Back up or restore data on your Android device

You can back up content, data, and settings from your phone to your Google Account. You can restore your backed up information to the original phone or to some other Android phones. You can't use back up when you set up a personal device with a work profile or for work only, or when you set up a company-owned device.

Restoring data varies by phone and Android version. You can't restore a backup from a higher Android version onto a phone running a lower Android version.

Back up content

  1. Back up photos and videos. Learn how to automatically upload photos and videos to your Google Photos library.
  2. Back up files and folders. Learn how to back up files to Google Drive.

Turn on automatic backups

Important:To help protect your backed-up data, use a PIN, pattern, or password screen lock, instead of a swipe or Smart Lock.

You can set up your phone to automatically back up your files.

  1. On your Android phone, open the Google One appGoogle One.
  2. At the top, tap Storage.
  3. Scroll to the device backup section.
    • If this is your first phone backup: Tap Set up data backup.
    • If this isn't your first phone backup: Tap View details.
  4. To see your backup settings, tap Manage backup.
  5. Choose your backup settings.
    • If you get advice to install an app, update an app, or change your settings, follow the onscreen steps. Then, go back to the Google One app to finish.
  6. If asked, tap Allow permissions.
  7. At the top left, tap Back .

Your Google One backup can take up to 24 hours. When your data is saved, "On" will be below the data types you selected.

Add or switch backup accounts

Add a backup account

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.

  2. Tap SystemAnd thenBackup. If these steps don't match your phone's settings, try searching your settings app for backup, or get help from your device manufacturer.

  3. Tap Backup account And thenAdd account.
  4. If needed, enter your phone's PIN, pattern, or password.
  5. Sign in to the account that you want to add.

Switch between backup accounts

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap SystemAnd thenBackup.If these steps don't match your phone's settings, try searching your settings app for backup, or get help from your device manufacturer.
  3. Tap Backup account.
  4. Tap the account that you want to use for backups.

What gets backed up

If your backups are uploaded to Google, they're encrypted using your Google Account password. For some data, your phone's screen lock PIN, pattern, or password is also used for encryption.

If you back up to Google Drive, here's what's backed up:

  • Contacts
  • Google Calendar events and settings
  • SMS and MMS messages
  • Wi-Fi networks and passwords
  • Wallpapers
  • Gmail settings
  • Apps
  • Display settings (brightness and sleep)
  • Language and input settings
  • Date and time
  • Settings and data for apps not made by Google (varies by app)

Manually back up data & settings

Erase after backing up

Get your data onto a new phone

When you add your Google Account to a phone that's been set up, what you'd previously backed up for that Google Account gets put onto the phone.

To restore a backed-up account to a reset phone, follow the on-screen steps. For more help, see your manufacturer's support site.

Your photos and videos are already available in Google Photos. But you can restore the rest of the data you backed up while you set up your new phone for the first time or after a factory reset. At setup, to restore your data, follow the on-screen steps.

The process can take up to 24 hours.

Important: You can't restore a backup from a higher Android version onto a phone running a lower Android version. Learn how to check and update your Android version.

See what photos, data, and settings you backed up

You can check what data and which apps are included in your backup.

  1. On your Android phone, open the Google One app Google One.
  2. At the top, tap Storage.
  3. Scroll to the device backup section.
    • If this is your first phone backup: Tap Set up data backup.
    • If this isn't your first phone backup: Tap View details.
  4. To see your backup settings, tap Manage backup.

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