A few days back I’ve got my first Android powered phone – HTC Hero. I have to say, it is much better than my Windows Mobile HP iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger. However I am not sure what is better – the touch screen or the Android system itself? Being the responsible user I immediately started searching the backup applications through the Android Market. There are the results.
By the way, Android market is very good place for looking for your software online. As I know, Microsoft is starting to prepare something similar to the iPhone App Store and Android Market. However the current situation is rather poor for Windows Mobile users. There is no central place to download the software.
So, I have found several backup applications for my new HTC Hero with Android operating system. The synchronization with Google services itself is a backup tool too. As soon as you will add any new contacts, e-mails or events to calendar, the synchronization starts. If you don’t have an internet connectivity immediately, then the synchronization will be done later, of course. So using this, your basic data are backed up to the Gmail a Google Calendar.
However this is not enough. You don’t have to use the Gmail and could prefer another way to backup your HTC Hero or another Android powered phone. So what are the backup applications Android marketplace offers?
SMS Backup for the Android and HT Hero
Do you have a lot of SMS messages you wouldn’t accidentally delete or lost? Then try the application called SMS Backup. This software will backup all of your HTC Hero (or Android phone) SMS to the Gmail. At first, provide your username and password, then the software will inform you that the first backup needs to be initiated manually. So click the OK and Backup buttons and wait for a while. The SMS will be backed up using 100 pieces batch. Then you can set up Auto backup option.
After you will log in to your Gmail account, you will see a new tag with SMS label.
MyBackup – backups all your applications and data
Another interesting software is MyBackup. This is a paid application, but you have 30days trial for testing purposes. So try before you buy. Using this software is very easy. Just start it, click the Backup button and select what you would like to backup from your HTC Hero/Android phone. You have two options: Applications or Data.
If you select Applications backup, then you will be prompted with the list of all your application installed in your Android device. Click Check all (or manually select only some items) and continue with the OK button. Provide a name for this backup and wait for a while until the apps are backed up to the memory card in your device.
The Data backup gives you another two options – SD Card and Online. I have used the SD Card option since I would like to see my backed up data. And again. You will be prompted with a list including Contacts, Call log, Bookmarks, SMS, MMS, System Settings, Home Settings, Alarms, Dictionary, and data from another installed applications. Check all, click the OK button, provide the backup name and wait for a while.
The backup process can be scheduled and you can easily manage and restore from your previous backups.
By the way, the online backup here is a very good idea. You can have your backup on the SD Card, but as soon as someone will stole you phone, you will lost this backup with it together.
Backup using Astro File manager
Astro File manager is another useful app for your Android device. It is something like Total Commander for Windows or Midnight Commander for Linux. This great freeware file manager has a backup functionality too. It is able to backup your application to the SD card.
Click the Menu button on your HTC Hero device (or something similar on another phones), select Tools and tap the Application manager/Backup option. The Astro will load the application list. Select one, more or all of the applications and click the Backup button. Your software will be copied to the SD card.
Your tips for Android backup
Do you have another tip for Android backup application? Let us know using the comment below this article. I’m sure all of the readers will appreciate this.
And just a note at the end. If you would like to see what is in the Android Market using your desktop web browser, go to the www.cyrket.com. It is and Android Market Browser available for everyone.
I have been asking all sorts of people and not had help. Can you help? The automatic synchronising of contacts is fine if I have entered the contact on my PC but if I enter it on the phone it dies not sync and then gets deleted! Any assistance welcomed.
Hi. I think the best working solution is to enter the contacts on your Android as a "Google type contact". Then it will be sync with your Google account and you can edit it via the web browser.
I didn't experiment with classic phone contacts on Android and synchonizing them against the desktop.
Hi guys. I need help please? Is there anyway I can set my desire to auto save to the SD card? I am unable to download any other apps as my internal memory is full. I have tried and tried to figure it out. Please help.
Hi!
I've ourchased a new android phone and sold the previous one. I didn't pay too much attention however to restoring my settings. I've turned on the restore settings in Privacy settings that said it was backuping all the related data (phone settings, cookies, etc.) to some google servers. Now I have the new device and have no idea how can I restore those settings from the 'Google servers'. do you have any idea? Or I shiuld have used a program like MyBackup and it's too late to think about it?
Hi, I don't know, how did you perform the backup, but for all information saved to Google applies you can login on your new Android phone a perform synchronization to get them back to the new phone. I did it for my mails, contacts, calendar and so.
Since your name was "Jan". Oops.
Jan is John in English :-)
'John' is 'Sean' in English already. Sean is an Irish name. Maybe its the American English version? (are you American?)
I'm the Czech. And about the name Jan... Check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan
This was a lot of help! I have been looking for a great way to backup my info. I came across a new app called m:IQ. It was previously offered on just BlackBerry and Windows Mobile and a friend of mine used it there. I downloaded it from the Android Market and it's pretty awesome. It backs up my contacts, calls, calendar, photos, videos, text messages and I can text message over the web. It backs up your info to a private web account where you can manage your phone and its free. It's pretty awesome and I would highly recommend it. An easy one-stop-shop compared to downloading a few apps, or having Google Sync and then some other apps.
Hi, is m:IQ able to restore data backed up on Windows Mobile to the Android device?
Yes! I just finished doing it myself earlier today....
Hi, thanks so much for this article. Its amazingly useful n im very glad to find this information. Amazed with technology nowadays. Also amazed with android's technology.
Hi .. i wanted to know if there is any possible way that i can transfer my previously stored text messages into my htc hero?
Hi, you can check the tutorial about moving the messages from the Nokia to the HTC Hero. Maybe it will helps: http://vinodmishra.com/2009/09/how-to-import-smss-from-nokia-to-htc-andr...
I didn't transfer my SMSes from my old phone, so I couldn't help more.
hey thanks .. this might help .. though i tried to edit nokia messages to rewrite them as the ones i got in another phone, but nokia just doesnt seem to open the edited file.
let me see if this transfers the nokia messages first then will tell you about it
thanks.
Great round up of backup solutions! I've referenced your blogpost in the Sprint Community blog about Android Backup Solutions:
http://community.sprint.com/baw/community/buzzaboutwireless/phones-and-d...
Thanks, Will.
Thanks for the blog. I updated to Android 2.1 using MyBackup Pro and it worked great. Even brought back my HTC Sense setup. I went ahead and bought the Pro version, also been using Astro, seemed like the best file manager application.
I have to backup my HTC Hero because I have a needed update. I downloaded MyBackup, so do I just need to re-install it after I update my phone?
Hi, the answer is yes. When I did a HTC Hero firmware update, I had backup all my apps using Astro File Manager to memory card and then restored them again.
Hi,
Thanks for the articel..I really like it.
Hope I found this article before I made a backup using wrong app..
Can you help me?
I using sprite back up,the back up file is in. Sbf not in .zip..
When I want to restore it,the application is always failed to restore as the result..and the funny things is all my new picture is also missing..
I really don't know what to do..and desperately wants all my pictures back..
Please help me..
Hello, I don't use Sprite Backup, maybe someone of the readers will help.
Hi
I have just got the htc desire and want to copy over all my apps from my hts magic.
Is there an easy way to do this.
Please help.
Hi, being you, I will use the Astro File manager to backup all apps on the HTC Magic. Then you should download and install Astro File Manager on HTC Desire and restore the rest apps from the backup on your memory card.
Thanks so much for this information, this helped me a lot!
I have an HTC Hero (Sprint) and I'm running out of room on the 2 gb card. What is the best strategy for transferring the files to a bigger card? What do I have to watch out for? I'm sure many people are in this position, but I can't find a solution to this problem
Hi...
I got a good deal on HTC Hero two months back and post buying I have become fan of my HTCHero....One Problem.
The GOOGLE ACCOUNT of last buyer is locked and i am not able to surf and net on ANDROID Market coz its asks for google password.
Can yu guide how to un-install and re-load the programme or.... can i only delete Google Application and reload again...
Wil appriciate any word on same,,,,,
Njoy,,,Rajiv
Hi, you should have to reset your HTC Hero. Info, about how to do it, is here http://www.sizzledcore.com/2009/09/19/how-to-hard-reset-htc-hero/.
I think that you need just to put the card to the computer, copy the whole content and then put it to a bigger card.
Yes, that is exactly how I migrated my HTC Legend from its initial 2GB card to an 8GB card. Just copy the contents of the old SD card over to the new SD card. Any operating system will suffice, however, watch for hidden files ("."-something files) when using, say Linux.
Ive got a htc hero on the way but im worried that i'll run out of space for storing apps on the internal memory?? can u store them on an SD card? or if you back them up r they useable from the card??
Thanks
Jimmy
The app for Android are small, don't worry. And their large data (GPS navigation for example) could be loaded from SD card.
Hi Jan,
I just wanted to let you know that there's a new player in the Android backup apps: Titanium Backup.
Just look at the rave reviews:
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup/
It is a free app (with Donate version also available) and can backup EVERYTHING on the phone, including Wi-Fi access points. It can backup/restore normal and protected apps in no time and with zero clicks. It's the only backup tool that will preserve the Market links. With the Donate version it's even faster and you can keep several backups per apps. It can even uninstall system apps !
One drawback: it does require a rooted phone.
Hi Joël, it seems like a great app for backing up the Android phones. I think many people find it useful.
However for me, personally, the drawback with rooting the phone, is really big drawback ;-)
sorry - I'm being an idiot!
I have backupped my phone on ASTRO file manager and installed the latest update as instructed
everything is fine but I cannot figure out how to restore from the backup!
I cant seem to even find how I access anything on my SD card!
help!
do I just need to re-download ASTRO from the Market?
Yes, you do. Download ASTRO from the Android market and use the restore function.
Hey
Thanks for a nice and super usefull webpage!
I have aproblem:
I used smsbackup on my first hero and it worked flawlessly -
unfortunately i lost the device and had to get a new one - now i have the new one, and i've installed smsbackup, but it wont backup - it tells me that:
"Please make sure you enabled IMAP in your Gmail account settings and check your username and password"
I checked all three things numerous times.
Do you have an idea what can be the problem and how i can fix it?
Thanks in advance,
Lasse
Hi, this is strange. SMSbackup works for me, so I don't know. Maybe someone other....
Hi - I'm sorry, I've read these threads and still confused as I'm running out of time and I can't try all the suggestions here and none seem to fit exactly what I need to do. I have an HTC Hero with lots of texts I want to keep and a very full contact list most WITH PICTURES added. The phone is faulty (signal, etc) and so is being collected tomorrow and replaced with a new identical phone. I keep my battery, SIM (I think SD card too) and all cables, et.c, and just hand over the phone. What I need to be able to do is export all texts and contacts WITH PICTURES in the correct format so that I can then import them back into my new phone so that the contacts will come intact with multiple phone numbers per contact, associated picture, etc. I signed up to googlemail as I read that that was the way to go, but there is no option for htc hero only iphone, blackberry, etc. Could someone please give me a real idiot's step by step guide (no assumptions) listing exactly what I should do (I mean press this, select that, not just "now export your contacts" when they don't tell you HOW to export your contacts). I am on a really tight timescale here as the phone leaves tomorrow and I really don't want to lose all my data. PLEASE HELP URGENT!!! Thanks so much.
Sorry - I should add that I don't want to synch with Outlook as I don't want ALL my Outlook contacts on my phone, I just want exactly what's on my phone now to be on my new phone tomorrow. Thank you.
Hello Charlie, I think that a syncing with Google will solve your problem. I was in the similar situation. I do syncing of my mobile via WiFi from Gmail app in the HTC Hero. After that, all my mails and contacts are available with all their information from the web too.
When I did sync to the new phone, the contacts were downloaded including their pictures.
Thanks but what about all my texts? Can I save them to gmail too and then import them back to my phone again?
Which texts do you mean?
I mean all the text messages that are on my phone in and out to my contacts which the Hero keeps as a message thread between you and the contact. How do I get these off my phone and back onto my new phone? And I still can't find the GMAIL app that I need that you mentioned to export my contacts - will that also export all the pictures and 'groups' that I've set up on the phone and seamlessly bring them all back in? Basically I'm looking to duplicate my phone I suppose!
Gmail app is in All programs list. The text messages could be backed up by WaveSecure, which offers its Android version free till the end of March.
Thank you I'll look there. Will the GMAIL app save all the contacts, with their designated mobile and home numbers (ie. multiple numbers per contact) and their pictures ready to import back into the new phone (when it arrives in 50 minutes!!!)
When I moved from HTC Touch to Hero, I exported all my contacts on the Touch to the Sim Card then inserted the SIM card in Hero and imported them all, no problem. Then I just had to edit them all to move name/surname and add the missing letters to people's names then add pictures to each one. having done all that I'd like to be able to not have to do it all again so will GMAIL app allow me to save all contacts ready for import? Then how the hell do I import if I can get that far? Sorry to be a pain, I can't believe this is not straightforward (maybe it is and I'm just being dim). Thanks for your help.
Simply. The Gmail app in HTC Hero saves all your contacts, their phones, their photos and other data to your Gmail account. Then you can check it from the web browser in your computer. Then you can do sync on the new phone and the people will be downloaded.
Do not forget, that the contact has to be a Google type, not the type for the SIM only. When creating the contact, HTC Hero gives you option usually. SIM contacts are moved together with the SIM card.
Im sorry if this was covered, Im simply trying to back up all my HTC Droid contacts to my computer so I can run the the new Droid Update. Can someone put this in laymens terms for me? I assumed these contacts were possibly synced to my computers Gmail account but cant find them....thanks in advance!!
I just thought I would send you an update so this thread can be concluded and may be of help to others. I couldn't get my phone to work with Gmail because I had major connection problems which was one of the reasons I was getting a replacement. So I had to let go of my phone, all the contacts, all the pictures and all my texts and give them to the Orange man who swapped with the new phone. Then came the dilemma. I had the option of saving all my contacts from my Touch to import into the Hero, as I had done just weeks ago when i got the new phone. However, becasue of your advice saying that Sim contacts stay as Sim contacts, I figured I would be in the same boat next time. So I went to my GMail account and manually input all my contacts using my old Touch, and added pictures. My Hero was beside me when I was doing this and I was wondering how to get them down from GMail into my phone. When I picked up my phone they were all already in there as I was typing! Oh the wonders of technology (pretty scary too....). The pictures sync up too. So now at least I know that if I need to replace my phone again, all my contacts and pictures are safe in the ether. Sadly, I had to lose my texts. A final last ditched call to HTC themselves, who were very helpful even though they couldn't help - told me that I couldn't save my texts. SURELY with today's technology and all the amazing features of this phone, they would make a simple backup system and it shouldn't be so complicated for both contacts and texts. Nothing in the user guide to really help you and despite how this thread may read, I am not completely thick when it comes to technology, or maybe.....