Ask HN: How do you backup your Android? • Hacker News Board

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

#61

Post by drio » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 12:33 AM UTC

Azerty9999 wrote: post #57

mgbmtl wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My device is not rooted, but I use Syncthing as well. I mainly sync my photos and my TOTP tokens (Aegis). The rest I don't care about. I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable.

Synchthing on Android is End of life, alas https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-androi...

Yes, very sad.

Two alternatives exist:

1. Syncthing-Fork (https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android) - Works just like the official app. Install from F-Droid or GitHub. Single developer but active.

2. Syncthing in Termux - Run the actual Syncthing program in Termux. Takes more setup but uses the standard version.

The fork is easier to use, while Termux needs more setup but gives you the standard Syncthing experience.

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

#62

Post by dhumph » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 12:36 AM UTC

Plug my phone into my computer and run a php script that puts all the photos in neat folders onto a hd attached to a pi. Sound like i could upgrade based on the responses here.

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

#63

Post by dismalaf » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 12:40 AM UTC

K7PJP wrote: post #59

dismalaf wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I had an Apple device the only way to backup was plugging it into a desktop with iTunes. How do you figure Google's backup (which backs up contacts, messages, photos, mail, and remembers which apps you have installed) is bad? What more could it do or should it do in your opinion? Also Google Authenticator now backs up to your account and you can recover it through a logged in browser.

> Last time I had an Apple device the only way to backup was plugging it into a desktop with iTunes. Apple's supported full iCloud backups and over-the-air restore for at least 11 years, maybe 13 years.

Yeah, I would have figured. My actual question is how is Google's backup lacking?

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

#64

Post by mgbmtl » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 12:51 AM UTC

zx8080 wrote: post #56

mgbmtl wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My device is not rooted, but I use Syncthing as well. I mainly sync my photos and my TOTP tokens (Aegis). The rest I don't care about. I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable.

> I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable. What was wrong about nextcloud sync? I'm just about to set it up for myself.

The sync would stall and I'd have to go retry, or it would fail with no error clear message. In the end, I had no idea what had really synched correctly. The app was unhappy if I deleted a photo too quickly.

With Syncthing, I sync to a directory that my Nextcloud user can access (a read-only mount), so I can still easily share photos using Nextcloud, for example.

(although it's unfortunate that the Android syncthing app is being retired. h/t for the heads up and the recommended alternatives)

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

#65

Post by ausdavoud » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 12:55 AM UTC

I use Fusion https://github.com/mohammad-mallaee/fusion for the files. Swift Backup for Apps, Contacts, etc.

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

#66

Post by Krutonium » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 12:55 AM UTC

dismalaf wrote: post #63

K7PJP wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Last time I had an Apple device the only way to backup was plugging it into a desktop with iTunes. Apple's supported full iCloud backups and over-the-air restore for at least 11 years, maybe 13 years.

Yeah, I would have figured. My actual question is how is Google's backup lacking?

It backs up... Photos, basically? With an iPhone you can take a complete image of the device, and never lose a file again. With Android, solid chance you'll never migrate to a new phone and not lose stuff. It's such a fucking shitty thing that doesn't need to be.

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

#67

Post by sirjaz » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 1:02 AM UTC

I enduro using my phone explorer: https://www.fjsoft.at/en/

It has the similar feel to iTunes for the iphone.

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

#68

Post by flas9sd » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 1:11 AM UTC

Seedvault, Syncthing, DAVx5-to-Nextcloud, Signal Archive, passwordstore.app (discontinued) + git

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

#69

Post by dsp_person » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 1:13 AM UTC

ausdavoud wrote: post #65

I use Fusion https://github.com/mohammad-mallaee/fusion for the files. Swift Backup for Apps, Contacts, etc.

do you leave USB or wireless debugging enabled at all times?

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

#70

Post by dsp_person » Fri, Jan 10, 2025, 1:17 AM UTC

drio wrote: post #61

Azerty9999 wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Synchthing on Android is End of life, alas https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-androi...

Yes, very sad. Two alternatives exist: 1. Syncthing-Fork ( https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android ) - Works just like the official app. Install from F-Droid or GitHub. Single developer but active. 2. Syncthing in Termux - Run the actual Syncthing program in Termux. Takes more setup but uses the standard version. The fork is easier to use, while Termux needs more setup but gives you the standard Syncthing exp…

Are there any issues or tricks for syncthing in termux, for e.g. always running in the background?