What is the procedure for restoring backed up data from google account, besides doing it at startup?

[Jorge Drumond Silva]

I've got phone data backed up into two different google accounts.

On my new phone, I'd like to restore either - or preferably both - of those back ups, AFTER having started the phone.

I can see that if I do a full system reset + restart, AND if I login to a wifi network AND if I login to one of those google accounts right at the startup sequence after the full reset, then towards the end of that startup sequence I'm offered the possibility to restore the backed up data from the account into which I've just logged in (language settings, wifi passwords, date and time options, etc.), as well as a check box list for choosing which apps to install on the new phone, from the backed up list of the installed ones on the previous phone. It all works reasonably well, except that none of the apps settings was restored (even though I had the "automatically restore app settings" option turned on and I know that not every app uses this possibility... but my experience was closer to actually being that NO app uses it).

However, my problem is that, if I skip either the initial wifi login, or the google account login, so that the phone starts normally but with no connection to a google account at the beginning and only later, after the system is already running, do I add such an account, then I cannot get any restoring to happen.

I've tried two possibilities: either adding a new google account, from the accounts menu in the settings, or by turning on the "back up my data" option from the "back up and reset" menu, which also leads to the connection of a google account for that back up (although it seems to me that the system uses that account just to back up the data from the new phone, but not to restore the data from the old phone already stored in it). In both cases, nothing happened: no restoring occurred (I've waited several hours to see if eventually something would happen...), no options or backed up list of apps for download in the new phone showed up.

Given that I have two google accounts that I want to connect to my new phone, even if I restore one of them at the startup sequence, after a full system reset, I'd like to restore some apps and data from the second google account, once I add it later, after the system is already running. And, although the google help page on restoring backed up data

https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/2819582?hl=en

says simply

"Restore your data and settings using Android Backup Service

When you add your Google account to a device, the data that you previously backed up for that Google account is restored to the device."

I don't seem to be able at all to restore anything, if I add a google account after the system is already up and running. Restoring data from a google account seems to be an option just at the setup sequence, after a full system reset, and I can't find a way to make it happen (let alone control it) otherwise.

Is there any way of achieving this? Of restoring backed up data from a google account after the system is running, just by adding a google account? And what about the apps' settings (e.g. games' progress or apps' personal configurations) some of which should be backed up and restored through the "Automatically restore app settings" option? Has anyone ever found an app where this option actually works?

Thanks

 

[anon(632115)]

This may seem crazy and make your phone blow up but here goes. Intall account 1 from cloud, back up to pc. Do the same for account 2 so you have 2 sets of backups which need to be readable so you can see folders and files and then combine the files you want into their appropriate folders and restore back to the phone! Told you i was crazy!

 

[Jorge Drumond Silva]

This may seem crazy and make your phone blow up but here goes. Intall account 1 from cloud, back up to pc. Do the same for account 2 so you have 2 sets of backups which need to be readable so you can see folders and files and then combine the files you want into their appropriate folders and restore back to the phone! Told you i was crazy!

Hi Pugs. Thanks for the reply, but that doesn't answer my question.

If backing up the phone to the PC were the option of choice, I wouldn't even use the google account backup to the cloud in the first place. Of course, if I back up any phone to the PC I can do whatever I want, however I want, with those PC back ups.

My question has to do specifically, and precisely, with figuring out a way to control the back up and restoring process of data from the google account. One doesn't even need to go as far as Apple's detailed backup and restore control, for the iPhone or iPad: even the Samsung account back up and restore works transparently. What should be the core back up process for the android, i.e. google's, just seems to be some sort of black box with no obvious way to understand how it works.

J.

 

[anon(632115)]

I can't help any further, sorry. Was just suggesting a workaround