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If you need to do a factory reset on your phone, back up your data first. Even if your device is working fine, it's a good idea to back it up regularly.
For many of us, smartphones are essential for getting through the day, so it's worth taking the time to back up what's important to you.
If you're using an Android phone and you have Sync on, your Google contacts, Calendars, and Wi-Fi network passwords are automatically backed up.
Contacts saved locally on your phone, which are not in your Google contacts, will not be backed up by syncing.
The following items are not backed up when syncing your phone:
If you have a phone that uses an SD card and you'd like to back up your contacts to it, follow these steps:
To restore these contacts to your phone, follow the same instructions, but in Step 4, choose Import from SD card instead of Export to SD card.
Many Android phones have a Backup and Restore option in the reset menu. Using this, you can set up an account to back up your app data, Wi-Fi passwords, and other settings. This generally doesn't cover photos and music, which need to be backed up to a computer or SD card. To use the phone's backup feature:
On some devices, the option for Automatic Restore will not appear until you have set up a Backup Account.
Some Android phones offer more control with a native backup app. You can choose between manual and auto-backup and configure it so regular backups are stored on your phone or an SD card. If you back up to your phone, you'll need to move those files off regularly.
If your phone doesn't have a native backup app, several apps are available for backing up your device. Here are some popular ones:
These apps give you greater control over what you back up and when.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, refer to Apple's How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud page for more details on backing up and resetting an iOS device.