How to Back Up an Android Device

How much important information do you keep on your Android? Would you be heartbroken if your Android was lost or stolen, and all your photos, text messages, contacts, and other valuable data were gone for good, too? Prevent that disastrous scenario by backing up your phone.

The key to backing up any data is redundancy. You should always have more than one copy of your data.

The First Copy
I recommend making the first backup of your Android data be a copy of the SD card you keep on your computer. I'll list the basic steps here, but note that, with Android devices, there may be slight variations in the exact wording or steps.

1. Connect your Android device to your computer (Windows or Mac should both work) via the USB cable.

2. On your Android, pull down the main menu (swipe down from the top of the screen) and select "USB connection."

3. On the next page, choose USB Mass Storage and hit OK.

4. You'll see a new drive or "Removable Disk" appear on your computer for the SD card. Open it up, and copy all the files inside to a new location on your computer. I would put the date right into the name of the folder—something like "130815_ANDROID-SD-CARD-BACKUP"—so you can very easily identify it and when it was created.

This first backup copy is all well and good, and you'll be thankful you have it if anything goes wrong, but it's not likely to be updated too often. So for your second backup, I recommend choosing a method that will update more frequently to ensure you have all the most recent photos, texts, settings, and everything else stored on your Android.

But seeing as Android is all about giving users choice, there are a few different options.

The Second Copy
For your second backup copy, you can 1) use an app, 2) take a DIY method, or 3) use the slightly complicated Nandroid backup system for root users only (which I do not cover here due to its complexity and the fact that it's limited to root users).

Using a backup app—and I list a few of them below—removes most of the management, organization, and upkeep out of backing up your Android. It's kind of like a "set it and forget it" solution, although part of the "setting it" means entering your credit card information, as these services generally aren't free.

The DIY method, which is typically free, takes a bit more effort because you'll back up different kinds of information to different places: your settings to Google, for example, but your text-messaging history to another service.

Option 1. Use a Backup App
Here are a few apps you might consider using to backup your Android.

Helium Premium ($4.99) works for both root and non-root users, and it lets you schedule backups to go to a cloud syncing and storage service, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box. There is a free version of Helium available, but it doesn't let you back up to a cloud service, which is really the piece you want if you're already making a copy of your SD card manually every now and again.

G Cloud Backup (free to download and includes 1GB cloud storage space) is another app to consider. It lets you backup more than one device to a single account. If you need more space, you can earn it through referrals and other activity, such as tweeting about the service (up to 8GB), or just pay for more (32GB is $32 per year).

MyBackup Pro ($4.99) works on both rooted and unrooted phones. If you don't know what root means in this context, don't worry about it. That's a clear sign that MyBackup Pro is a good app for you (if you're curious about rooting, see "A Concise Guide to Android Rooting").

Root users may prefer Titanium Backup Pro Key ($6.58) which requires a rooted phones and a second app, called simply Titanium Backup (free). Install the free app first, then buy the Pro app, which acts like a key to unlock the advanced features.

Option 2. Backup Piece-by-Piece (mostly free)
If you're interested in the DIY solutions, you'll want to backup various data stored on your Android piece-by-piece. Here's how I would break it down:

I. Apps, Contacts, Email, Calendar, and Settings (using Google as the backup source)

1. Go to Settings > Privacy.

2. Tick two boxes: Back up my settings and Automatic restore.

3. Go to Settings > Account & sync.

4. Select Google.

5. Tick the boxes: Sync Contacts, Sync Gmail, Sync Calendar.

II. Photos: 3 options

A. Photos using Google+ Instant Upload for Android 2.2. and later

1. Install the Google+ app.

2. Log in with your Google account. When prompted, enable Instant Upload. If you already have the Google+ app installed, enable Instant Upload through the Settings menu.

3. Return to your Android's home screen. Now go to Settings > Accounts & sync. Select the account you want and tick the box for Sync instant upload. Now when you take photos, they will be uploaded automatically to your Google+ account to a private folder called

B. Photos using manual backup to a computer

1. Plug your Android device into your computer using the USB cord.

2. Put your Android into disc drive mode, and open the drive. The phone will appear as a connected device on your computer.

3. Open the device, and look for the folder called DCIM. That folder contains your photos and videos.

4. Select the files, and drag them to copy them to your computer.

C. Photos using a third-party file-syncing app and service

1. Download a third-party app that lets you upload photos to a hosting service. Options might include Dropbox and SugarSync.

2. In the app settings, turn on the Instant Upload feature (both Dropbox and SugarSync have one), which ensures that photos you snap are automatically uploaded to your Dropbox or SugarSync account.