Many users of Android devices know that experiments with firmware, installation of various add-ons and fixes quite often lead to the device not working, which can only be corrected by installing the system completely, and this process involves completely clearing the memory of all information. In the event that the user has taken care of creating backup copy important data, or even better, a full system backup; restoring the device to the “as it was before...” state will take a matter of minutes.

There are many ways to make a backup copy of certain user information or a complete system backup. What is the difference between these concepts and for which devices it is advisable to use one or another method will be discussed below.

A backup copy of personal information means saving data and content generated by the user during the operation of the Android device. Such information may include a list installed applications, photos taken by the device’s camera or received from other users, contacts, notes, music and video files, browser bookmarks, etc.

One of the most reliable, and most importantly simple ways To save personal data contained in your Android device is to synchronize data from the device’s memory with cloud storage.

Full system backup

The above methods and similar actions allow you to save the most valuable information. But when flashing devices, not only contacts, photos, etc. are often lost, because manipulation of device memory sections involves clearing them of absolutely all data. To reserve the opportunity to return to the previous state of software and data, you only need a full backup of the system, i.e., a copy of all or certain sections of the device’s memory. In other words, a complete clone or cast of the software is created in special files with the ability to restore the device to its previous state later. This will require the user to have certain tools and knowledge, but can guarantee complete safety of absolutely all information.

Where to store the backup? When it comes to long-term storage, in the best possible way there will be use of cloud storage. When saving information using the methods described below, it is advisable to use a memory card installed in the device. If it is not available, you can save backup files to the internal memory of the device, but in this case it is recommended to immediately copy the backup files to a more reliable location, such as a PC drive, immediately after creation.

Method 1: TWRP Recovery

From the user's point of view, the simplest method of creating a backup is to use a modified recovery environment for this purpose - custom recovery. The most functional among such solutions is.

Method 2: CWM Recovery + Android ROM Manager App

As in the previous method, when creating a backup of the Android firmware, a modified recovery environment will be used, only from a different developer - the ClockworkMod - team. In general, the method is similar to using TWRP and provides no less functional results - i.e. firmware backup files. At the same time, CWM Recovery does not have the capabilities that many users need to manage the process of creating a backup; for example, it is impossible to select individual partitions for creating a backup. But the developers offer their users a good Android application ROM Manager, using the functions of which you can start creating a backup directly from operating system.

Method 3: Titanium Backup Android App

Titanium Backup is a very powerful, yet quite easy-to-use tool for creating system backups. Using the tool, you can save all installed applications and their data, as well as user information, including contacts, call logs, sms, mms, points WI-FI access and more.

The advantages include the ability to widely customize parameters. For example, you can select applications whose data will be saved. To create a full-fledged Titanium Backup, you must provide root rights, that is, for those devices on which Superuser rights have not been obtained, the method is not applicable.

It is highly advisable to take care in advance of a safe place to store the backups you create. Internal memory smartphone cannot be considered as such, it is recommended to use a PC disk, cloud storage, or as a last resort MicroSD card of the device.

1. Install and launch Titanium Backup.



2. At the top of the program there is a tab "Backups", let's move on to it.



3. After opening the tab "Backups", you need to call the menu "Batch Actions" by clicking on the button with the image of a document with a checkmark located in the upper corner of the application screen. Or press the touch button "Menu" under the device screen and select the appropriate item.



4. Next, press the button "START" located next to the option “Make r.k. all user software and system data".A screen opens with a list of applications that will be backed up. Since a full backup of the system is being created, nothing needs to be changed here; you need to confirm your readiness to start the process by clicking on the green checkmark located in the upper right corner of the screen.



5. The process of copying applications and data will begin, accompanied by the display of information about the current progress and the name of the software component that is currently being saved. By the way, you can minimize the application and continue using the device as usual, but in order to avoid failures, it is better not to do this and wait until the copy is created; the process happens quite quickly.



6. When the process is complete, a tab opens "Backups". You may notice that the icons located to the right of the application names have changed. Now these are peculiar emoticons of different colors, and under each name of the software component there is an inscription indicating that a backup copy was created with the date.



7. Backup files are stored in the path specified in the program settings.

   

   To avoid loss of information, for example, when formatting memory before installing system software, you should copy the backup folder to at least a memory card. This action can be done using any file manager for Android. Not a bad solution to carry out operations with files stored in the memory of Android devices, is .

Additionally

In addition to the usual copying of the backup folder created with Titanium Backup to a safe place, in order to be safe from data loss, you can configure the tool so that copies are created immediately on a MicroSD card.

Method 4: SP FlashTool+MTK DroidTools

Using applications is one of the most functional ways that allows you to create a truly complete backup of all sections of the memory of your Android device. Another advantage of this method is that it is not necessary to have root rights on the device. The method is applicable only for devices built on the Mediatek hardware platform, with the exception of 64-bit processors.

1. To create a full copy of the firmware using SP FlashTools and MTK DroidTools, in addition to the applications themselves, you will need installed ADB drivers, drivers for MediaTek boot mode, as well as an application (you can also use it, but regular Notepad will not work). Download everything you need and unpack the archives into separate folder on drive C:.



2. Turn on the mode on the device "USB Debugging" and connect it to the PC. To enable debugging,
   first the mode is activated "For Developers". For this we follow the path "Settings" — "About the device"- and tap five times on the item "Build number".

   

   Then in the menu that opens "For Developers" activate the item using the switch or checkbox "Allow USB Debugging", and when connecting the device to a PC, we confirm permission to carry out operations with using ADB.

   

3. Next, you need to launch MTK DroidTools, wait for the device to be detected in the program and press the button "Block Map".



4. Previous manipulations are the steps preceding the creation of the scatter file. To do this, in the window that opens, click the button “Create scatter file”.



And choose the path to save the scatter.



5. The next step is to determine the address that will be needed to indicate to the SP FlashTools program when determining the range of blocks in the memory of the device for reading. Open the scatter file obtained in the previous step in Notepad program++ and find the line partition_name: CACHE:, under which just below there is a line with the linear_start_addr parameter. The value of this parameter (highlighted in yellow in the screenshot) must be written down or copied to the clipboard.



6. Direct reading of data from the device memory and saving it to a file is carried out using the SP FlashTools program. Launch the application and go to the tab "Readback". The smartphone or tablet must be disconnected from the PC. Press the button "Add".



7. In the window that opens, there is only one line. Double-click on it to set the reading range. Select the path where the future memory dump file will be saved. It is better to leave the file name unchanged.



8. After determining the save path, a small window will open in the field "Length:" where you need to enter the value of the linear_start_addr parameter obtained in step 5 of this instruction. After entering the address, press the button "OK".

   

   Press the button "Read Back" tab of the same name in SP FlashTools and connect the switched off (!) device to the USB port.



9. If the user has taken care of installing the drivers in advance, SP FlashTools will automatically detect the device and begin the reading process, as evidenced by the filling of the blue progress bar.

   

   Upon completion of the procedure, a window appears "Readback OK" with a green circle with a confirmation checkmark inside.

10. The result of the previous steps is the file ROM_0, which is a complete dump of the internal flash memory. In order to make it possible to carry out further manipulations with such data, in particular, upload firmware to the device, several more operations are required using MTK DroidTools.
    Turn on the device, boot into Android, check that "Debugging via USB" turned on and connect the device to USB. Launch MTK DroidTools and go to the tab "root, backup, recovery". Here you need a button “Make a backup from ROM_ flash drive”, press it. Open the file obtained in step 9 ROM_0.



11. Immediately after pressing the button "Open" The process of dividing the dump file into separate images of partitions and other data necessary for recovery will begin. Process progress data is displayed in the log area.
    
    

    When the procedure for splitting the dump into separate files is completed, the following message will be displayed in the log field: "task completed". This completes the work and you can close the application window.



12. The result of the program is a folder with image files of the device’s memory partitions - this is our system backup.

Method 5: System backup using ADB

If it is impossible to use other methods or for other reasons, to create a complete copy of the memory partitions of almost any Android device, you can use the OS developer tools - the Android SDK component -. In general, ADB provides all the possibilities for carrying out the procedure; only root rights on the device are required.

It should be noted that the method in question is quite labor-intensive and also requires a fairly high level of knowledge from the user. console commands adb. To facilitate the process and automate the entry of commands, you can turn to a wonderful shell application, this automates the process of entering commands and saves a lot of time.

1. The preparatory procedures consist of obtaining root rights on the device, enabling USB debugging, connecting the device to the USB port, and installing ADB drivers. Next, download, install and launch the ADB Run application. After the above is completed, you can proceed to the procedure for creating backup copies of partitions.
2. Launch ADB Run and check that the device is detected by the system in desired mode. Main menu item 1 - "Device attached?", in the drop-down list we perform similar actions, select item 1 again.

   

   A positive answer to the question whether the device is connected in ADB mode is the ADB Run response to the previous commands in the form of a serial number.



3. For further manipulations, you need to have a list of memory partitions, as well as information about which “disks” - /dev/block/ the partitions were mounted. Using ADB Run, getting such a list is quite easy. Go to the section "Memory and Partitions"(item 10 in the main menu of the application).



4. In the menu that opens, select item 4 – "Partitions /dev/block/".



5. A list opens listing the methods by which attempts will be made to read the necessary data. Let's try each item in order.

   

   If the method does not work, the following message is displayed:

   

   Execution will have to continue until the full list of partitions and /dev/block/ appears:

   

   The received data must be saved in any way in an accessible way, there is no automatic saving function in ADB Run. The most convenient way to capture the displayed information is to create a screenshot of a window with a list of sections.

Backing up folders (folder backup) allows you to copy data not as individual files, but as entire directories, and, together with file backup, forms the basis backup. Handy Backup allows you to automatically copy folders on a schedule.

In this short instruction we will show you how to backup folders on your local machine using the Computer plugin.

1. Call Handy Backup, create a new task using the menu or button on the panel.
2. Select in Step 1 backup, in Step 2 – plugin Computer.
3. Click on the plugin name Computer.
4. In the data list that opens, select using " tick"required folders.

• In the advanced mode of the New Task Wizard, you can select alternative way search for folders for backup. To do this, click on " File filters" and configure the dialog to search for folders by name and attributes.

Go to Step 3 and select storage location folder backups.

In Step 4, select the copy type, configure version storage, timestamps, etc.

In Step 5, enable encryption and data compression if you need it.

In Step 6, set up scheduled folder backups according to your preferences.

1. In Step 7, you can configure external programs to run before or after the task.
2. Finally, give the task a name and complete the task wizard.

How to make a folder backup accessible and convenient?

Keeping the original file format in a folder

By default (if the encryption function is not selected), Handy Backup saves all backup data in its original formats. This opens up the opportunity for the user to directly use files and folders from backups:

• View and change files in copies of a folder using normal means;
• Restore folders from copies using any file manager;
• Back up folders to easily replicate the original content.

Advice: you can use folder backup to save, multiply (replicate), copy, clone or mirror the original content in "hot" mode!

Large selection of folder storage options

You can save your user folders in backup copies on all modern storage media.

• 1. Basic principles
• 2. Operating system capabilities
• 3.Windows
• 4.macOS
• 5.Android
• 6. iOS
• 7. Third party utilities
• 12. Clouds

Each of us has encountered a situation where important and valuable information stored on a personal computer was irretrievably lost due to insufficient precautions. To prevent this from happening again, today we will talk in detail about what a backup is and how to make it on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.

Basic principles

Backup is the process of creating a copy of data on a medium, which is designed so that, if necessary, caused by damage or destruction, the information can be restored in a new location. Backup has several principles that must be strictly followed in order not to lose important data:

• Regularity – backup should become a habit, like brushing your teeth, then the situation with data loss will be practically eliminated;
• Verification – after a copy has been created, it must be immediately verified. Failure when writing a copy is a common situation, and therefore it is worth carefully checking the functionality of the created backup.
• Several storage locations will be more reliable, so it is advisable to have a fresh backup both on your hard drive and in the cloud.
• Hierarchy of importance – depending on the value of information, it needs to be stored in different ways.

Operating system capabilities

Windows

This operating system has standard remedy archiving and recovery, with which you can save both a single file and the entire system. In the “seven” you can use it as follows:

• Go to the control panel;
• There we find the “System and Security” item, then follow the route “Archiving computer data” > “Set up archiving”;
• The system prompts you to select the location where the archive will be located. If you want to make a backup of one of the hard drives, then you will not be able to store it on it - you will have to use another medium, for example, a DVD or flash drive;
• Now the system prompts you to select folders for archiving, click “Give me a choice” and in the window that appears, check the boxes next to the data of interest. Then click next, save and exit;
• In the “Archiving or restoring files” window, the “Archive” button has appeared - by clicking on it, we will start the process of creating a data archive. The recovery process proceeds in the same way - click “Select another backup to restore files” and find a suitable archive.

Starting from Windows versions 8 the process has become even simpler and archiving can now be done in real time. The File History tool will automatically copy the contents of user folders to a pre-selected media. Such copies are made every hour by default, but the period can be increased or decreased if desired.

macOS

Owners of Apple equipment have access to the TimeMachine tool, which, when connected, external drive to the PC will offer to use it as backup storage. Backups are created once an hour, and copies for the past month and for all time - once a day and once a week, respectively.

It is clear that at such a frequency quite a few may be needed free space on the media, but TimeMachine will only save the changed information, and untouched files will simply be overwritten.

Android

Android Backup Service tool allows you to save data about Wi-Fi networks, desktop wallpaper, mail settings, applications from the store Google Play, input settings and language, date and time, as well as a number of other important data. Creating a backup copy is very simple - go to the device settings, in the “Personal data” item, click the “Backup and reset” option and activate the data backup function. To access the same data on another device, you will only need to log in with your account and select the “Auto-Recovery” function in the same section.
Android also has a synchronization tool that allows you to save contacts, applications and much more. In order to use it, you must have account from Google. This tool is activated by default, and to get the most up-to-date copy, you need to find the “Accounts and synchronization” section in your phone’s settings and select Google and check the boxes next to the information of interest.

iOS

Apple's mobile operating system has two main tools for backing up data - iTunes and iCloud. To use the first one, you need to connect your smartphone to your computer, go to the “Devices” tab and click on the “Synchronize” button. This way you can save photos, contacts, SMS, applications and much more.
iCloud is cloud service data storage, which means it is ideal for creating backups. In order to use it, you need Internet access, and another limiting aspect is the small base storage volume - only 5 gigabytes, but to save the most important data, which may include purchase history in the AppStore, phone settings and other information not accessible to iTunes , that's enough. Just go to iCloud settings and start the backup process.

Third party utilities

Handy Backup

A convenient tool for creating backups under Windows. You can save individual files, email documents, make driver backups or system backups. The program supports the Russian language and a trial period of one month - then you will be offered to purchase the software for 800 rubles.

Genie Timeline

An extremely easy-to-use application that even a child can handle. We select a place to store the data, after which we find the file or folder needed for backup, and they are sent to the created Genie TimeLine directory. IN free version you can archive and restore information, and in extended paid versions you can encrypt data, set up sending notifications to email and much more.

Carbon Cope Cloner

A utility for macOS that creates a duplicate disk. The first 30 days of use are free, and after that you will need to pay 2,405 rubles. We go into the program, in the Source Disk item we select the disk that we will copy, and in the Target Disk we indicate the storage location for the copy - very simply and quickly.

Helium

If you are looking for how to make a backup on Android, this program can definitely help you. Install it on your smartphone and personal computer, after which we connect the gadget to it and synchronize. Next in mobile application we select the necessary data and back it up, recovery follows the same scheme. Basic version is free, but contains advertising, and in the paid version for 149 rubles you can set a backup schedule or save data in the cloud.

Clouds

The best place to copy your backup is to cloud services. Yes, without access to the Internet, data cannot be retrieved, but this is not as big a problem as damage to physical media, when information is lost without a trace. Everyone decides for themselves which platform is best for them, but in general Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox and Yandex.Disk will perfectly cope with the tasks assigned to them. We hope your data will now be safe and secure.

December 17, 2012 at 03:53 pm

What is "backup"?

• Information security

Very often I hear phrases like “why do I need backup, I have RAID!” Or “I make backups on the second HDD in the server!” Or something like that. Very often, a few months after this, I hear the question “how can I recover lost data?” And this is sad.

In this article I want to talk a little about what “backup” is and what kind of copying scheme will help protect against the loss of your data. Well, try to expose some myths and bad habits.

Most, I think, will not find anything new for themselves, but if you still belong to the category of those who do not make backups or do, but these are not backups - welcome!

Requirements?

Let's define the terminology. What is a backup?
It is logical to assume that this is a copy of the data, previously saved for the purpose of restoration in the event of the destruction of the original.
This leads to the first requirement - isolation. It makes no sense to make a copy of the documents for the apartment and store it in the same place as the original. So it makes no sense to make a copy of the data and store it on the same disk/server as the original. Logical? Quite.

Let's move on. If we make a copy of data, it means we are afraid of losing it. So? So. This means that all backed up data is valuable to us. So? It's like that again. Hence the second requirement - integrity. There is no point in copying without checking the integrity - at the output we may well receive broken data or lose some of it irretrievably.

One more point. Let's imagine that you deleted a file. Or not a file, but many files. For example, we accidentally did “rm -rf ./ test”. And they went to bed with a clear conscience. And at midnight there was... a backup. But bad luck - it was configured in such a way that it created a complete copy of the data without taking into account versions and changes. Those. deleted the file you deleted on the backup media too - did the opposite of its intended purpose. Introduced? Third requirement - versioning. You should be able to return the previous state of your data, not just have two identical copies.

Well, that's enough, I guess. The article is aimed at SOHO users, and not at enterprises, so we will not consider requirements for security, disaster recovery speed, limited redundancy, and so on.

So what's the result?

As a result, we received three requirements that a backup system must meet in order to bear this proud name and reliably store your data. Isolation will protect against equipment failure or external factors (fire, flood, etc.), as well as malicious deletion of data (will not allow an attacker or virus to infect/delete the backup too), control integrity guarantees that all your data is backed up and you will not be left with nothing if you lose the main copy, having learned about the problems too late, versioning will not allow the backup system to move a bullet from the leg of a user who shot himself in the knee to his head.

Closer to practice.

No question.

When analyzing an existing one or inventing a new IBS for yourself, think about whether it meets the criteria outlined above?
Do the main and backup copies overlap in the same place? Is backup isolation ensured? Is it possible to simultaneously change files in the main and backup storage? Is there a significant (greater than a nuclear explosion) probability that both carriers will be destroyed or lost at the same time? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” there is a bug in the system. For example, if you backed up files from your laptop onto a usb flash and put it in a safe, you’re doing great. If you made this backup and put the flash drive in your laptop bag, you did not make a backup.

Does your schema ensure data integrity? For example, if the backup media runs out of space and the copy cannot be saved correctly, will you know about it?
Does it provide completeness? If this is an application - are the settings saved, if the database is a schema, etc.?
Is it possible to get a working original from an existing copy? Or is something missing?

Do you have any idea what you will do if you lose your key data? Is there (even the simplest) recovery method? Are all its points feasible and sufficient to obtain data? In practice, there are examples where a backup was made to an encrypted HDD, and a complex and secure encryption key was stored not in the owner’s head or even on a yellow piece of paper, but... yes, on the laptop from which the backup was made. As you understand, when the laptop was stolen, the data was lost forever.

Conduct “exercises” - imagine that the main carrier is lost and try to recover. I’m sure you won’t succeed the first time, or you’ll find out that a lot of things are actually not exactly as you imagined before.

Did you answer? Did you spend it? Is everything fine? No, not really. Don't forget about IBS. Keep it up to date. Started using new software? Add its directories to the backup list. Think about how to restore it. Monitor the state of the backup media (if it is a single disk, flash drive or NAS, it will not last forever). Think about your data, no one will do this but you.

Myths and examples of bad decisions

For some reason people love to deceive themselves. For example, many believe that RAID replaces backup and guarantees data safety. Especially if the RAID is not simple - the first, but a sophisticated one, for example the 5th.
But RAID is not a backup. Of the criteria defined above, in the general case, all three are not met - mirrored disks are not isolated, not controlled, and not versioned. Fall file system, a random “rm -rf /” or an error when working with partitions will destroy the data on both disks and RAID will do nothing to save them. Moreover, if a damaged FS on one disk can usually be restored at least partially, then a broken array almost always cannot.

The common “separate HDD for backup” scheme is also unviable. First, the backup data is accessible and vulnerable to an attacker, a virus, or a simple error like the aforementioned “rm -rf /”. Secondly, there are many situations, and very probable ones, that will destroy both disks at the same time. For example, the violent and beautiful (with special effects) death of the power supply. Or a bucket of water thrown over the computer by a cleaning lady. Or... a lot of them.

Utilities like dropbox also of little use for backup - unless, of course, versioning is provided. If you accidentally corrupt the data in the main copy, you will lose the backup copy as soon as changes are synchronized between them. The data will no longer be returned.

Instead of a conclusion

Take care of your data by spending 15 minutes “before” - you can save 15 hours “after”. Don’t forget the old joke about those who don’t make backups and those who already do.

To quickly recover lost data on your smartphone, you need to know what a backup is and how to create it on Android.

With its help you will quickly return everything deleted files, restore game and program settings, as well as IMEI, identification numbers, passwords and all other information contained on the device.

Definition

Backup is an archived backup copy of your phone or computer files. A backup can be created on any operating system. Its purpose is to save all user data and configure the system at the time the archive was created.

After a factory reset or a forced system restore using a backup, you can quickly return all lost data and avoid wasting time re-installing programs and configuring the OS.

A copy of the data is created using special programs. The most popular utilities:

• Titanium Backup;
• Super Backup;
• Nandroid Manager;
• Helium and others;
• SP FlashTools.

Types of backups inAndroid

On Android OS, users can create a backup copy of the entire system or its individual components:

• Copy SMS -messages and contact list ;
• Backup of the entire system taking into account security settings (saving all locking passwords);
• Backup any selected files ;
• Backup photos and videos ;
• A copy of your Google account information ;
• Backup for IMEI .

Why is it important to create Backups periodically?

Backup allows you to get rid of the problems associated with sudden loss of data on your smartphone. Periodically creating a backup will allow you to save all operating system settings, as well as messages and multimedia files.

If errors occur that require you to reset your phone, you can easily get back all deleted information. In the Android OS, a backup can be created using the built-in system options or using special programs.

In what cases should you make a backup?

1. Before updating the firmware . It doesn't matter whether you download a new version of Android over the air or install updates manually, create a copy of the installed OS. We recommend moving all photos, videos and music to a memory card or uploading this data to cloud storage;

2. Before resetting. Over time, smartphone users may experience a decrease in the performance of their gadget. This is due to the load RAM, viruses. The easiest way to restore devices is to reset the OS to factory settings. Before doing this, it is better to create a backup of your phone book and SMS so as not to lose important data;

3. To reset the lock password. If you have set a password, graphic key or PIN code and forgot it, you can reset it without losing data by using a backup. The only requirement is that an archive with a copy of the data must be created before setting the password.

Also, periodically creating a backup phone book will allow you to quickly return lost numbers in the event of a SIM card error or after clearing the memory card.

What is needed to create a copy?

To create a backup in Android OS in a standard way, you will need:

• Superuser rights – ROOT must be active on the smartphone at the time the copy is generated;
• Storage media for copies – this can be a built-in memory card, any cloud storage or the memory of your computer;
• Backup program . Software that works with backups with active ROOT rights allows you to create a copy of all data in the operating system - from contacts to arbitrary files and settings of each program.

Another way to create a backup- This is the use of third-party programs that do not require superuser rights. They allow you to back up only basic OS data. For example, a phone book, messages, accounts linked to the OS. Creating and restoring a copy can be done using one program that must be installed on your smartphone.

Backup programs

After flashing your gadget, you get an absolutely “clean” software shell. You will not be able to return any programs, accounts or settings from the previous version of the OS if you did not take care of creating a backup copy in advance.

Many users prefer to install applications from scratch. However, it is much easier to use a backup and return all application settings using one archive. Restoring previous settings does not affect the operation of the OS in any way and does not cause bugs or errors.

Backup programs will be relevant for those applications that are not in the official Play Market .

Titanium Backup and Helium- these are the two most popular programs for working with backup copies of applications in the Android OS of any version. To get started with each of these utilities, you will need superuser rights.

To create a backup of one installed program or several types of software at once, use the instructions for one of the following utilities.

Titanium Backup

The utility has more than 5 million official downloads in Play Market. The application not only allows you to restore operating system data, but also works with manufacturer-installed software, removes components and settings that a regular user cannot remove using the standard settings window.

Main features of Titanium Backup:

• Setting up backup according to a specific schedule;
• Move programs between internal and external memory without having to close the application;
• Quick scan for availability new version firmware;
• Firmware installation;
• Storing the history of calls and text messages from a mobile operator;
• Backup browser bookmarks;
• Backup router access point;
• Data synchronization with cloud services DropBox, OneDrive, Google Drive;
• Assigning a system status to any program (the option is configured by the user);
• Creating a backup archive that can be re-installed on a smartphone using the console;
• Synchronize settings and application data between several gadgets.

Convenient transfer of settings from one gadget to another is the most useful feature Titanium Backup. If it happens that your smartphone breaks down or you lose it, thanks to a backup you can easily restore all contacts and messages in popular instant messengers and transfer the information to another device.

You don't need an old SIM card to transfer data. All you need is a second gadget, a backup archive and the Titanium Backup utility. All backups created in the program automatically synchronizes with one of your cloud storages:

• Go to the utility window Titanium Backup;
• In the list of programs installed on the smartphone, select the desired messenger or other application to create a backup copy of its settings. In our case, we will archive all numbers and messages from Whatsapp;
• Tap on the program name for a few seconds. In the pop-up window, click on the field "Save";
• Next, select cloud storage, to which an archive with software settings will be sent.

To move program data to a second gadget or restore settings after a factory reset, reinstall Whatsapp messenger and Titanium Backup. Open the recovery tool and sync the utility with the cloud.

In the list of all programs installed on your smartphone, select the desired messenger, click on it and in the options menu click on “Restore”. Titanium Backup will automatically create the required backup copy in the cloud and return all lost files to the program. You will be able to use all your contacts again and access lost chats.

In a similar way you can transfer given any another program for the second gadget. Most often, the application backup function is useful for transferring messenger data and saving progress in games.

Helium

Helium is another simple and useful utility for quickly restoring your device. The software works on all devices, regardless of whether you have superuser rights. The only requirement is synchronization with the cloud. The utility does not save a backup to a memory card or external storage.

Helium features:

1. Synchronization of applications on several devices;

2. System backup;

3. Convenient file explorer;

4. Uninstalling programs and rolling back their updates.

To create a backup copy of the installed program data, follow the instructions:

• Open the Helium app. The Carbon file explorer will appear in the main window of the utility - this is a built-in service for viewing a list of all installed applications. Click on the desired program and from the action menu select "Backup";
• Wait until the copy is completed. The created archive will be sent to the cloud;

To restore information from a copy using Helium, open the utility on another device. In the settings, activate the “Synchronization with the cloud” item. Next, in the main program window, go to the “Recovery and Synchronization” tab.

Select the program whose data you want to return and click on “Restore”.

To create any other type of backup, go to the “Browse” tab and select one of the backup options.

Saving IMEI

IMEI is the international numeric identifier of your device. Using this set of numbers you can find out the manufacturer of the gadget, its model and status. Phones and tablets without IMEI are considered stolen and are unofficially prohibited for use in the CIS.

As a result of resetting settings or software errors, the IMEI identifier may be lost. However, you can restore it using a backup copy.

Signs of a lost IMEI:

• After flashing or resetting to factory settings, problems arise with communication (cellular network, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi);
• Complete lack of connection to GPS;
• The phone does not see any SIM card.

You can restore the ID only with superuser rights. To return the IMEI, you will need to install the Android Terminal Emulator console emulator utility (if your phone does not see the network, download the installation APK to your computer, and then move the file to your phone using a USB connection).

Follow the instructions:

• First we need to know the EFS code. To do this, enter the command mount and press Enter to execute it;
• A text will appear in the console window in which you should find the EFS command, spelled with a slash. The text identifier before the command is the code we need. Code search example:

• Write down the found code on a piece of paper and restart the application. After restarting the emulator, enter the command to restore IMEI (each line must be entered via Enter). XXXXX is the EFS code found;

• To save IMEI settings without leaving the program, enter the following lines:

After successfully completing all commands, exit the emulator window, restart your smartphone and check the operation cellular network, geolocation and Internet connection. Everything should work fine. If desired, you can check the presence of IMEI using the engineering menu.

Backup photos and videos

As a result of your smartphone being stolen or reset to factory settings, the most unpleasant thing is the loss of photos, videos, music and other personal data. All programs can be reinstalled, but it is almost impossible to return personal information without premature preparation.

Even if you are sure that nothing will happen to your gadget, we recommend that you set up at least one of the methods described below for saving your multimedia data.

Using the Google+ app

The standard Google application is pre-installed on all Android devices. The purpose of Google+ is to unite and synchronize everyone Google services in one account. If you have Google Drive cloud storage installed on your device and Google app+ - this does not mean that file synchronization is configured.

The fact is that in mobile Google versions Drive cannot be configured to synchronize a specific folder. Users can only activate the automatic sending of all photos taken with the gadget’s camera through the smartphone settings.

Follow the instructions to sync any folder on your smartphone with One Drive and automatically send copies of files to the cloud:

1. Install the FolderSync application on your smartphone or update it to a new version if the utility is already on your smartphone. The utility allows you to select any folder in the smartphone’s memory and configure its synchronization with the cloud (link to the Play Market page :);

2. Further, for devices with Android OS 0 and higher, it is not necessary to allow access to all folders and files on the smartphone. To do this, simply open the FolderSync program immediately after the first installation and press the button in the pop-up window "Allow";

3. To set up automatic backup of photos, videos and other files in the main FolderSync window, click on the button "Create New Sync";

4. Then the built-in assistant window will open. In it you need to enter a name for the created “folder-cloud storage” pair;

6. In the window that appears, select the OneDrive cloud service or another site, with whom you want to set up a binding;

8. To confirm the action and save the settings, click on "Authenticate Account";

All user data is added to the repository. No matter what happens to your phone, you can always get your photos back using any computer or browser.

At the directory selection stage, you will be prompted configure one of the following options for connecting to cloud storage:

• Connection with local folder (select if the backup data will be created and located only on your smartphone);
• Sync with a remote folder(if you want to create a backup for a folder on your computer);
• Hybrid option(to create a backup of this smartphone and other remote gadgets).

In the connection settings, you can select a schedule according to which synchronization will occur. We recommend sending data to the cloud every day. In case of an error or breakdown of the phone, everything important files will have a backup.

Other ways

In addition to Google Drive storage, you can also choose any of the following services:

• DropBox – the most popular cloud storage in the world. Its peculiarity is that the program can automatically create a backup of your phone’s photos and immediately delete them, freeing up memory. You can access the folder with all the images at any time from all devices. All you need is an Internet connection;
• MEGA – a cloud that provides 50 GB of virtual disk space for free. The user can set up synchronization with any device, download client programs for PCs and smartphones, control access to folders and files;

Mail . ru cloud – after registration you will have access to 100 GB completely free of charge. Manage simple file synchronization and view in any browser.

All of these cloud storages have client applications in the Google Play store and the ability to synchronize phone data with the server through the usual program settings.

We create a backup of any files

In addition to the options described above for creating a backup of photos, music, videos, users can download the following programs to their smartphone for work with backup copies of documents of any format:

• DataSync;
• DropSync.

DataSync

The application works in a similar way to FolderSync discussed above and allows you to create a backup of any information that is stored in internal or external memory devices (except for installed programs and system settings).

Also, DataSync allows you to configure sending a backup from one device to another via a Bluetooth connection, which is convenient when you need to save important information, but there is no Internet connection.

Thanks to the two-way synchronization option, two gadgets will be able to exchange game data. This way, all missions and progress will be saved on both devices at once.

DropSync

DropSync is another popular utility for sending backups. Its peculiarity is additional monitoring of the phone’s performance. If the smartphone has low battery, the application will not sync data, so as not to reduce the operating time of the device.

Users can select the synchronization type:

(after synchronization, the data remains in the smartphone’s memory);(automatically deletes information from the phone’s memory to free up space. Users can access files using cloud storage linked to the program);

Download only– receiving a backup from the cloud and adding its contents to the smartphone’s memory.

Backup for all data and settings

NAND (or Nandroid Backup) is a concept that is used in the Android OS to denote a complete backup of the firmware installed on the smartphone, including all system data and its settings. The backup also includes everything installed programs.

The full backup function is supported by recovery menus such as TWRP or CWM. TWRP is an advanced recovery menu that is installed on the phone by the user, and CWM is an alternative recovery menu.

Firmware with one of two types of recovery is installed in the system partition of the smartphone’s memory, after which you can create a backup of absolutely all data. After recovery, you will be able to use all lost programs, contacts and files again.

Also, a backup created in CWM or TWRP can be installed on any other Android device if it supports working with the created firmware version. Nandroid Backup Online

Nandroid Manager

To create a complete backup copy of the device's software shell, you need to download and install the Nandroid Manager program

The utility allows you to create a quick standard (copying all data) or custom backup of the system (the user selects what needs to be saved) without going into the recovery menu. In the application settings you can select the following backup options:

• Backup name– contains a unique name, date, code and firmware name;
• Creation Mode– normal (full), custom selection of memory sections;
• Copy type– CWM or TWRP. You can also select compression to save disk space;
• The place where the backup will be stored. You can add it to your phone's memory, download it to your PC, or upload it to the cloud;
• Exclusion from backup contents temporary files, bugs, erroneous system settings, cache and found viruses.

The Nandroid Manager utility synchronizes the created backup archive with the cloud, FTP server. Users have access to the function of creating a schedule for updating a backup copy. To save battery power, we recommend that you configure the downloading of a new version of the backup only during the period when the gadget is charging.

Notice! Uploading a full backup of the operating system viaNandroid Managermay affect the performance of the gadget.

Backup with ADB

ADB is a debugging bridge for Android OS. In simple words, using ADB you can create a system backup by connecting your smartphone to your computer. ADB is a console application in which the user enters system programs performed on the phone.

ADB Features:

• Viewing the content and system settings of connected gadgets;
• Client-server interaction between smartphone and PC;
• Viewing logs;
• Removing or cleaning the DATA system partition;
• Quickly copy files of any format between devices;
• Executing the firmware;
• Application of control scripts;
• Removing superuser rights;
• Manage network connection parameters.

To get started, download and install the ADB Run utility on your computer.

Launch the folder that appeared on your computer desktop as a result of installing ADB Run. Connect your phone to your PC and in the ADB Run program folder create text document devices.cmd (the file must be a standard notepad object or any other text editor. Immediately after creation, rename the TXT format to CMD).

Open devices.cmd and write in the file the following commands:

• echo off
• adb devices
• pause

When the success message appears, enter new team to create a backup of the current firmware state:

adb create backup [- l ] [- r ] < name > , where name is the name of the archive with a copy of the firmware.

The backup copy will be saved to the root folder of the ADB Run utility on your computer. You can move it to any other folder or cloud.

Super Backup application - creating a copy without ROOT

To create a backup copy of your smartphone data, you can use third party programs, which without superuser rights are able to set up a backup of selected information.

Super Backup is one such application. His main feature– wide functionality.

The user can create copies of the following types of information:

1Applications;

3Call log;

4Calendar;

5Bookmarks;

6Phonebook contacts.