What backup?
A backup (also known as a "backup copy") is a copy of your data (SMS messages, applications, contacts, photos) saved in a different location than the original (PC HD, memory card, cloud service, etc.) that keep them safe in case of accidents. So, if your smartphone is lost, stolen or damaged, for example, you still have all your data safely and can transfer it to a new device.
We recommend that you make backups periodically (for example, once a month), and also before a smartphone change or if you want to format your current device. Many of the options we list here include automatic backup, so just activate them and rest assured.
Android backup to your Google account
I couldn't start with another alternative than the native feature offered by Google. In the Settings app on your smartphone you will find the option "Backup and reset" (the name may change a little according to the brand). L, make sure that the Backup option is enabled.
This tool allows you to backup data, apps and device settings in the cloud. The backup performed periodically directly in the associated Google Drive active account on the device. But beware: it is only done via a Wi-Fi connection and takes up space in your Drive storage.
Android has an integrated backup tool / AndroidPIT
This feature backs up: contact data (stored in Google), Google Calendar events and settings, lists of known Wi-Fi networks and their passwords, wallpapers, GMail settings, Apps, screen settings (such as brightness and timeout), language and keyboard settings, date and time settings, and app settings and data that were not made by Google.
Pay attention to the last item: not all apps can integrate with Google's backup, that is, it may be that data and settings are lost. If in doubt, it is a good idea to contact the app developer (through the Google Play page) and ask if the data is included in the Android backup tool or, if not, how to save it.
Backup of WhatsApp conversations, images and videos
Unfortunately, WhatsApp is one of these apps that do not integrate with Google's automatic backup: by default, it only backs up data locally (on the device itself), which is useless if you want to restore it on another device. It has an option to automatically back up data to Google Drive, but first you need to activate it.
Open WhatsApp and click on the three dots in the upper left corner of the screen. Go to Settings> Conversations> Conversation Backup. Touch Back up to Google Drive and choose the frequency (I suggest Daily). In Google Account choose the account with which the backup will be associated.
I need to manually activate WhatsApp backup on Google Drive / AndroidPIT
In Do backup in choose whether to back up only when connected to Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and Cellular (I strongly recommend only Wi-Fi, for the amount of data). Check the option Include videos if you want them to be part of the backup.
Now tap the Backup button at the top of the screen. Ready! When you reinstall WhatsApp, either on the same device or on another device, it must recognize the backup and offer to restore it during the initial setup. A nice detail: WhatsApp backup does not count in your Google Drive account space.
Backup photos to Google Photos
To back up all the photos and videos on your smartphone, open Google Photos, touch the menu with the three lines in the upper left corner of the screen and Settings. Touch Backup & sync. Enable the Backup and sync option. By default, Google Photos only backs up photos and videos taken with your smartphone camera. You can include extra folders in Back up device folders.
Under Upload size, I suggest you leave the quality at High. Google Photos will apply compression to your photos (so that files are smaller) but visually the difference in quality is almost nil. In addition, high quality photos do not count towards your Google Drive’s space limit.
Enable automatic Google Photos backup and never worry about your photos and videos again / AndroidPIT
On the same screen, I recommend disabling the Backup options with the cellular data and the Roaming option. Thus, Google Photos will not consume your data plan. If you're on a cellular network, go back to the main Google Photos screen and you'll see a card at the top of the screen saying Backing up. It will be replaced by the message Backup completed when everything is finished. You do not need to stay on Google Photos while the backup is made, you can continue to use your smartphone normally. Only remains connected to the Wi-Fi network.
After the backup is done, how about freeing up a few GB of space on your cell phone? Tap the button with the three lines in the upper left corner of the screen and tap Free up space. This erases photos and videos that have already been uploaded to Google Photos from your device. A window will appear saying how much space will be released, tap the button that says Release and wait.
In addition to backing up, Google Photos still frees up space in memory. Not the most? / AndroidPIT
App backup, SMS and call log
If you enabled Android native backup, you can rest assured: the system will take care of downloading and installing all the apps that were on your device when you set up a new device (or format yours). But it takes time, especially if you are on a slow network connection. So it can be useful to save apps to a memory card, to reinstall them more quickly later.
There are several apps that do this, our suggestion is Super Backup Restore (or Super Backup & Restore), which is easy to use due to its intuitive interface entirely in Portuguese. With a simple touch of the screen you can backup SMS messages, applications, contacts, photos and even the phone call log.
Super Restaurao backup / AndroidPIT (screenshot)
Backups are made on Google Drive or on the microSD card, in addition to being able to connect via FTP and copy directly to your computer. To make your first backup, download and install the application. Open the app and then a screen will appear for you to choose the items to include in the backup. Touch the desired item and select the "back up" option. In the app settings it is possible to change the location where the backup will be saved.
Super Backup Restore

Finally copy the extra data to the PC
Your device settings are on Google Drive, photos and videos on Google Photos, WhatsApp backup is ok, what else is missing? Folders and files that you have created manually, such as items in the Downloads and music folder, for example.
To copy this information, connect your smartphone to the PC with a USB cable (or via Wi-Fi), and on the device screen, select the File transfer option. The contents of the internal memory should appear in a Windows Explorer window, as if the smartphone were an HD. Drag the folders and files you want to the computer and you're done. Then, to restore the backup, just do the reverse.
Don't forget to have a good microSD card
To make backups and be sure that your data will be kept well, you will need a good microSD card. Old, slow or fake cards can corrupt information or work erratically, and we don't want that in a backup, right? Therefore, we recommend reading the article below, where we teach you how to choose the best card for your cell phone.
And, which of these backup techniques do you use on your device?
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