Several years ago, I was putting the finishing touches on a talk for a conference about how I use my iPad as assistive technology when my beloved tablet suffered a global irreversible software failure, leaving the device essentially as useful as a brick. While I was panicking about trying to track down a new iPad since I had to be at the conference early the next morning (thank you A for driving me to the Apple store minutes before it closed!), I knew that my settings, data, and applications were safe and that I could easily set up the new iPad before my talk was set to begin. Here is how I back up mobile devices like my iPad and Android phone to ensure that I don’t lose access to important files or accessibility settings.
Create a back up file on a computer
Also known as a local backup or USB backup, creating a backup file on the computer involves connecting the device via USB cable and saving files directly to the computer, which can then be restored or copied to a new device later on if needed. Depending on how much information is on the device, the entire back up process should take 15 to 30 minutes, or longer for devices that have a lot of files.
Back up iPad to computer
To back up an Apple device to a PC (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch):
- If it isn’t already installed, download the Apple Devices app from Apple support
- Connect Apple device via USB cable to the computer
- Open Apple Devices and select the device in the sidebar
- Select General
- Select “Back up all of the data to this computer”
- To protect the back up with a password, select the checkbox to Encrypt Local Back Up. Keep this password in a safe location, as the backup file cannot be recovered without it.
- Select Back up Now to begin the backup
To restore a device backup at a later time:
- Connect Apple device via USB cable to the computer
- Open Apple Devices and select the device in the sidebar
- Select General
- Select Restore Backup
- From the pop-up menu, choose the backup to restore to the device
- Select Restore and enter the encryption password if prompted.
Back up Android to computer
To back up an Android phone to a PC:
- Connect Android device via USB to the computer
- Unlock the device and swipe down on the notification menu
- Select Charging this device via USB by tapping on it
- Under Use USB for, select File transfer / Android Auto.
- On the Windows computer, open This PC in File Explorer
- Select the device
- To transfer files, use keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A to select all files, or select files manually. Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C to copy files
- Create a new folder on the computer to store the device back up. Once the folder is created, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V to paste the copied files from the phone to this folder. This will not remove files from the phone itself.
To restore a device back up at a later time:
- Connect Android device via USB to the computer
- Unlock the device and swipe down on the notification menu
- Select Charging this device via USB by tapping on it
- Under Use USB for, select File transfer / Android Auto.
- On the Windows computer, open This PC in File Explorer
- Select the device
- Transfer files from the backup folder to the new phone by using the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut to select all files from the backup, followed by Ctrl + C to copy them. In the new device folder, use Ctrl + V to add the files onto the device.
Related links
- How To Organize and Identify Cords For Low Vision
- How To Create Secure And Easy To Remember Passwords
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Desktop Computer For College
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
Enable automatic backups for device
iCloud and Google One both offer options to create automatic backups for mobile devices, which include messages, calls, contacts, device settings, and app data. For Android devices, photos and videos are backed up separately in the Google Photos app, while iOS/iPadOS devices have photos and videos included in an iCloud back up. These backup files are encrypted by the device passcode and/or password for the iCloud/Google account.
Enable automatic backup for Android
To create a backup for Android phones:
- Open the Settings app
- From Settings, select Google > Backup
- To review settings, tap Manage Backup
To restore a backup for Android phones:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Back up or copy data > Copy data
- Select the data to transfer for the new phone
Enable automatic iCloud backup (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)
To create a backup for iCloud:
- Open the Settings app
- From Settings, select Account name > iCloud > iCloud Backup (for older devices, use Account name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups)
- Turn on Back up this device or select Back up now
To restore an iCloud backup:
- Set up a new device, following the prompts from the Hello screen menu
- On the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, select From iCloud Backup
- Sign into iCloud and select a backup file to transfer onto the new device.
- Remain connected to Wi-Fi as the files are transferred- this can take several hours or days. The backup will be paused when not connected to Wi-Fi.
Use cloud storage for photos and other files
In addition to the device backups from Google and Apple, I also back up photos, videos, eBooks, and files to my Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage, since I have the 1 TB plan with Microsoft 365. eBooks have their own folder so I can access them from any device, and the photos are backed up automatically to both Google Photos and OneDrive for safekeeping.
Related links
List accessibility settings and configurations
While accessibility settings are theoretically included in a device backup, I have text documents that contain a bulleted list of my accessibility configurations with screenshots so I can ensure my device looks exactly the way I want it to. This also includes custom gestures, voice settings for text-to-speech and screen readers, and settings for essential third-party apps like the Big Font app for my Android phone. This can also be helpful for troubleshooting issues after a software update.
Related links
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
- Low Vision Accessibility Settings For Android Phones
- Make Any Android Smartphone Accessible For $20
Sync notes and calendars with an email account
Synchronizing notes from apps like Notes, Google Keep, and Sticky notes to my email or account provides the benefit of backing up notes to cloud storage so I can easily access them from any device while also ensuring I can still find this information if I lose access to my device. The same goes for adding things to my calendar or schedule, or adding contacts to my device- having information backed up to my email makes it a lot easier to access from anywhere, and doesn’t tether me to a specific device.
Related links
Back up/transfer text messages and MMS photos and transfer to a new device
Whenever I get a new phone, I sometimes have issues with transferring over text messages and MMS photo messages even with the Google backup options. A solution that’s worked well for me is the SMS Backup and Restore app, which can be used to transfer SMS and MMS messages to a new device.
Related links
Clean up devices regularly and delete files/apps as needed
To keep my device storage clean and avoid backing up pictures, apps, or files that I don’t need, I regularly go through my device and delete files, photos, or apps that I don’t need or am no longer using. If I’m not sure if I’ll need something later, I’ll back it up to OneDrive so I know I can find it again and delete it from my device to free up storage in the meantime. I also regularly clear app caches to remove pre-loaded pictures and data that I don’t need to hang onto anymore.
More tips for how to back up mobile devices
- Looking to buy a new tablet or phone? Read Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Tablets and Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Smartphones
- To learn more about how I organize my device home screens, check out How To Organize Apps On iPad With Low Vision and How To Create A Custom Android Home Screen With Microsoft Launcher
- Want more technology content? Browse my technology post categories at Veronica With Four Eyes Categories (veroniiiica.com)
Published December 5, 2017. Updated September 2024