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How do I delete a Time Machine backup?

June 17, 2022 by feecalculator_x6rbod

How do I delete a Time Machine backup?.

Time Machine is the best way to protect the data on your Mac. It is able to fully automate backups and makes it easy to restore files and folders. When using Time Machine, you may sometimes need to free up space by deleting certain backup files and snapshots.

Read on to learn how to delete Time Machine backups from external and internal media on Mac.

Why You Must Delete Time Machine Backups

When you set up Time Machine on an external drive, it creates a permanent archive of backups or snapshots of your Mac’s data. This allows you to restore specific versions of files and folders, sometimes years old. Time Machine is smart enough to delete the oldest snapshots to free up space, making manual storage space management unnecessary.

However, if you are also using the backup drive as a personal storage medium (only possible if it is formatted in HFS+ or Mac OS Extended format), you can delete all previous backups of any file or folder to free up space. Or you can delete certain pictures.

In addition, Time Machine stores hourly snapshots of your data locally if you don’t have a Time Machine drive connected. If you run out of space on your Mac’s internal storage, you can delete individual or all local snapshots via the Terminal.

Delete File and Folder Backups via Time Machine

Time Machine allows you to delete all backups of any file or folder on an external hard drive or SSD. The following steps do not apply to APFS (Apple File System) Time Machine drives.

1. Connect your Time Machine drive to your Mac.

2. Select the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select Sign In to Time Machine. Or open the launcher and select Other > Time Machine.

3. Navigate to the location of the file or folder and select it. If you have already deleted this item, use the timeline to the right of Time Machine until you find it in the previous snapshot.

4. Select the gear icon at the top of the Finder window and select “Delete all [file/folder name] backups”.

5. Select OK in the confirmation popup.

6. Enter your Mac’s administrator password and click OK to confirm.

Time Machine will continue to include the file or folder in new backups. If you want to stop this, you must add it to Time Machine’s exclusion list (more on this below).

Delete Time Machine Snapshots Using Finder

Time Machine stores incremental backups of your files and folders as individual snapshots. You can delete them directly by accessing the Time Machine drive through Finder. This is possible on both HFS+ and APFS Time Machine drives.

1. Launch Finder and select your Time Machine backup drive from the sidebar.

2. Open the Backups.backupdb folder and then the [Your Mac Name] subfolder to access your Time Machine backups. If the drive uses the APFS format, all snapshots will be in the root directory.

3. Find the Time Machine snapshot you want to delete. Since snapshot file names are displayed in YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS format, try sorting them using the Name column to make it easier to find the specific snapshot you want to delete.

4. Control-click the photo you want to delete and select Move to Trash.

5. Select Continue to confirm.

6. Enter your Mac’s administrator password and click OK.

7. Control-click or right-click the Recycle Bin icon in the Mac Dock and select Empty Trash.

Note. If you are unable to empty the Trash, you need to disable System Integrity Protection on your Mac. To do this, enter the Terminal through macOS Recovery and run the disable csrutil command.

Delete Time Machine Snapshots Using Terminal

An alternative way to delete Time Machine snapshots involves using the terminal on macOS. You start by listing all the snapshot pathnames in a terminal window. You then re-run the command to remove the desired snapshots.

1. Connect your Time Machine drive to your Mac.

2. Open the launcher and select Other > Terminal.

3. Run the following terminal command to view the list of Time Machine snapshots:

list of tmutil backups

On HFS+ Time Machines drives, you will see the full path to each snapshot. If the drive is formatted in APFS format, you will only see a list of filenames.

4. Run the following command to delete the snapshot, replacing snapshot-path/name with the path (HFS+) or name (APFS) of the backup, enclosing it in double quotes:

sudo tmutil remove “snapshot path/name”

5. Enter your Mac’s administrator password to authenticate the action and press Enter.

6. Repeat these steps for any other pictures you want to delete.

Delete Local Snapshots Using Terminal

Time Machine creates automatic hourly snapshots of your Mac’s local storage, giving you the ability to recover a limited amount of data even if you don’t have a backup drive with you. However, if you run out of free space soon, you can delete them via the Terminal.

1. Open Launchpad and select Other > Terminal.

2. Run the following command to open the list of local snapshots:

tmutil listlocalssnapshots /

3. Delete the Time Machine snapshot using the command below, replacing [snapshot-name] with the snapshot name (only the YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS part):

sudo tmutil deletelocalsnapshots [snapshot name]

4. Enter your Mac’s administrator password to authenticate the action and press Enter.

5. Repeat these steps for any other pictures you want to delete.

Disable Local Snapshots (macOS Sierra and Earlier Only)

If you’re a Mac user with macOS 10.12 Sierra or earlier, you can prevent Time Machine from taking local snapshots. This action also forcibly deletes all local snapshots. You can re-enable local snapshots if you wish.

To do this, open the Terminal and run the following command line:

sudo tmutil disablelocal

Run the following command if you want to reactivate local Time Machine snapshots:

sudo tmutil enablelocal

Exclude Files and Folders in Time Machine

You can prevent Time Machine from including certain files and folders in your backups. This is ideal if you want to keep certain items from taking up space on your Time Machine drive, such as temporary files like Safari or Apple TV downloads.

1. Control-click or right-click the System Preferences icon in the Mac Dock and select Time Machine.

2. Click the Options button in the lower right corner of the Time Machine window.

3. Select Add (plus icon).

4. Select the file or folder you want to exclude and click Exclude.

5. Repeat these steps for any other files or folders you want to exclude.

Cleanup Complete

Deleting old Time Machine backups can help you free up space, but it’s best to let Time Machine do its thing and only intervene if available storage starts to run low. Also, don’t forget that you can exclude items from your backups and prevent the Time Machine drive from filling up faster.

How do I delete a Time Machine backup?

How to Download a Backup from iCloud

May 6, 2022 by feecalculator_x6rbod

How to Download a Backup from iCloud.

Back up and restore files on your Apple devices via iCloud. But what if you need to download or export files from iCloud backup to third party devices? This is a simple process, but the steps may vary depending on your device.

You may need to download your backup files to other devices or free up iCloud storage space. We’ll show you how to download iCloud backups to Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

Download iCloud Backup From the Web

This is one of the easiest ways to download iCloud backup files to computers and mobile devices. However, please note that only certain types of files can be downloaded from the iCloud web platform – photos, contacts, and iCloud Drive files from the web.

Download backups to Mac and PC via iCloud Web

Visit the iCloud website (www.icloud.com) on your device’s web browser and sign in to your iCloud account.Select the category of the iCloud backup file you want to download. For example, select “Notes” to download all notes from iCloud backup, or “Photos” to download iCloud photos.

Select an album from the left sidebar, select the photo you want to upload, and select the Upload icon from the menu bar.

To download all photos from a backup, press Command + A (on Mac) or Control + A (on Windows) to select the entire library. After that, select the “Download” icon from the menu bar. iCloud will zip the photos into a downloadable ZIP file.

To upload contacts to iCloud storage, return to iCloud home or expand the iCloud menu and select Contacts.

Select the contact you want to download, click the gear icon in the bottom left corner, and select Export vCard. Your browser will download the contact in VCF (vCard) format to your computer.

To download all contacts from an iCloud backup, press Command + A (on Mac) or Control + A (on Windows) to select all contacts. After that, select the gear icon in the lower left corner and select “Export vCard” to download the contacts.

To access iCloud Drive files, select iCloud Drive from the iCloud home webpage and navigate to the folder containing the files you want to download. Select the file(s) and tap the “Download” icon in the menu bar to save it locally.

Uploading backups to mobile devices via iCloud Web

Visit iCloud.com in a web browser, sign in to your iCloud account, and select a file category. Then select the files you want to upload, tap the menu icon in the bottom corner and select Upload.

For documents (such as PDFs), tap Select in the top right corner, tap the file, and tap the Upload icon.

If you’re using Chrome for iOS, click “Open In” and select “Save to Files”.

Download iCloud Back to Mac using iCloud Drive

You can download iCloud backups from Finder if iCloud Drive is enabled on your Mac computer. Make sure your Mac is linked to the same Apple ID or iCloud account where the file is stored.

Open System Preferences, select your Apple ID, select iCloud in the sidebar, and check the box for iCloud Drive.

On Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier, go to System Preferences > iCloud and turn on iCloud Drive.

This will download all iCloud backup data to your Mac so you can access your files locally. Downloading all the backup files may take several minutes or hours, depending on the size of the backup files and the speed of your connection.

Open Finder and select the iCloud Drive folder under “iCloud” in the sidebar.

macOS automatically downloads iCloud backup files when you turn on iCloud Drive. If a file or folder has a cloud icon, it means that it is only available in the clouds.

To download the backup file to your Mac, select the cloud icon or right-click on the file and select Download Now.

If you want to delete the backup file from your Mac, right-click and select Delete Download.

Download iCloud Back to PC Using the iCloud App

You can also use iCloud for Windows to export iCloud backups to your PC or external storage devices. Install the app from the Microsoft Store or the Apple website and follow these steps.

Note. With iCloud for Windows, you can only upload media files (photos, videos, etc.) and browser bookmarks. One more thing: Installing iCloud will also install the “iCloud Photos” app on your computer. You will need both apps to upload media to your iCloud backup.

Launch iCloud, enter your Apple ID account information, and select Sign In.

Check the boxes for iCloud Drive and Photos. Then click the “Options” button next to “Photo” to configure the upload and download options.

Since you only need to download your backup files, please check iCloud Photo Library and download new photos and videos to my computer – select “Done” to proceed.

Click Apply and then Close to close the iCloud Control Panel.

Press the Windows key, type iCloud in the search bar, select iCloud Photos under Apps.

Select Upload photos and videos below the menu bar.

Select the folder(s) containing the images or videos you want to download and click the Download button to continue.

Unlike iCloud on Apple devices, you can’t preview backup files before downloading them. This is another disadvantage of iCloud for Windows.

Double-click the Downloads folder to view the downloaded backup files.

Some (large) files can take a few minutes to upload via iCloud, depending on your connection speed and file size.

Download iCloud BackUp Using Third-Party Apps

Many apps allow users to download files from an iCloud backup. These third-party apps support downloading a wide variety of file types from your backup – notes, pictures, images, contacts, calendars, and more. Plus, you can preview items before downloading them to your device.

However, one of the major drawbacks is that third-party apps often require payment or a subscription. Let’s see how to use two of these apps – iMyFone D-Back and PhoneRescue – to download iCloud backups.

Download iCloud backup with iMyFone D-Back ($49.95/month)

Install iMyFone D-Back iCloud Backup Extractor on your Windows or Mac computer and follow the steps below. You need to purchase an app or pay for a subscription to download iCloud backup files.

Open the app, select Restore from iCloud in the sidebar, and then select iCloud.

Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID account information. The app does not store your account information, so you don’t have to worry.

If your account is using 2-step verification, please authorize sign-in and enter the security code sent to your devices.

Wait for the app to check the security check before proceeding to the next step.

Check the box next to the iCloud data category you want to restore or download. Better yet, check the “Select All” box to select all categories with backup data. Select Scan after selecting a file category or multiple categories.

Select a data category in the sidebar and select the files you want to upload in each category. Then click “Restore” and follow the instructions on the next page to download the selected files.

Download iCloud backup with PhoneRescue ($49.99/year)

PhoneRescue is a relatively cheaper alternative that also supports various file types. You can view iCloud backup items in a free trial, but you’ll need a subscription to download files. Download PhoneRescue from the manufacturer’s website, install it on your Mac or PC, and follow these steps.

Open the PhoneRescue app, go to the Data Recovery tab, select Restore from iCloud, and click the Go button.

Enter your Apple ID account information to sign in to iCloud.

If your account uses two-step verification, enter the code sent to your Apple device and click OK.

Select the category containing the files you want to download.

Select a subcategory in the sidebar, select the files you want to upload, and click the Upload button in the bottom left corner.

iCloud App, Web, or Third-Party Apps: Which Is Better?

We recommend downloading iCloud backups via the iCloud website or the Apple iCloud app. They are more secure than third-party apps – recovery tools can access personal data and sensitive files in your iCloud backup. Use third-party apps only if you need to upload certain types of files that are not supported on the website or the Apple iCloud app.

How to Download a Backup from iCloud

how to backup iphone to icloud

October 19, 2021 by feecalculator_x6rbod

iPhone Not Backing Up to iCloud? 15 Fixes to Try.iphone not backing up to icloud.How to backup iphone to icloud.

Apple Cloud Storage with iCloud Backup provides an incredibly convenient way to protect your iPhone’s data. Unfortunately, for various reasons, such as connection problems and conflicting system settings, iPhone may not back up to iCloud.

Luckily, it doesn’t take a lot of work to get iCloud Backup working again on your iPhone. So, here are 15 fixes you can try.

Table of Contents – iphone not backing up to icloud

The following troubleshooting tips apply to the following issues with iCloud Backup:

The Back Up Now option is grayed out in iCloud Backup.
The iCloud backup generates errors — for example, “The last backup could not be completed.”
iCloud backup is taking too long to back up or stuck at Estimated Time Remaining.
iCloud backup is not working storage space.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi

iCloud Backup only works with Wi-Fi, so if you’re using cellular bandwidth to connect to the Internet on your iPhone, you won’t be able to back up your data to iCloud. You will also fail to manually initiate a backup because the Back Up Now option (found under Settings> Apple ID> iCloud> iCloud Backup) is grayed out for mobile data.

Even if you’ve connected your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network, a weak connection can take an unusually long time for iCloud backups. Keep your iOS device near your router or access point to ensure full Wi-Fi signal strength.

2. Charge Your iPhone

Your iPhone battery must also be at least 50% charged for automatic or manual iCloud backups. If not, just plug your device into the charger and you should be fine.

– adngin-InContent_1-0

3. Check the System Status

If you’re still having problems with iPhone not backing up to iCloud, it’s a good idea to check if everything is ok on the server side. You can do this by visiting the Apple System Status page.

If the status next to iCloud Backup indicates any problems with the service, you should wait until Apple fixes the problem. This usually happens within a couple of hours.

4. Toggle Airplane Mode

Try switching Airplane Mode on your iPhone. It helps reboot the Wi-Fi radio and helps fix minor connection issues. To do this, open the iPhone Control Center and tap the airplane mode icon. Then wait a few seconds and tap it again.

Soft resetting your network router (if physically accessible) or renewing your iPhone’s IP lease can also fix strange glitches on your Wi-Fi connection.

5. Change DNS Servers

Setting up your iPhone with widely used DNS (Domain Name Service) can help it find the appropriate iCloud backup servers without any problems. Google DNS is a great choice.

So, start by going to Settings> Wi-Fi and select an active Wi-Fi connection. Then click Configure DNS, select Manual and replace any existing DNS records with the following:

8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4

Click “Save” to apply the changes. Please note that they will not replace DNS servers for other Wi-Fi connections that you may have saved on your iPhone.

6. Disable Low Data Mode

Low data mode helps conserve your Wi-Fi bandwidth, but it also limits background activities like automatic iCloud backups. This can cause issues such as the iPhone not backing up to iCloud. Stick to a manual backup, or turn off Low Data Mode by going to Settings> Wi-Fi and turning off the toggle next to Low Data Mode in the info bar of an active Wi-Fi connection.

7. Disable Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode is another built-in iOS feature that discourages background activity. Although your iPhone needs to be charged to at least 50% charged, enabling Low Power Mode may stop automatic iCloud backups. You can turn it off by going to Settings> Battery and turning off the switch next to Power Saving Mode.

8. Free Up iCloud Storage

If there is little or no storage space in iCloud, your iPhone will temporarily pause iCloud backups until you free up more space.

To manage your iCloud storage, go to Settings> Apple ID> iCloud> Manage iCloud. You can then review and delete any unwanted forms of data. Or click Change Billing Plan to go to the next level of iCloud storage.

9. Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone can be a quick fix for most iOS problems. So, open the Settings app and tap General> Turn Off. When the device finishes shutting down, press and hold the side button to restart it. After that, try backing up to iCloud.

10. Update iOS

If iCloud backup won’t start or continue to crash, updating your iPhone can help fix any known bugs and issues with this functionality.

To do this, open the Settings app and choose General> Software Update. Then click Download and Install.

11. Toggle iCloud Backup On/Off

You can also try turning iCloud backup on and off. It might just fix any random connection issues when your iPhone isn’t backing up to iCloud. To do this, go to Settings> Apple ID> iCloud and turn off the switch next to iCloud Backup. Wait a while and then turn it back on.

12. Delete Previous Backups

Your iPhone is backing up data incrementally to iCloud, so any inconsistencies or corruption issues in your existing cloud copy could be causing the iCloud backup to fail. Removing it and running a full backup can help.

To do this, open the iPhone Settings app and choose Apple ID> iCloud> Manage Storage> Backup. Then select your iPhone backup and tap Delete Backup> Power Off & Delete.

13. Sign Out/Sign Back Into iPhone

If none of the above fixes worked, try logging out and then logging back in to your iPhone. To do this, open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID. Then click “Exit”.

When you are finished signing out, restart your iPhone, open the Settings app again, and tap Sign In to iPhone to sign in to your device.

14. Back Up Using iTunes or Finder

You can also use iTunes or Finder to create an iCloud backup. Start by connecting your iPhone to your Mac or PC via USB and tap Trust. Then select your iPhone, select the option “Back up your most important iPhone data to iCloud” and select “Back up now”.

15. Reset Network Settings or All Settings

Performing a network settings reset can fix basic connectivity issues, while performing a full factory reset helps fix problems caused by misconfigured settings in general.

To access the reset options, open the Settings app and go to General> Reset. Then select “Reset Network Settings” or “Reset All Settings” to reset iPhone settings if necessary.

Note. After resetting the network settings, you must reconnect to any previously saved Wi-Fi hotspots. If you choose to reset all settings on your iPhone, you must also reconfigure any settings related to accessibility, privacy, etc.

Issues With iCloud Backup Fixed

The above list of fixes should help you fix iPhone not backing up to iCloud issues. If not, your best bet is to contact Apple Support to resolve any issues with your iCloud account. In the meantime, we highly recommend backing up your iPhone data to Mac or PC.

iPhone Not Backing Up to iCloud? 15 Fixes to Try

How to backup iphone to icloud

iphone not backing up to icloud

How to Delete Facebook Messenger Messages for Both Parties

October 16, 2021 by feecalculator_x6rbod

How to Delete Facebook Messenger Messages for Both Parties.how to delete messages on facebook messenger.

Everyone sent a message that they almost immediately regret. This is part of the digital age – the immediate ability to respond to someone makes a hot temper a little more dangerous. The good news is that Facebook allows you to fix this error if you change your mind within 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, you will no longer be able to “undo send” the message. However, you can delete a message from your message history. Even if the other person sees the message on their side, you can spare your own dignity at least to a small extent.

Table of Contents

How to Unsend a Facebook Message On Mobile

Facebook gives users the option to “cancel” a post, provided you do so within 10 minutes of sending the original post. This function doesn’t just delete the message at your end, but instead makes it look like you’ve never sent a message from the beginning.

If you sent a message that you want to delete, tap and hold the message for a few seconds until the emoji options appear, then tap More …

Click Cancel Submit.

Click Cancel Submit All.

The message you sent will be replaced with an indicator that says you haven’t sent the message. This message is displayed to another person, but you can pass it off as a typo that you want to correct, or better yet, as a random message.

Please note that even if the message is deleted, if another person reports inappropriate behavior or harassment in the conversation, Facebook will still have access to the original message you sent.

How to Unsend a Facebook Message in Your Browser

If you are using Facebook Messenger via a web browser to send a message, you can still unsubscribe the message in the same way.

Open a conversation with an offensive message, then hover over it and select the three dots to the left of the text.

Select Remove.

Select Cancel Send For All> Delete.

As with a mobile phone, the message will be replaced with a message that says you did not send a message. You can repeat this process to delete this message from your side, but it will still remain on the screen for the other person.

This can be useful if you are sending something that you did not intend to send in a conversation that you already have (for example, a reckless declaration of love to a loved one). But if it’s a message to someone you’ve never spoken to before, they might ask what was in the message you didn’t send.

How to Unsend a Facebook Message on the Desktop App

The PC app also makes it easy to unsend messages.

Open the PC application, right-click the message and select Remove for All.

Select Remove.

If you delete a message within 10 minutes, it will disappear from all versions of Facebook Messenger.

How to Delete a Facebook Conversation on Mobile

You can also remove the entire conversation from view, but you cannot remove the entire conversation for both parties. At least it will hide it from your screen. This is useful if you have blocked someone and want to delete all previous correspondence with that person from your chat history.

Open Facebook Messenger.

Swipe left over the conversation you want to delete.

Click More.

On the confirmation screen, click Delete.

It is also possible to archive the message, but it does not delete it. This parameter only hides it from sight. You can still access the conversation by searching for it. If you want to remove all traces of a conversation, use the built-in delete function.

How to Delete a Facebook Conversation in Your Browser

Deleting a Facebook conversation in a browser is as easy as it is on a mobile phone. Whether you sent a message with a typo or just need to free up some space in your Messenger chat, it’s just a few clicks away.

Open Facebook Messenger.

Hover over the conversation and select the three dots icon.

Select “Delete Chat”.

On the confirmation screen, select Delete Chat.

This will permanently delete the conversation from your Facebook Messenger.

How to Delete a Facebook Conversation on Desktop

You can also delete messages via the Facebook Messenger desktop app.

Open the Facebook Messenger app.

Right-click the conversation you want to delete and select Delete Conversation.

Select Remove.

Like other methods, this option will permanently remove the conversation from your account. It will disappear from your mobile device, browser app and desktop app.

You can cancel sending the Facebook message for both parties if you react quickly enough. If not, at least you can still delete the conversation on your side. It might not be as effective, but out of sight, out of your head, right?

How to Delete Facebook Messenger Messages for Both Parties

how to delete messages on facebook messenger

How to Backup Android Files, Apps, and App Data To Computer

September 10, 2021 by feecalculator_x6rbod

How to Backup Android Files, Apps, and App Data To Computer.

When it comes to backing up your Android smartphone, there are many programs, both free and paid, that make backing up your data as easy as possible. However, most of the backup software is quite cumbersome, has quite a few unnecessary features, and is not that user-friendly. Not to mention, some programs even create backups of data in a proprietary format, forcing you to use the same software to restore the backup.

The good news is that as an Android user, you don’t have to use third-party backup software for Android and its data. Let me show you how.

How to back up Android

As far as Android backup goes, I usually divide it into five parts. those. contacts, messages, photos and videos, apps and app data, and other files. The good thing about this approach is that all of your eggs are not in the same basket and the recovery process goes smoothly as well. I’ll show all these parts for a complete backup.

1. Backup contacts

If you are using Android, this means that your contact list is automatically backed up to Google’s servers, at least until you manually disable the sync feature. So generally, you don’t need to worry about backing up your contacts. If you are not sure if your contacts are backed up, just go to https://contacts.google.com and sign in to the Google account associated with your Android phone. You should see a list of contacts.

If not, you can easily backup your contacts to Google with just a few taps. To do this, open “Settings” and go to “Accounts – Google”. Select your email account here. Then flip the switch next to Contact to ON. Click on the vertical menu icon that appears in the upper right corner and select the “Sync Now” option. This action backs up your contact list to Google and is automatically restored when you reset your device or on a new device.

2. SMS Backup

Android does not have a built-in SMS backup. However, there are some very good apps that you can use to backup Android SMS to cloud, SD card, or computer. I choose to back up SMS to Google Drive as it will be much easier to restore them when needed. In my case, I’m using SMS Organizer, a great app with a lot of features.

To back up SMS to Google Drive, install SMS Organizer, launch the app and go to its settings. Now go to “Backup & Restore” and click on “Google Drive Account”. On the pop-up screen, select your Gmail account, click OK, and accept the permissions.

Now hit the “Backup” button on the home screen and you’re done. If necessary, you can set the frequency of automatic backup by clicking on the “Automatic backup” option.

Read: 5 Best Android Apps to Backup SMS and Call Logs

If you want to restore your SMS backup, just click the “Restore” button and SMS Organizer will automatically download the latest backup and restore it for you.

3. Backup photos and videos

Almost every one of us takes photos and videos on our smartphones. Therefore, it is only natural that you want to back up those valuable photos and videos. Typically, photos and videos are stored either on an internal SD card or an external SD card. No matter where they are stored on your phone, you can easily back them up.

There are now two ways to backup photos and videos on Android. The first way is to use Google Photos, which backs up all of your media files to Google Drive. If you let Google control the quality of your photos and videos, you get unlimited storage so you don’t have to worry about using up your Google Drive space.

Unless you’re shooting 4K video and ultra-high-definition photos with lots of detail, Google’s “High Quality” photo and video storage will be fine for most users. To learn more about how Google controls the quality of your photos and videos for free unlimited space, click here.

Just install the Google Photos app, follow the wizard and it will take care of the download and backup. Depending on how many photos and videos you have, it may take some time for all media to fully download.

Another way is to back them up on your computer or other external devices. To do this, follow the method below.

4. Backup files to internal / external storage

If you have an external SD card in your Android smartphone, you can simply pull it out, insert it into your SD card reader, and copy all of its contents to your computer or other storage devices.

If you don’t have an external SD card, the process is slightly different. Connect your Android smartphone to your computer via a USB cable. After connecting your device, if prompted, select the File Transfer (MTP) option. This option allows you to transfer files to and from the SD card. If you don’t select the MTP option, Windows may not display files and folders on your Android device.

Now open Windows Explorer with the keyboard shortcut “Win + E”. Here you will find your Android smartphone listed alongside other drives. Open your Android drive, select all the files you see here, press “Ctrl + C” to copy. Paste them using the “Ctrl + V” keyboard shortcut to a folder on your computer.

Backing up your SD card on Android is that easy.

5. Backup apps and app data (no root required)

Android does not provide any way to quickly back up installed apps and app data by default. However, with Android Debug Bridge, you can easily back up apps and app data as a single file to your computer with just one line of command. Once backed up, you can restore this backup file as needed to get all your apps and their data back.

First, you need to enable USB debugging mode on your Android device. To do this, open the “Settings” application and go to the “About phone” section. Here, scroll to the bottom and tap the build number 7 times to enable developer options.

Now go back to the main settings screen and select the “Developer options” option. Here, slide the toggle next to USB Debugging to ON to enable USB Debugging.

After enabling USB debugging mode, download ADB for Windows and extract the contents of the zip file to the “ADB” folder on drive C. After extracting, it should look exactly like this on your system.

Read: 15 Best ADB Commands Every Android User Should Know (PDF)

Now connect your Android smartphone to your computer with a USB cable. Then go to the “C: Adb platform-tools” folder, right-click in the explorer and select “Open PowerShell Here”.

In a PowerShell window, run the following command. If your device is properly connected to the system, you will see your device listed in the PowerShell response. ./adb.exe devices

After making sure your device is properly connected, run the following command to back up Android apps and app data. ./adb.exe backup -apk -shared -all -f ./backup.ab

On your smartphone, you will be prompted to accept the backup request. Just click the “Back up my data” button.

As soon as you click on the button, the backup process will begin. Depending on how many apps you have installed on your smartphone, the backup process may take some time. After that, you will see a small toast notification on your smartphone. Since we back up all apps and app data, the size of the backup will depend on the number of apps you have. For example, in my case the size of the backup file is just over 500 MB.

You can find a backup file named “backup.ab” in the same folder as the ADB files. If necessary, you can move this backup to any location of your choice.

If you want to restore, place the backup file in the same folder as adb files and use the following command. As before, you will see a recovery request on your smartphone. Click on the “Recover my data” button. ./adb.exe restore ./backup.ab

That’s all. It’s so easy to backup and restore Android.