How To Back Up
How To Back Up
So you dropped your phone in the street. Then it was run over. Twice. And then you were almost hit by
a Subaru trying to rescue it from the middle of the crosswalk.
If this sad story sounds familiar — or at least plausible — chances are that the first thought racing
through your head was of all the contacts, photos, text messages, and notes stored on your device.
What’s an Android aficionado to do in a case like this? Like your mother once said: “Plan ahead.”
Planning ahead is the easiest way to make sure your data isn’t lost to the ether, even if your phone is
destroyed. Luckily, Google automatically syncs your contacts, calendar appointments, docs, and even
app purchases — as long as you give it permission to do so. While Google will preserve a lot of your
data, there are other methods that you might consider using.
Like Apple’s iOS and iPadOS, Google provides means to automatically back up your Android device to
the cloud. This setting is typically toggled on, but you can verify by following these steps in stock Android
11 and Samsung phones: