Google Chrome Sync Reset - All browser data lost from the device

[Gregory093]

Hello,

I'm having trouble with synchronization in Google Chrome. I haven't used this option for a long time, but now because of switching to a new phone I decided to use it. I turned on the synchronization of all chrome data on the old phone and the bookmarks went a bit crazy - some of them doubled, the folders got mixed up and some bookmarks which was deleted long time ago were restored - but ok, I didn't lose anything from the current data. After starting the new phone and updating the software, I also turned on chrome data synchronization and all the tabs loaded in the same form as on the old phone after synchronization, but there was no history, passwords etc. I thought there was something wrong with the synchronization, because it was still writing something that synchronization was not working and also I forgot my sync password. To restore the password and solve the problem, I decided to do the only option to restore the password - reset the synchronization, having in mind that I have this data on two phones, and Google clearly indicated that the data on the devices will not be deleted. Meanwhile, after sync reset I immediately lost all the bookmarks on both phones and all other chrome data on the old phone. How can I recover this data now? The old phone is Huawei P8 Lite (Android 6.0, EMUI 4.0.3), and the new is Huawei P Smart 2019 (Android 10, EMUI 10.0.0).

I will be very grateful for any help,
Best wishes

 

[Fulani Filot]

Although I have never experienced this, I have always been so afraid of it happening that whenever I'm doing the kind of switch between two phones that you are trying to do, I always involve a PC; Chrome browser for Windows PC. I export all my bookmarks (I don't know if passwords et al are also exported...I remember all of my passwords) to a file or files.

Them i do the sync thing by signing up the new phone's Chrome browser to my account and wait for it to inherit all the bookmarks, passwords and extensions (even if most extensions won't work on the mobile Chrome).

I'm always afraid that the new phone's Chrome which had nothing of mine on it can/will sync is empty/blank state to my account thereby wing it all my previous stuff. My thinking is if that weren't to happen, I could leave that new Chrome connected to the web, and use the unfortunately now-emptied Chronme-for-PC-browser to import what I backed up earlier and set the PC's Chrome to sync it all. This would force the Chrome browsers of my new and old phones to get a copy if all the synced backup of stuff.

This could have helped you if you had suspected earlier, the anomalous behaviour that led to the loss of your stuff.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I'm not sure what you mean when you say that you forgot your sync password -- that's your Google account password. You forgot that?

If you open Chrome, then tap Menu>Setttings>Sync and Google Services>Manage Sync, you can choose there what gets synced.

 

[Gregory093]

Fulani Filot,

Thanks for reply. I will remember that for future. All this situation is about why I was always afraid about cloud backups... For me the best way is when I can manually backup data to a file, which I can later move to several places/pen drive/hard drive or even put to some cloud servers but by myself.


B. Diddy,

Also thanks for reply. About the password - I was typing my Google account password, but it doesn't worked - maybe I set some extra password for sync? It's strange but now I even can't find this place where Chrome was asking me for this password. Also now after this Sync Reset I am unable to restore data, because when I enter Chrome>Menu>Settings>Sync>Manage Sync>Manage Sync Data, there is no stored Chrome Sync Data on my Google account, everywhere except settings is typed 0.


I'm not sure, but I read that Chrome on android doesn't store data locally/I can't access it without root. The thing that is the most annoying for me is that before Sync Reset there was an information that data will not be deleted from devices but only from Google servers.

 

[B. Diddy]

You shouldn't have to enter your Google password anywhere in the Chrome menu. Go to the system settings, then Accounts, then select your Google account and make sure Chrome sync is turned on there.

Also, keep in mind that if you didn't have sync turned on for Chrome on your phone, then any search history on the phone wouldn't have been synced to your Google account, and therefore wouldn't get restored to any new phone.