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 phonerunning a lower Android version.
Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 9 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
Where your phone data is stored
Backups are uploaded to Google servers and they're encrypted with your Google Account password. For some data, your phone's screen lock PIN, pattern, or password is also used to encrypt your data so it can be backed up safely.
Your backup data (except what you back up to Google Photos) is erased if:
- You don't use your device for 57 days
- You turn off Android backup
Back up content
- Back up photos and videos.Learn how to automatically upload photos and videos to your Google Photos library.
- Back up files and folders.Learn how to back up files to Google Drive.
Automatically back up your phone
Important: To help protect your backed-up data, use a PIN, pattern, or password , instead of a swipe or .
You can set up your device to automatically back up your files.
- Open your device's Settings app.
- Select Google
Backup.
Tip: If this is your first time, turn on Backup by Google One and follow the on-screen instructions. - Tap Back up now.
Backup.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 a backup account
- Open your phone's Settings app.
-
Tap System
Backup. If these steps don't match your phone's settings, try searching your settings app for backup, or get help from your device manufacturer. - Tap Backup account Add account.
- If needed, enter your phone's PIN, pattern, or password.
- Sign in to the account that you want to add.
Switch between backup accounts
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap SystemBackup.If these steps don't match your phone's settings, try searching your settings app for
backup, or get help from your device manufacturer. - Tap Backup account.
- Tap the account that you want to use for backups.
Important:Not all apps can back up or restore all settings and data.To find outabout an app, learn how to contact its developer.
Backup by Google One automatically saves data from your phone. This includes:
- App data
- Call history
- Contacts
- Settings
- SMS messages
- Pictures and videos
- MMS messages
Tip: You can automatically back up your photos and videos to your Google Photos library. Learn how to back up your photos.
Manually back up data &settings
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap GoogleBackup.
If these steps don't match your phone's settings, try searching your settings app forbackup, or get help from your device manufacturer. - Tap Back up now.
Erase after backing up
After you back up, you can reset your device by erasing everything on it.Learn how to reset your device to factory settings.
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 ontothe phone.
To restore a backed-upaccount to areset phone, follow the on-screen steps. For more help, get help from your device manufacturer.
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 timeor 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 device running a lower Android version. Learn how to check and update your Android version.
Check which photos, data, and settings you backed up
You can check what data and which apps are included in your backup.
- Open your device's Settings app.
- Tap Google Backup.
- Under “Backup details,” review what data is backed up on your device.
If you've saved your Google Contacts to your Google Account, they'll sync automatically. If you have other contacts on a phone or SIM card,learn how to manually restore contacts.
How Backup handles your data
Important: The data that backup collects is encrypted in transit.
Backup sends your data to Google’s backup servers and helps you transfer data between devices. Backup collects certain information to perform services on your device. Some of this functionality uses Google Play services. For example, backup collects:
- Messages, contacts, app settings, and preferences are collected as part of your personal backup.
- Personal identifiers are collected to ensure that your backups are associated with you and your account.
- Crash logs and diagnostics are collected for analytics and troubleshooting purposes.
Turn backup off
- To disable your backup, go to Settings System Backup Backup by Google One.
- To delete your backup, you can also use the Drive app on Android.
System Related resources
- Back up photos and videos
- Save files and folders to Google Drive
- Back up and restore contacts from a phone or SIM card
- Recover a recently deleted Google Account
- Transfer files between your computer and phone
- Transfer WhatsApp data to a new Android
Need more help?
Try these next steps:
Get to know your Android phone
See an interactive tutorial for how to back up data.
Get step-by-step instructions to help you back up data on your old phone and restore it on your new Android phone.
