Lost data, please help!

[Mattypompy]

Hi there,

I hope this is the correct group.

My Galaxy S20 got water damaged and died on me a few weeks ago.

I had assumed that all my photos and SMS threads would be backed up on Google Drive.

All my sms threads are gone and I've lost a year of photos.

I cannot restore a recent backup and I don't know why. The last backup file I can see on my G account, which I pay for the storage, is a day before the water damage. It's says 'incomplete backup'.

Does anyone know what's going on or how I can restore to a recent backup file?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[mustang7757]

Hi , did you have them back up to your Samsung account? That would be your best back up to restore

 

[Mattypompy]

Hi , did you have them back up to your Samsung account? That would be your best back up to restore

Hi, Unfortunately no, I checked. I use almost exclusively Google apps, it photos/gallery. Just don't understand why there isn't a more recent back-up file via Google Drive cloud, automatically.

Thanks

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, Unfortunately no, I checked. I use almost exclusively Google apps, it photos/gallery. Just don't understand why there isn't a more recent back-up file via Google Drive cloud, automatically.

Thanks

Samsung has one of the best android back up and restores by using the Samsung cloud or PC smart switch, for Google's back up it can only be applied during set-up or factory reset unfortunately

 

[Mattypompy]

Samsung has one of the best android back up and restores by using the Samsung cloud or PC smart switch, for Google's back up it can only be applied during set-up or factory reset unfortunately

Hi,

I tried to apply it during set up on the new phone, which was factory reset. Please see attached screenshot. Perhaps I should activate the Samsung version though. I do expect my photos, stored on a Google app and storage paid for, to be regularly backed up automatically to their cloud.
Not sure about their CS though.

Thanks for chipping in..

 

[B. Diddy]

Keep in mind that photos are backed up through the Google Photos app, not Google Drive. You have to open your Google Photos app and check the backup settings there. Have you already looked in your Google Photos cloud to see if any of the missing photos are there? You either look in the Photos app, or go to photos.google.com on any browser.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi,

I tried to apply it during set up on the new phone, which was factory reset. Please see attached screenshot. Perhaps I should activate the Samsung version though. I do expect my photos, stored on a Google app and storage paid for, to be regularly backed up automatically to their cloud.
Not sure about their CS though.

Thanks for chipping in..

Agree with B. Diddy on Google photos would be in that app as for calls, texts it probably needs little time to populate since setting up fresh

 

[mustang7757]

Also the backup will be from Google's last known back up so if it did it yesterday today's stuff won't be included

 

[Mattypompy]

Keep in mind that photos are backed up through the Google Photos app, not Google Drive. You have to open your Google Photos app and check the backup settings there. Have you already looked in your Google Photos cloud to see if any of the missing photos are there? You either look in the Photos app, or go to photos.google.com on any browser.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I went to the Google photos url you suggested, same deal. A year of photos missing. As you can see by the screenshot the cloud drive has a file for photos, it's just not full. Doesn't make sense to me if there's a regular auto backup to the photos cloud. I do have another Google account, which I use less, but have forgotten the login details. I suppose it's possible my missing photos are inadvertently on there, but can't login!

 

[Mattypompy]

Also the backup will be from Google's last known back up so if it did it yesterday today's stuff won't be included

Yes, the backup was a day before the water damage, 16th April, but says incomplete as in the screeshot. Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I went to the Google photos url you suggested, same deal. A year of photos missing. As you can see by the screenshot the cloud drive has a file for photos, it's just not full. Doesn't make sense to me if there's a regular auto backup to the photos cloud. I do have another Google account, which I use less, but have forgotten the login details. I suppose it's possible my missing photos are inadvertently on there, but can't login!

What you're looking at in Google Drive is the remnant of when Google Photos could actually be directly accessed through Google Drive -- that ended back in July 2019.

But if the photos aren't on the actual Google Photos website (and you're certain you're logged into the correct Google account), then Google Photos backup must've been turned off at some point.