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Shiny new Nexus S backup question

Is there an app like Titanium Backup for a non-rooted SNS? Do I really need to backup if I don't root the phone? I would like to backup before I start the playing (sorry for the newbie question but I am a recent convert from i****e 4).
Thanks in advance, Jeff

You can boot into Clockwork Recovery (with fastboot) and do a nandroid backup, all without flashing anything.

If you have no intentions of rooting odds are you don't need a backup app. When you first set up your phone you can check the box that will backup with google and in the event you get a new phone all your apps will be there. Anything you purchase on the market will automatically backup to your account even if you don't check off the box. Welcome to Android, I'm sure you will enjoy your experience.

icandy75 said:
If you have no intentions of rooting odds are you don't need a backup app. When you first set up your phone you can check the box that will backup with google and in the event you get a new phone all your apps will be there. Anything you purchase on the market will automatically backup to your account even if you don't check off the box. Welcome to Android, I'm sure you will enjoy your experience.
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Thank icandy75 for the quick reply. Is that data (pics, contacts, bookmarks, etc.) and apps if I check the box? Is the backup encrypted or passworded? BTW I am currently using a Samsung Intercept for the last 5 weeks with 2.1 and temporary root so I really like Titanium Backup to wipe data and being able to reverse things. Can the backup to Google do anything like that, I am suspecting not.
P.S. So far the experience has been wonderful even after using iPhones for 3.5 years.

shrivelfig said:
You can boot into Clockwork Recovery (with fastboot) and do a nandroid backup, all without flashing anything.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply. I assume these are not as robust and flexible as Titanium Backup. Is it inevitable that I will really just want to root to get better apps? Sorry but new to the wonderful world of Android. BTW I am only going to use the SNS via WiFi for now.
Thanks for the info., help and advice,
Jeff

jefftab11 said:
Thank icandy75 for the quick reply. Is that data (pics, contacts, bookmarks, etc.) and apps if I check the box? Is the backup encrypted or passworded? BTW I am currently using a Samsung Intercept for the last 5 weeks with 2.1 and temporary root so I really like Titanium Backup to wipe data and being able to reverse things. Can the backup to Google do anything like that, I am suspecting not.
P.S. So far the experience has been wonderful even after using iPhones for 3.5 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics are not backed up but you can back those up manually to you computer without root. Contacts are backed up to your Gmail account for easy access. It will also back up your wifi passwords but not your sms. There really is no reason not to root on this phone. It's very easy to do and reversible plus root gives you the ability to use a bunch of apps like TB. If you get into flashing roms I would suggest getting the paid version. It makes it a breeze to switch from one rom to next and gives you a few more options like dropbox sync and the ability to freeze apps.

use mybackup pro for backups if you dont have root.
backs up all sms, mms, android home, system settings, call logs, music playlists, bookmarks, dictionary, call logs, applications (doesnt back up the data/settings inside the app). lol am i missing something?
you can save the backups online or to your sd card

Yeah, My Backup pro is the only other app that I know of that people liked for non-rooted devices.

Clockwork Recovery Backup
I know this thread is about a month old, but...
I have to say, if you want to do any rooting or ROM flashing later the Clockwork Recovery backup is probably the better way to go.
It wasn't said earlier, but if you have adb and fastboot already installed/config'd on Ubuntu (but should be the same commands on Mac OSX - not sure about Win):
Code:
adb reboot-bootloader
fastboot boot <path to recovery file>/recovery-clockwork-herring.img
I already unlocked my bootloader prior to this, so all the data I have has been wiped previously and I reloaded manually.
Vol Down to "backup and restore" and hit power button. First option is Backup. Just hit power button and let it do the backup. This may take a bit of time. The recovery is not perm and will be gone when you reboot.
The backup is stored on your "SD" partition under "clockworkmod/backup/[backup date]"
You should be able to use the same thing to restore at a later time if needed, selecting "restore" instead of the "backup" option.

There is a app on the market called* backup everything*. I've never used it but description says works for non rooted phones.

takkun1946 said:
I know this thread is about a month old, but...
I have to say, if you want to do any rooting or ROM flashing later the Clockwork Recovery backup is probably the better way to go.
It wasn't said earlier, but if you have adb and fastboot already installed/config'd on Ubuntu (but should be the same commands on Mac OSX - not sure about Win):
Code:
adb reboot-bootloader
fastboot boot <path to recovery file>/recovery-clockwork-herring.img
I already unlocked my bootloader prior to this, so all the data I have has been wiped previously and I reloaded manually.
Vol Down to "backup and restore" and hit power button. First option is Backup. Just hit power button and let it do the backup. This may take a bit of time. The recovery is not perm and will be gone when you reboot.
The backup is stored on your "SD" partition under "clockworkmod/backup/[backup date]"
You should be able to use the same thing to restore at a later time if needed, selecting "restore" instead of the "backup" option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify commands, specifically for Mac OSX:
(These commands are assuming you've downloaded this file (http://www.mediafire.com/?qoz9f6e8fbx8zs0) and unzipped it to your desktop)
Code:
~/Desktop/adb-fastboot/adb reboot bootloader
Code:
~/Desktop/adb-fastboot/fastboot oem unlock
Code:
~/Desktop/androidsdk/tools/fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-3.0.0.5-crespo.img

[Q] Google backup or titanium?

so i have titanium backup..
anyway..just flashed my first rom....and when i booted the first time. i set up my google account. Before i could even get to titanium my phone was downloading all my apps and contacts from google.
Any opinions on googles ability to restore stuff? Im contemplating wiping again and disabling auto restore before i set up google. Is it worth it?

mikeydee81 said:
so i have titanium backup..
anyway..just flashed my first rom....and when i booted the first time. i set up my google account. Before i could even get to titanium my phone was downloading all my apps and contacts from google.
Any opinions on googles ability to restore stuff? Im contemplating wiping again and disabling auto restore before i set up google. Is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google backup works just fine for downloaded apps and contacts, so why bother?

Well for me this didn't work. I did some wipes now but the Google backup functionality never worked for me. Therefore I always use TB.

well this is the first time ive flashed a custom rom. Was running stock for the first few weeks of root.
The first time i flashed and set up my phone google didnt do anything
Was having some probs so i decided to wipe and reflash...the second time google went crazy and started dowloading everything from the market.

I always use Ti Backup. In my experience, Google backup doesn't always backup and/or restore all my data and I end up uninstalling and re-installing through TB anyways.
If you choose to go the TB route, remember to force a re-do of all your backups (or at least of user apps) before wiping data and flashing a new rom. That way you'll ensure having the most current data from your apps when you re-install.

Also if you want to only restore from titanium, just skip the google sign in setup, and uncheck the restore from google setting. Go to the market and download titanium restore all the apps and data, wifi and bluetooth settings only. Restoring system data from an old rom or stock rom to a new one may bork your system.

kpjimmy said:
Also if you want to only restore from titanium, just skip the google sign in setup, and uncheck the restore from google setting. Go to the market and download titanium restore all the apps and data, wifi and bluetooth settings only. Restoring system data from an old rom or stock rom to a new one may bork your system.
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Click to collapse
Don't you need to sign in to get the market to work?
Sent from the Delta Quadrant using XDA Premium App

titanium backup ..

caseyatbt said:
Don't you need to sign in to get the market to work?
Sent from the Delta Quadrant using XDA Premium App
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Yes but make sure your phone wont autosync. When you skip the setup that should also skip the autosync as well. Just in case go to settings, accounts and sync and make sure autosync is unchecked. Sign into the market and get titanium backup. If you have a rom like coredroid, it may already be included. Check your particular rom for details.

Well I used titanium after I reflashed. I restored all user apps. System data is where I'm confused cuz there is so much data. I'm thinking contact sms Bluetooth settings wifi settings and sense desktop are what you would want to backup. Most of these were in green type.
However..... After restoring I still noticed multiple copies of friendstream and a lot of weather apps which all seem to be the same thing. I dlfeel like I got a bunch of dupes

[Q] "adb restore" leaves stuff out

I am trying to restore files back to my reset OnePlus One using "adb restore <file>" but while the restore happens without error, some files/folders are not restored. I have checked the backup file and the files and folders are present in the backup file, yet adb restore does not restore them
My backup is created with this command:
adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all -system
And I try to restore with this:
adb restore backup.ab
Especially in the /sdcard/Android/data are a lot of files and folders missing and apps are not getting restored to their working state.
How do I restore the backup properly? Do I have to push every single file/folder to the phone manually?

Never mind. I just noticed that the backup files did not care to backup the /sdcard/Android folder and I have lost all files.
Why is it so impossible to make a proper backup on Android?
I am so close to ditching android just because I cannot get a working backup/restore to work!
And no, my phone is not rooted as rooting erases my files. Chicken and egg problem. I really hate android here.

"adb restore" didn't restore any of my accounts! I am so very pissed about android right now. Such a "mature" platform and no working backup/restore.
Plenty of tools offering to make backup/restore, but the all require me to erase all data (root) making the backup moot. And those tools that do not require root cannot backup anything besides what "adb backup" offers to back up (which is more miss than hit).
I am really envious of Apple users here. They have perfect (so it seems) working backup and restore.

... and I cannot add the missing accounts because they are already created. So, none of my accounts were restored and even though all accounts are actually there, none of them can synchronize as they are not there.
And all this trouble just to fix non-working MMS which turned out not to work after a reset anyway. I hate really hate android. So f...... unreliable.

I seriously cannot recommend anyone to use adb backup/restore. This will totally mess up your phone. Copy files manually and write down all your accounts (type/username/password/all settings) create them manually afterwards. "adb restore" cannot restore accounts.

If everything is lost at this point might as well root now and use titanium backup or parcel in the future? Not sure if parcel can backup accounts, titanium backup can though
Sent From Lollipopified Bacon Goodness!

ek69 said:
If everything is lost at this point might as well root now and use titanium backup or parcel in the future? Not sure if parcel can backup accounts, titanium backup can though
Sent From Lollipopified Bacon Goodness!
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Indeed

galmok said:
And no, my phone is not rooted as rooting erases my files. Chicken and egg problem. I really hate android here.
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Click to collapse
Why didn't you just connect to your PC and copy your files across? Or at least research the phone before you bought it or started using it? If you unlock the bootloader when you receive the device the wiping that occurs during the unlocking process is a non-event.
There's no reason to "hate Android" because of this situation. There are several ways to make backups on an Android device, you just failed to unlock your device at the correct time. Just trying to put it into perspective a bit here.
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timmaaa said:
Why didn't you just connect to your PC and copy your files across? Or at least research the phone before you bought it or started using it? If you unlock the bootloader when you receive the device the wiping that occurs during the unlocking process is a non-event.
There's no reason to "hate Android" because of this situation. There are several ways to make backups on an Android device, you just failed to unlock your device at the correct time. Just trying to put it into perspective a bit here.
Transmitted via Bacon
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I cannot copy everything to my pc. Accounts for instance cannot be copied. Same with system settings, Wi-Fi passwords and some apps do not survive the adb backup/restore (like Waze that enters a crash loop) and other apps just vanish. This system is not user friendly. There is no way I could make anyone I know accept this phone if they knew they couldn't back it up. They know nothing about rooting but they will not accept a non-working backup.
I at least tried (hard) to make a backup and restored it back and that was a horrible experience. I cannot help wondering why Google hasn't arranged android to have working backups. Apple has it and it seems near perfect compared to android.

galmok said:
I cannot copy everything to my pc. Accounts for instance cannot be copied. Same with system settings, Wi-Fi passwords and some apps do not survive the adb backup/restore (like Waze that enters a crash loop) and other apps just vanish. This system is not user friendly. There is no way I could make anyone I know accept this phone if they knew they couldn't back it up. They know nothing about rooting but they will not accept a non-working backup.
I at least tried (hard) to make a backup and restored it back and that was a horrible experience. I cannot help wondering why Google hasn't arranged android to have working backups. Apple has it and it seems near perfect compared to android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google does have backups, in the settings menu. Most of the system settings are backed up (and even if they weren't it should only take a total of ten mins to set them up again). Apps are backed up and downloaded again on a fresh install. It all works perfectly if you know what you're doing.
Transmitted via Bacon

timmaaa said:
Google does have backups, in the settings menu. Most of the system settings are backed up (and even if they weren't it should only take a total of ten mins to set them up again). Apps are backed up and downloaded again on a fresh install. It all works perfectly if you know what you're doing.
Transmitted via Bacon
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Except I have apps that are not on Google Play. I cannot backup my Wi-Fi passwords and am forced to let Google keep a copy. And there are so many settings that 10 minutes is far from enough to find them all and fix them. And the point is, I shouldn't have to. I should be able to make a backup, preferably compartmentalized, and restore the sections I want, if not all. And it should be 1 tool.
Also, following a reset, the phone will begin reinstalling apps from Google Play and what happens if I begin adb restore at the same time? I didn't want to find out and let it install. But when some games use 1.5GB of storage, that takes a long time. Would be much faster if I knew I could use adb restore.
Oh well, I will have to accept the horrible backup/restore solution for this phone, but I really am envious of the backup/restore for iOS devices.

Force Android Backup?

Is there anyway to force an entire phone backup to occur immediately? I looked through the following website:
http://developer.android.com/tools/help/bmgr.html
All I found there was how to force individual apps to backup... I'm wanting to force a backup of everything Google backs up (Market, Settings etc...)

Powell730 said:
Is there anyway to force an entire phone backup to occur immediately? I looked through the following website:
http://developer.android.com/tools/help/bmgr.html
All I found there was how to force individual apps to backup... I'm wanting to force a backup of everything Google backs up (Market, Settings etc...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what a Recovery exists for, so you can do a full phone backup.

SimonTS said:
That's what a Recovery exists for, so you can do a full phone backup.
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Click to collapse
Yeah I do this too... The reason I'm relying on the Android backup this time is because it also backs up WiFi passwords. I use two phones, and a job that's stingey about giving out the WiFi password. So on my main phone I have the WiFi entered (by an employee that won't give out the password to anyone else) and I'm wanting to do a factory reset on my backup phone and restore the main phone's settings, thus putting the WiFi password on the backup phone.
I've tried to manually check the WiFi password in my system with root explorer but it just gives me a series of numbers, which is not the password. Idk how else to transfer the WiFi password to the other phone.
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

Titanium Backup has the option to backup WiFi settings, or check in wpa_supplicant.conf

SimonTS said:
Titanium Backup has the option to backup WiFi settings, or check in wpa_supplicant.conf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wpa file is what I manually checked and it just showed a coded password, not the actual password. I will look at TB again but for some reason I felt like that didn't work in the past.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

Non-rooted backup of app caches on data partition?

Hello all,
I've been searching this topic for a few weeks, and have yet to find a viable solution. I want to grab some files out of the app caches on the data partition of my Pixel 2. I don't necessarily want to root it, because I have no desire to modify anything, just want to view some stuff.
I've tried several backup apps - which have either failed because they need root, or "backup disallowed". I've also tried adb using pull, backup, cp, shell, etc. It seems a bit backwards to unlock the bootloader, wiping the device of the very data I'm trying to extract. It's been frustrating to not be able to access one's own personal data ?
Any ideas? Thank you.

+1 I'd love to have this answer as well. All my passwords are in Twik (Play store app). I don't think Google is backing up app data (or are they?). If I ever decide to flash the Pixel 2, I'll have to re-type all my websites, plus the private key. Twik is one of the few apps I rely on that isn't cloud based. I suspect the answer is there's no way on an unrooted android device.
Speaking of Google backing up app data, Google android says it can restore app and app data, but in my experience, unless the app uses cloud based data, it ain't happening. So why do they claim to backup app data? I suppose they are refering to Google apps, as of coarse, Google does keep your Google app cloud data anyway, so you'll have it restored when you log back into your android device.

You could try using Helium for backing up data. Even without root, if you follow the instructions (download the file to a Windows box and connect the phone to it) Helium should work.

Rukbat said:
You could try using Helium for backing up data. Even without root, if you follow the instructions (download the file to a Windows box and connect the phone to it) Helium should work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I tried that once. But without root, it skips anything that has it's backup flag set to "false". Unless you know a way to trick it ?