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Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#201

Post by MrDrMcCoy »

dismalaf wrote: post #176
Tainnor wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's nice that you don't have this problem with the apps that you use, but others do.

Can you give an example? An app that doesn't back up data that's essential to you?

Not the same person, but this affects me and I can explain. I have around a hundred apps installed, and use them just frequently enough to keep them around. All of them can sync their data back to a new device without issue.

The problem is that when a new or wiped device installs those apps again, they won't have any of their account or configuration data. Even with a password manager to help, logging back in and configuring my preferences is a tedious, all-day affair. In years past, there were ways to transfer account data, but they stopped working a long time ago. I am eager to find a solution to this that works without root and on modern Android.

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#202

Post by solardev »

kwanbix wrote: post #195
solardev wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is app data? I guess maybe everything I use is already in the cloud anyway, so I never noticed that?

Whenever I switch android phones, I need to setup each app from scratch, unless is a google app.

What do you mean "set up"? Like when I get a new phone, my previous apps just reinstall themselves. I might have to log back in, but that only takes a sec with a password manager.

Does it not work like that for you?

I've only gone from Nexus to Pixel to Pixel though (all Google phones) so maybe that's why?

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#203

Post by lxgr »

palata wrote: post #187

Genuine question: what do you feel the need to backup other than photos?

So many things! Just recovering my (device-bound, i.e. explicitly opted out of cross-device restores) 2FA authentication credentials, banking apps etc. takes me a few hours on iOS.

Restoring all app data and configuration would probably take me several days. The fact that Android still doesn't offer an equivalent to iTunes local backups of iOS devices was one of the reasons I switched.

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#204

Post by Carbon1603 »

sunaookami wrote: post #121
solardev wrote: post #4

I just let Google handle it with the built in backup: https://support.google.com/googleone/answer/9149304?hl=en&co...

This never once worked for me with app data. I always have to set up apps from scratch.

I just went from Pixel to Motorola and this has worked surprisingly well. Even for apps that I install manually.

That said, if I don't use the old phone to pull "the data" Google will not transfer more important things (Wi-Fis), settings etc.

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#205

Post by bdavbdav »

ur-whale wrote: post #73
alyandon wrote: post #6

The only data I care about on the phone already gets backed up by Google and is then exported regularly via Google Takeout. I don't live on my phone so I tend not to generate much of any value on it other than random pictures of things. Prior to Google automatically backing up everything, I used Titanium Backup.

> The only data I care about on the phone already gets backed up by Google and is then exported regularly via Google Takeout. Are you using Google Authenticator? If so, how do you backup your secrets?

Plenty of TOTP apps that sync (including google)

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#207

Post by scarface_74 »

Tainnor wrote: post #184
scarface_74 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s wrong with their built in support? https://support.google.com/android/answer/2819582?hl=en It doesn’t work like iCloud where everything is backed up - even private app data?

It doesn't work for every app. Not sure if it's opt-in or opt-out.

Which apps doesn’t it work with that you think it should?

I am looking through my apps and most of them are clients for server side functionality or productivity apps that use iCloud Drive, OneDrive or Google Drive.

Google Photos would take care of videos and photos and Contacts and calendars use standard syncing protocols.

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#208

Post by pynappo »

ur-whale wrote: post #73
alyandon wrote: post #6

The only data I care about on the phone already gets backed up by Google and is then exported regularly via Google Takeout. I don't live on my phone so I tend not to generate much of any value on it other than random pictures of things. Prior to Google automatically backing up everything, I used Titanium Backup.

> The only data I care about on the phone already gets backed up by Google and is then exported regularly via Google Takeout. Are you using Google Authenticator? If so, how do you backup your secrets?

aegis authenticator uses google's android backup system.

Re: Ask HN: How do you backup your Android?

#209

Post by bean-weevil »

seba_dos1 wrote: post #163

The Android container on my phone keeps its data in ~/.local/share/waydroid/data, so it just gets rsynced with the rest of the backup.

I've wanted a linux phone for quite some time. Which phone do you have? How good is the waydroid experience? Can you use apps that access bluetooth devices? Do you have any regrets?
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