Backup/restore like iCloud

[iFortWorth]

The last couple of years I've had to restore a number of my "i" devices and icloud never let me down. I hate to say it, but it just worked.

With my new S4 I did select to have my device backup to Google but it got my wondering if that's enough.

Most of us here are power users to some degree so how do you all backup and restore your device in the event of having to replace said device?

Will google backup every thing much like apple does with icloud?

Thanks

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[friedtators]

Keep your stuff in Drive. Google keeps settings, apps installed etc. Gmail of course holds your mail in the cloud. Your covered it just works

 

[iFortWorth]

Keep your stuff in Drive. Google keeps settings, apps installed etc. Gmail of course holds your mail in the cloud. Your covered it just works

Thanks.

David

 

[fishepa]

How do you keep your stuff in drive? I thought it saved it somewhere else.

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[Bretski]

I use I Cloud all the time on my S4. I use smooth Sync for Cloud calendar and smooth Sync for Cloud Contacts. Sync directly with icloud on your Android phone.


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[iFortWorth]

How do you keep your stuff in drive? I thought it saved it somewhere else.

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Yeah I'm wondering that too now. I've checked my drive folder and don't see anything that resembles any sort of phone backup.

 

[Ry]

Keep your stuff in Drive. Google keeps settings, apps installed etc. Gmail of course holds your mail in the cloud. Your covered it just works

Good luck with app data.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[friedtators]

you should have known what i mean. its a list of apps and when you re-install it downloads them from the play store. it has on all mine.

Good luck with app data.

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[Ry]

you should have known what i mean. its a list of apps and when you re-install it downloads them from the play store. it has on all mine.

I know exactly what you mean.

I'm just warning the OP to not expect app data (example: game saves) to follow unless they're cloud-based, with separate logins (like the with Friends games).

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[friedtators]

put something in the folder. icloud or drive is where you keep your stuff on or off your phone. when you snap a pic put the thing in drive as you save it. that is the backup. coming from icloud you will have to build your data and it will be there through all your phones. drive has a nice widget on your phone. google services keeps your calendar and gmail, google keep ETC. google+ has an automatic picture upload. if you are not into the social thing just turn off all its stuff and use it to automatically catch and store the photos.

when they sell these phones there should be a short class to help with understanding how this cloud thing works and what works best.

to get started you may want to connect your phone to your computer and collect everything and put it in drive. and then save everything to drive as you create it. your stuff will be safe. i have 20 gigs of stuff. i have been doing this long time. i have never lost anything. not one single document or picture. small effort huge reward

Good luck with app data.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

Yeah I'm wondering that too now. I've checked my drive folder and don't see anything that resembles any sort of phone backup.

 

[friedtators]

google keeps a list of your instlled apps and when you sign in with a new phone it installs your apps to the new phone. it has on 4 of mine so far

Good luck with app data.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

I know exactly what you mean.

I'm just warning the OP to not expect app data (example: game saves) to follow unless they're cloud-based, with separate logins (like the with Friends games).

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[Ry]

put something in the folder. icloud or drive is where you keep your stuff on or off your phone. when you snap a pic put the thing in drive as you save it. that is the backup. coming from icloud you will have to build your data and it will be there through all your phones. drive has a nice widget on your phone. google services keeps your calendar and gmail, google keep ETC. google+ has an automatic picture upload. if you are not into the social thing just turn off all its stuff and use it to automatically catch and store the photos.

when they sell these phones there should be a short class to help with understanding how this cloud thing works and what works best.

to get started you may want to connect your phone to your computer and collect everything and put it in drive. and then save everything to drive as you create it. your stuff will be safe. i have 20 gigs of stuff. i have been doing this long time. i have never lost anything. not one single document or picture. small effort huge reward

Again. Good luck with app data. I really don't think you understand what I mean about that.

With iCloud, you essentially get an automatic clone. With Android, you don't.

Example: a game that isn't connected. Your game progressed might not be backed up by Google.

Sure. The Play Store will redownload those apps. But are those apps set up and ready to use immediately.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[friedtators]

well i live in the android world and i never try to help a apple guy with an apple product. so i admit i am clueless. i never try to explain something i can not use. i admit i did not know that. good to know. i thought i explained how it would work with the phone he has now and never said it was the same thing. it is obvious if the op thought of a backup as a clone he likely would expect the same thing on new phone. i can see from my posts it went haywire with the quotes i must have hit multi and not known it. sorry for that

 

[badbrad17]

I would suggest trying the Helium app. https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ils?id=com.koushikdutta.backup&token=hFzlhc_t It will back up all of your apps and app data. I believe there is an option to back it up to the cloud. I also use Dropbox to automatically back up my photos. All the rest is stored on Google.

If you are rooted you can also use Titanium backup.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[Aquila]

+1 to helium. Ry is correct, there is no automated non-root requiring option like what iOS has in the iCloud service for this. They can literally buy a new device, hook into iTunes and have it be more or less exactly the way their last one was. I haven't seen this in action on an upgrade, ie. iPhone 4 to iPhone 5, but on a replacement it's pretty impressive. That's one of the two iOS features I'd like to see come to Android in some form or another.

 

[badbrad17]

+1 to helium. Ry is correct, there is no automated non-root requiring option like what iOS has in the iCloud service for this. They can literally buy a new device, hook into iTunes and have it be more or less exactly the way their last one was. I haven't seen this in action on an upgrade, ie. iPhone 4 to iPhone 5, but on a replacement it's pretty impressive. That's one of the two iOS features I'd like to see come to Android in some form or another.

There actually is this service on HTC phones. My new HTC One backs everything up to the cloud on Sense 5. Totally wireless and cloud based.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[rjnsmith]

+1 to helium. Ry is correct, there is no automated non-root requiring option like what iOS has in the iCloud service for this. They can literally buy a new device, hook into iTunes and have it be more or less exactly the way their last one was. I haven't seen this in action on an upgrade, ie. iPhone 4 to iPhone 5, but on a replacement it's pretty impressive. That's one of the two iOS features I'd like to see come to Android in some form or another.

Actually, when I upgraded from my iPhone 3GS to my iPhone 4S, I didn't even have to plug it into a computer. Literally everything was stored in the could, and same with my current iPad. It was/ is truly amazing. It's one of the things I miss as a new android user right now. You get an exact replica of what it was on your own device, without even plugging it into a computer. Just needed a Wifi connection.

I hope someone does come out with something like this. I currently miss it.

 

[badbrad17]

Actually, when I upgraded from my iPhone 3GS to my iPhone 4S, I didn't even have to plug it into a computer. Literally everything was stored in the could, and same with my current iPad. It was/ is truly amazing. It's one of the things I miss as a new android user right now. You get an exact replica of what it was on your own device, without even plugging it into a computer. Just needed a Wifi connection.

I hope someone does come out with something like this. I currently miss it.

I think I just did. HTC has this on their Sense UI.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[Ry]

There actually is this service on HTC phones. My new HTC One backs everything up to the cloud on Sense 5. Totally wireless and cloud based.

Sent from my Nexus 4

That's nice. Can it import across other HTC devices? And I shouldn't even ask about going from a One to an SIII or S4, right?

 

[Ry]

Actually, when I upgraded from my iPhone 3GS to my iPhone 4S, I didn't even have to plug it into a computer. Literally everything was stored in the could, and same with my current iPad. It was/ is truly amazing. It's one of the things I miss as a new android user right now. You get an exact replica of what it was on your own device, without even plugging it into a computer. Just needed a Wifi connection.

I hope someone does come out with something like this. I currently miss it.

Pretty much the same thing when my wife upgraded from a 4 to a 5.