Wi-Fi passwords and other settings. This generally doesn't cover photos and music and those will need to be backed up to a computer or SD card. To use the phone's back up feature:
1. Settings > Backup and reset
2. Enable both "Back up my data" and "Automatic Restore" and set a "Backup Account"
3. When both of these are enabled, your app data, Wi-Fi passwords and other phone settings are backed up to Google's servers; this also restores your app settings when you reinstall your apps.
**Note: on some devices the option for Automatic Restore will not appear until you have set up a Backup Account
Backing up an Android Phone with an App
Somes Android phones give you more control with a native Back Up app. You can choose between Manual and Auto backup and configure it so that regular back ups are stored in your phone or on the SD card. If you do choose to back up to your phone, you'll need to move those files off your phone regularly. If your phone doesn't have a native Back Up app, there are several apps available that you can use to back up your device as well. Here are some popular ones:
These apps will give you a greater level of control over what you back up and when.
Backing up Windows OS7 / OS8 Phones
Windows phones generally come with a native abillity to back up text messages, photos and apps along with their settings. To use this back up option:
1. Settings -> Backup
2. Tap on the item you want to back up and enable back up
3. You'll be prompted to set up a Microsoft account if you don't have one already
4. Once you have an account set up, you can tap "Back up now" for an immediate back up
5. You can also tap on "Advanced" to configure things like deleting back ups and cloud settings
**Note: contacts are backed up by virtue of whatever e-mail account you are using and will be restored to your phone when you set that same e-mail address on your phone again.
For a Windows OS8 phone, you can also use apps like the ones below, rather than the on-board storage option:
MyOnline Storage
PhoneCopy
Backing up a feature phone
Most feature phones do not have a lot of back up capability. You can usually back up photos and contacts and there are generally two ways to do this:
· Bluetooth transfer
· direct file transfer to your computer using USB connection
If you choose to do a file transfer to your computer by USB connection, as soon as you connect your phone, your computer should immediately detect contacts and picture files and then you can simply copy and paste those files.
For many phones, Bluetooth transfer will only work with transferring contacts and here's how you do that:
1. Enable Bluetooth on your phone and the receiving device
2. On the phone you're backing up, go to Contacts
3. Select Options
4. Select Send Contact
5. Select contacts (Menu/OK key)
6. Select Send Contacts
7. Your phone will look for Bluetooth-enabled devices in range and list them; select the device you'd like to transfer to and then select "Yes" to sending contacts
Some feature phones will allow you to send pictures by Bluetooth transfer as well, but not all. If this is an option, you can do so by going through the steps above but from the Photos settings instead.
Backing up an iOS Device
If you've got an iPhone or iPad, check out this article for information on backing up (as well as resetting) an iOS device.
iCloud is an online backup option that gives you 5GB of free storage. If there are multiple phones associated with your iCloud account, they *share* that 5GB, so if you have more than one iPhone you may want to have an iCloud account for each phone. You can also pay for more storage.
An iCloud backup includes:
· Purchases of music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books (if it wasn't purchased, it won't be backed up here)
· Your Camera Roll
· Device settings
· App data
· Home screen organization
· iMessages, SMS, and MMS messages
· Visual Voicemail
This also includes contacts, calendars, and browser information like bookmarks.
What's Backed Up
The online interface for iCloud will look the same using iOS6 or iOS7 and only shows a subset of what you have backed up. To see all of what's backed up, you'll need to check the iCloud settings in your phone:
Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Manage Storage >This iPhone (or the name of your iPhone)
Here, information on the most recent back up is displayed along with the date, time and size of the most recent back up, how much storage each app is using and how much storage space is still available.
Backup to iCloud
By enabling iCloud backup on the iPhone, your phone will be automatically backed up daily when:
· the phone has a Wi-Fi connection
· the phone is connected to a power source
· the phone's screen is locked
You can also backup manually:
Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Back up Now
When iCloud backup is enabled, iTunes backup is automatically disabled.
Backup to iTunes
iPhones can also be backed up to iTunes by doing the following:
1. Sync the phone with iTunes over Wi-Fi*
2. Click on the device in the top right hand corner of iTunes and then select iTunes back up
*For Wi-Fi syncing to work, this feature must be enabled first:
1. Connect (or tether) the phone to the computer using the cable
2. In iTunes, click on the phone on the top right hand corner
3. Choose to automatically back up to this computer
4. In "Options" click "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi"
5. Click "Apply" on bottom right
6. Sync the phone
7. Do not eject the phone, but unplug it from the computer
8. Plug the phone into a power source
If the phone is not recognized by iTunes, restart both the phone and iTunes. Upon restart iTunes should recognize the phone over a Wi-Fi connection
To run a manual backup using iTunes:
1. Connect the phone to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed
2. In iTunes, click on the iPhone, and under Manually Back Up and Restore click Back Up Now
To check the most recent backup, open iTunes, while the phone is synced and you'll be able to see it in the iPhone summary.
