What should I backup on my Moto X before I perform a factory reset?

[rite11ken]

Moto X Factory Reset

I am planning to Factory Reset my Moto X(2014) currently on Android 5.1. Could you please give me a list of steps I should take to backup all my data beforehand and then restore it?

I have a Mac and installed Android File Transfer to backup things from the phone but don't see any folders giving an option to backup contacts and texts which I'm most concerned about. Any alternatives?

 

[PapaGary]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

Backing up an Android Device.

 

[gone down south]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

Photos, Contacts, email, should all be backed up to the cloud already. If you have to set that up now, you're already asking for trouble. SMS is tougher, but do you REALLY need old text messages? They're probably on your carrier's website anyways.

 

[rite11ken]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

I set Google Backup and Automatic Restore in the settings but was told by others that it doesn't save contacts and texts. Are you sure about the contacts being saved automatically?

 

[stanleywinthrop]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

I set Google Backup and Automatic Restore in the settings but was told by others that it doesn't save contacts and texts. Are you sure about the contacts being saved automatically?

Make sure all your contacts are Google contacts.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[rite11ken]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

How do I make sure they are and then convert non-Google contacts to Google contacts?

 

[stanleywinthrop]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

How do I make sure they are and then convert non-Google contacts to Google contacts?

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/pro-tip-migrate-all-of-your-android-contacts-to-google/

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[rite11ken]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

Thanks for the info about contacts. What should I do about backing up text messages though? Many of my text messages are important so I would like to preserve them and Android File Transfer doesn't seem to provide me with a way to do that.

 

[thunderup]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

The last couple times I've done a factory reset I've used the Verizon Messages app to backup and restore my texts. I'm a Verizon customer but I'm pretty sure the app works for anyone. It has an excellent backup and restore feature. Just install the app, run the backup, and copy the file it creates to your computer or google drive, etc. Once you reset, install the app again, copy the file back to your phone and restore from that file. After that you can use the messaging app of your choice and uninstall Verizon Messages. Hope this helps.

 

[rite11ken]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

This somehow seems to require a Verizon account to backup. Are there any other ways of backing up text messages using regular apps available to everyone?

 

[stanleywinthrop]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

This somehow seems to require a Verizon account to backup. Are there any other ways of backing up text messages using regular apps available to everyone?

I use this app:

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...tails?id=com.zegoggles.smssync&token=MFikoQc-

It backs up (and restores from) SMS to your gmail account. Very easy to use.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[rite11ken]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

It seems to have an in app purchase option. Is there a free app to backup texts?

 

[stanleywinthrop]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

I've never spent a penny on SMS backup+. Also, I tried out the Verizon messenger suggested above, and a Verizon account is not needed to back up SMS. (I'm on cricket).

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Robisan]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

Just want to add that people should check whether their launcher has a backup/restore feature. Will save a lot of time setting up your phone after reset.

 

[rite11ken]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

Don't use a launcher apart from Google Now but people who use SMS Backup+, what's the procedure I should follow with SMS Backup+? I backup all my current texts with the app, then factory reset and install SMS Backup+ again and do Restore. Do all my texts show up in my texting app(right now Textra) automatically or do I have to do something?

 

[stanleywinthrop]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

Here is how SMS Backup + works:

It uses an IMAP connection to Gmail to store SMS. When you download the app, give it permission to connect to your google account. When you are ready to backup, select the button and the App will ask permission to be the default SMS app for you phone. Select yes. At this point it will start uploading the texts. It will create a sub folder in your Gmail for SMS. The upshot of that is your texts are now searchable in gmail!. Depending on the number of texts you have on your phone, I recommend you be connected to WIFI when you do this. If the number is large, this can take quite a bit of time. When backup+ is done, you will get a notification asking whether you want to your default SMS app to revert to whatever you used before (hangouts, messenger, textra, etc.) select yes.

Do you system restore, wipe or whatever.

Once you are logged back in, re download the backup + app. open it and reconnect it to your google account. At that point restoring the texts is essentially the same procedure as backing them. One difference, under advanced settings, the app gives you the ability to choose whether to to restore the most recent texts (100, 200, 500 are the options) or you can restore them all. I have several thousand texts saved that i have no immediate need for so when I restore, I generally only restore the most recent 200. But that's up to you. If you are doing a full restore of several thousand texts, I recommend using wifi and being patient. After the restore is complete, re-select your SMS app of choice and the texts will appear.

There is one big gotcha, however, SMS backup + will NOT back up MMS pictures you have received, so you will need to find a different way to back those up.

 

[Justin Smith18]

Wow genius answer PaPaGary. Google it? What a response. I'm sure they didn't try that already.

 

[Gordon D Miller]

Re: Moto X Factory Reset

I use My Backup. It even zips the backups to take up less space.

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