There is no method to make a full backup of android smartphones. It is always only a partial backup, be it adb backup or google drive.
I recommend to manually backup your files from ADB:
adb pull -a /sdcard
You can backup apps with Google as explained here. Also Swift Backup or Google One can backup app data of some apps.
For adb backup it's important to know only apps that allow it in AndroidManifest.xml can be backed up with ADB.
You can split backup into packages. Only backup apps that you know. you can try list_app_labels.sh or list packages from cmd line:
adb shell pm list packages -3
adb shell pm list packages -s
for example
adb backup -f chrome.ab -apk com.android.chrome
AFAIK Helium can do this, but you can also try another automated script for splitting backup into packages.
Beware: even in case app data is backed up for single packages, it's not guaranteed it will restore on other devices.
Answer from alecxs on Stack ExchangeGoogle Support
support.google.com › android › answer › 2819582
Back up or restore data on your Android device - Android Help
On your Android device, open your device's Settings app. Tap Google All services. Under “Backup and restore,” tap Backup Account storage. Tap the account that you want to use for backups. ... Important: Not all apps can back up or restore all settings and data.
Google Play
play.google.com › store › apps › details
Backup and Restore - APP - Apps on Google Play
Light APP Extractor to back-up APK & Photos to Local & SD & Cloud
android 12 - How to make a full local backup of my phone - Android Enthusiasts Stack Exchange
For adb backup it's important to ... it in AndroidManifest.xml can be backed up with ADB. You can split backup into packages. Only backup apps that you know. you can try list_app_labels.sh or list packages from cmd line: adb shell pm list packages -3 adb shell pm list packages -s ... AFAIK Helium can do this, but you can also try another automated script for splitting backup into packages. Beware: even in case app data is backed up for single packages, it's not guaranteed it will restore on other ... More on android.stackexchange.com
Backup and Restore Apps and Data [Manually]
I read that many users faced problems ... how to backup/restore your apps and data MANUALLY because this let you choose which app to backup/restore... This tutorial is for noobs (because I am noob!!!!!) Requirements: Galaxy SL or any other android device.... More on xdaforums.com
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Best way to backup & restore phone
Backing up to Google is the easiest. Ensure your Google Account is linked to your phone and that the "Backup to Google Drive" option is enabled in your device settings. This typically includes contacts, call history, messages, calendar events, device settings, and app data. Backup apps like WhatsApp and telegram to drive as well. Transfer important files like photos, videos, and documents to your computer or cloud storage services like Google Drive. Don't forget to backup the sim if you have anything important saved on it. Also disable automatic updates while downgrading to avoid any issues during the process. More on reddit.com
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November 22, 2024What's the modern way to perform a full backup of the entire system?
On my Samsung I always use Smart Switch. Unfortunately it doesn't work on other brands. But with an empty 1TB SD card you can certainly copy everything from internal to the SD. Then copy it back. Have to wonder why an empty huge SD card? I also have a 1TB SD and that's where all my photos, books, audiobooks, etc are stored. Why have a huge card of you're not going to use it. More on reddit.com
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September 3, 2024Videos
Android Developers
developer.android.com › security › identity › back up user data with auto backup
Back up user data with Auto Backup | Identity | Android Developers
3 weeks ago - Every app can allocate up to 25 MB of backup data per app user. There's no charge for storing backup data. Your app can customize the backup process or opt out by disabling backups.
Google Support
support.google.com › android › answer › 13761358
Copy apps & data from an Android to a new Android device - Android Help
If you don’t have your old device available, you can restore from a previous backup of your old device stored in your Google Account. Learn how to back up or restore data on your Android device. When asked to copy apps and data, tap Next.
XDA Forums
xdaforums.com › home › general development › legacy & low activity devices › samsung galaxy sl i9003
Backup and Restore Apps and Data [Manually] | XDA Forums
June 26, 2013 - Go to /data/data and copy app folder to your SD card backup folder. that's it, now your app is fully backed up. Restoring app and data:
Google
guidebooks.google.com › android › getstarted › backuprestoredatawithgoogledrive
Backup & restore data on Android - Guidebooks with Google
We cannot provide a description for this page right now
e/OS Community
community.e.foundation › eoswiki › howtos
[HOWTO] Backup and Restore Data on Android Devices - #75 by petefoth - HOWTOs - /e/OS community
June 22, 2022 - I am in the process of moving my devices away from /e/OS to LineageOS for microG. As part of this process I did quite a lot of work backing up my user-installed apps and my setting, then restoring / migrating them to new ROMs and to different devices. In fact, I didn’t need the backups: once I had the new ROMs built correctly, I was able to successfully ‘dirty flash’ them over my existing custom /e/OS builds.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/androidquestions › best way to backup & restore phone
r/AndroidQuestions on Reddit: Best way to backup & restore phone
November 22, 2024 -
I am facing several issues with beta version of the os on my phone. Need to downgrade to a stable version. What is the best method to backup & restore my apps , files and settings so the process is shorter?
Top answer 1 of 2
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Backing up to Google is the easiest. Ensure your Google Account is linked to your phone and that the "Backup to Google Drive" option is enabled in your device settings. This typically includes contacts, call history, messages, calendar events, device settings, and app data. Backup apps like WhatsApp and telegram to drive as well. Transfer important files like photos, videos, and documents to your computer or cloud storage services like Google Drive. Don't forget to backup the sim if you have anything important saved on it. Also disable automatic updates while downgrading to avoid any issues during the process.
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https://www.howtogeek.com/544849/how-to-back-up-and-restore-android-using-google-one/
Asurion
asurion.com › connect › tech-tips › how-to-restore-android-backup
How to restore your Android phone from a backup | Asurion
June 30, 2025 - Learn how to restore your phone from a Google backup and transfer data, like your contacts and photos, from your old Android phone to your new one using simple steps.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/androidquestions › what's the modern way to perform a full backup of the entire system?
r/AndroidQuestions on Reddit: What's the modern way to perform a full backup of the entire system?
September 3, 2024 -
I feel like I am at the end of my wits trying to figure out how everyone does android backups. I have 14291 media elements (camera, screenshots, screen recordings, downloads saved photos, etc) on my oneplus 6t.
Syncthing only backs up the camera folder. When you try to add others, android gives a permissions error. I want to factory restore it to see how much faster it'll feel, but obviously I can't copy a 200 gb folder into another folder to copy over, as then I'd exceed the 256 gb storage.
I don't care where I back up to, as long as it's local (my google drive is full). I have an empty 1tb external ssd, I have plenty of free space on my desktop, and I can ssh from my desktop with termux into my phone, I can try other syncthing suggestions, but really, what is the clean way google expects us to do it that will copy everything before factory restore?
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"what is the clean way google expects us to do it that will copy everything before factory restore?" They don't care they offer only cloud services (and grab your data) which cannot even store all your stuff ... YOU are halfway there: Identify -what you want to backup and do it.... or just copy blindly all your folders to the SSD. My recommendation: Use your phone as a collecting bag, not as a shelf. The shelf is your SSD or PC. Rename folders on your phone as SubjextXY_backed_up or SubjextXY_deletable. For transfer : CX-Explorer and a windows share on the PC or your sftp. Your goal: "I want to factory restore it to see how much faster it'll feel," well: the media files are (only) a (slowing down) factor for your gallery apps, (Hint Look into ".nomedia") otherwise the amount of files ist not the main brake. Identify apps in the background and tame / uninstall / freeze them. There is your speed.
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For photos/documents you added/created manually, you can just plug the phone into a PC and drag/drop the files (or use adb pull). For app data, the app needs to have a way to backup. Otherwise copying app data is not possible (without root).
Acronis
acronis.com › acronis blog › how to back up android phones to pcs: the ultimate guide for 2025
How to back up Android Phones to PCs: The ultimate guide for 2025
August 18, 2025 - To use the Backup & Restore function, follow these steps: Ensure you have a working SD card on your phone. Open the "Backup & Restore" app and go to "Settings" → "System" → "Backup & Restore.” · From the following pane, choose "Personal ...
Signal
support.signal.org › hc › en-us › articles › 360007059752-Backup-and-Restore-Messages
Backup and Restore Messages – Signal Support
Some phone's require you to use a cable that was provided with your phone in order to transfer data. Click here to scroll up to the steps to restore messages. Tap Create backup. Enable permissions for Signal: Android Phone Settings > Apps or Apps & Notifications > Signal > App Permissions or ...
Android Developers
developer.android.com › security › identity › data backup overview
Data backup overview | Identity | Android Developers
Preserving this data and personalization for users when they upgrade to a new device or re-install your app is an important part of ensuring a great user experience. This page describes what data to back up and the backup options available to you. Figure 1. Make sure you restore identity data, ...
Google Support
support.google.com › googleone › answer › 9149304
Back up your device - Android - Google One Help
At setup, to restore your data, follow the on-screen steps. ... Open your device’s Settings app. Tap Back up or copy data Copy data. Select the data you want to transfer over. Learn how to transfer data from a cloud backup. The process can take up to 24 hours. If you turn off backup on your device, your backups are deleted. Photos and videos that you previously backed up remain saved in Google Photos.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/googlepixel › does a backup restore include app settings and data?
r/GooglePixel on Reddit: Does a backup restore include App settings and data?
December 18, 2021 -
I am planning to do a factory reset to my Pixel 3a. When I restore from a backup will that include settings/data within my apps or just the apps that are on my phone?
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Its up to the app developer to decide whats being backed up and what's not, and many apps don't allow the system to backup anything, while absolute majority of the apps will make you login again, too, so do assume factory reset to be a lot of work.
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This is probably the only thing I'm jealous of by iphone users.. all apps, settings etc are in icloud. I hope Google will fix this backup/restore sometimes..
Wikihow
wikihow.com › computers and electronics › telephones › smartphones › android › android applications › how to restore apps on android: quick steps to get them back
How to Restore Apps on Android: Quick Steps to Get Them Back
August 26, 2025 - If you want the backup to include things like your photos and videos from your phone, tap Photos & videos, then tap the toggle next to Backup to turn it on. Tap Other device data and tap the toggle next to Back up other device data to turn it on. "Other device data" includes things like apps and app data, call history, contacts, device settings, and both SMS/MMS messages.[2] X Research source ... Restore a backup.
Samsung
samsung.com › us › support › answer › ANS10002780
Back up and restore data or files on your Galaxy phone or tablet
Tap Accounts and backup, then tap Back up data under Google Drive. Turn on the switch next to 'Back up using mobile or metered Wi-Fi data. ... Smart Switch is compatible with Galaxy phones running Android 4.3 or higher required for general transfers.
Wondershare
drfone.wondershare.com › how-to › backup & restore solutions › 5 ways to backup android app and app data easily
5 Ways: Backup Android App and App Data Easily
Third-party apps have become a norm considering Android's very own iCloud-based service is not as easy to use as it should be. ... Using the Dr.Fone - Phone Backup (Android) is probably one of the easiest ways to back up data on your Android phone. It works well with more than 8000 devices and is simple to use. ... Selectively backup Android data to the computer with one click. Preview and restore the backup to any Android devices.
PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › how-to › operating systems › android
Save Your Stuff: How to Back Up and Restore Your Android Device | PCMag
March 19, 2025 - These 5 Programs Can Help · 24 Android Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most From Your Phone ... Sign into your Google account and continue the setup process. You’ll reach a screen that will prompt you to restore data from an old device.