Helium backup app, what can it really do?

[AZgl1500]

I bought the premium version of the Helium app.

I have read as much of the miniscule documentation that I can find.

All that I can be sure of is that it will backup the data for the apps. Kies 3.0 does that...

I do not see anywhere where it can restore the Home Pages to exactly the way I have them now.
The Wallpaper should stay exactly like I have it now. Famous Black only. I hate colored crap and animations.

ie, I want the Folders restored and in exactly the same position they are on the phone.
I want all of the Premium upgrade data retained so that if the phone hiccups, it can be re-imaged to the way it was.

Those of you who have actually used Helium Premium, please tell me what it can, and what it cannot do.

 

[ABOSWORTH007]

I haven't used the premium version of Helium but I have used the free version. Keis is supposed to backup app data but it never worked for me. It says it will and then doesn't actually do it. I tried to back up app data twice with Keis and it just doesn't work. Helium works perfectly for backing up app data.

As far as backing up your home screens and folder set ups, are you using a launcher? I have used Nova and Apex and you have the option to create a backup with these launchers that will do exactly what you want. I'd say use a launcher to do this. You don't even need to use all the features of the launcher if you like touch Wiz the way it is.

This is one thing that sucks about Android. I loved how I could just plug my iPhone into iTunes, create a backup and it would back up everything flawlessly with one step. With Android you either have to root and use titanium or you're stuck using Keis, Helium and a launcher. I also had to create an aquamail backup for my email.

 

[AZgl1500]

Sigh! No, Touch Wiz has been all I've needed thus far. Was unaware that any of the launchers were able to make a backup of the Home Pages and the Folder configurations. That alone will get me to try one of the other launchers.... but doing that means totally reconfigurating the phone all over again in the new launcher. That means hours and hours of work all over again.


I have a lot of backups using Kies and found to my great sorrow, that all it actually does is backup the apps in their basic form. It does not retain the premium upgrades that you have bought. Nor does it backup your messages. I lost a lot of important info that was only retained in some messages on my phone. That was one of those "gonna transfer that info over to database someday" thing.... which never happened of course

I had "Paid Apps" already installed and discovered that I could easily recover the paid apps with that one app at a time, providing that the paid version is a separate Play Store item.

In app upgrades are not available with Paid Apps as it has no way to download that from the Play Store.

 

[ABOSWORTH007]

I can't speak for other launchers but with Nova or Apex, you have an option to mimic your current home pages set up when you first enable it. So that should not dissuade you.

For me, Keis did back up my messages and call logs. My frustration with Keis was that it has the option to back up application data yet it just doesn't work, which I found to be quite obnoxious.

 

[AZgl1500]

Okay, I looked at Apex a short bit and then I looked at Nova.

What swung me over to Nova was it implicitly tells you up front that it will save home page screens complete with all folder information to a storage location of your choice.

I have been using it now for a few hours trying to get the feel of how it works, and based upon my findings I have decided that Nova will now be my Launcher of choice. If for no other reason than you can restore a previous version of your Home Pages.

I have found that it will:


Save a backup to:

Share => Brings up a list of ways to share/store the file. On my S5 it shows, Evernote, Hightail, Blue Mail, Bluetooth, Drive, Email, Gmail, Wi-Fi Direct.
..... so far I have only used Blue Mail and Drive and it worked great with both of those.

Device Storage No way to define whee it goes, and can't find it with a file manager either, but it does save it and Restore can see the saved files. They are hidden from a file manager though.

Document Storage Saves it to the SD card. at least it did for me. The first time I did this it showed me the SD card as an option and then it also allowed me to create a Folder. I did and called it Nova Backup. Now it don't ask me anymore, it just saves it to that folder on the SD card.

I have to say that I am impressed with Nova's backup and restore capabilities. It also has a much easier way of assigning which Home Page is the one that the Home Key button will access.


I now have multiple copies of my Home pages backed up all over the place. On the phone, on the SD card, on my PC and in the Cloud on Drive.

So, a three step process to clone your phone from a Factory Reset:

1) Kies 3.0 it repair it and get it going again.

2) Super Backup will restore all of your $$ paid apps and data

3) Nova Launcher will restore all of our Home pages

at least I can now repair a broken phone w/o the hassle of taking a couple of days out of my life rebuilding everything again.


ABOSWORTH007

,


Thanks a lot for pointing me to the Nova app.

 

[ABOSWORTH007]

Okay, I looked at Apex a short bit and then I looked at Nova.

What swung me over to Nova was it implicitly tells you up front that it will save home page screens complete with all folder information to a storage location of your choice.

I have been using it now for a few hours trying to get the feel of how it works, and based upon my findings I have decided that Nova will now be my Launcher of choice. If for no other reason than you can restore a previous version of your Home Pages.

I have found that it will:


Save a backup to:

Share => Brings up a list of ways to share/store the file. On my S5 it shows, Evernote, Hightail, Blue Mail, Bluetooth, Drive, Email, Gmail, Wi-Fi Direct.
..... so far I have only used Blue Mail and Drive and it worked great with both of those.

Device Storage No way to define whee it goes, and can't find it with a file manager either, but it does save it and Restore can see the saved files. They are hidden from a file manager though.

Document Storage Saves it to the SD card. at least it did for me. The first time I did this it showed me the SD card as an option and then it also allowed me to create a Folder. I did and called it Nova Backup. Now it don't ask me anymore, it just saves it to that folder on the SD card.

I have to say that I am impressed with Nova's backup and restore capabilities. It also has a much easier way of assigning which Home Page is the one that the Home Key button will access.


I now have multiple copies of my Home pages backed up all over the place. On the phone, on the SD card, on my PC and in the Cloud on Drive.

So, a three step process to clone your phone from a Factory Reset:

1) Kies 3.0 it repair it and get it going again.

2) Helium will restore all of your $$ paid apps and data

3) Nova Launcher will restore all of our Home pages

at least I can now repair a broken phone w/o the hassle of taking a couple of days out of my life rebuilding everything again.


ABOSWORTH007
http://forums.androidcentral.com/images/statusicon/user-online.png ,


Thanks a lot for pointing me to the Nova app.

Exactly. Once you know what you are doing, the three step process you outlined is the best way to go on a non rooted Android device as far as I know. It doesn't take too long to do these three steps and is much quicker than setting everything up manually as you said.

Glad I could help you out a bit.