COME ON ALREADY! Android devs need to get moving and use Google's new app data backup feature.

[LeoRex]

I decided to load the latest Android N build on my 6P the other day, and there was one thing that I ran into right off that really stood out to me; the speed it reloaded all my apps. On Marshmallow, the app restore, even on my speedy WIFI at home, took hours to reload and install some 180 apps (DON'T JUDGE ME).... But on N, with Google's enhancements to the runtime, the same app restore took a fraction of the time. If I had remembered, I would have checked the clock, but to say it was cut in half is probably underestimating the improvement.

But there's one thing that even N can't change; app data backups. Google updated their Play Services back when 6.0 launched, and added in a new API that allowed application developers to have internal app data backups backed up to the user's google account... stuffed away into some hidden recess of Google Drive (it won't count against your storage btw).... up to 25MB, which is more than enough for most apps' internal data. So any app that uses the feature means the post-reset restore will be pretty painless. Your phone could get put back to the exact same point you were the last time Google refreshed their backup set (usually once a day).

Sounds great, right?

Well, problem is that Google could only lead the devs to the source code, but they can't make them merge. The number of apps that have incorporated the new API is rather small. Now, I understand that it takes effort to put this into place, and the 6.0+ install base is still rather small, but I still don't see any excuse at this point. It has been over a year since Google announced the new app data backup function and about 9 months since everyone had access to all the 6.0 stuff....

 

[Clocks]

I agree its the most needed feature of most apps. Every time i do a factory reset I end up never reinstalling one or two apps, because its not worth the hassle to configure again. The number of apps that need more than a login on my phone are down to my work email app, lastpass (i tweak a few settings), and authenticator (which has to be re-set up each time for obvious reasons).

 

[hallux]

The other feature I'd like to see some devs add (where needed) is fingerprint authentication. My preferred password management tool does not yet support it, and I'm actually considering changing to one that does.