How To Backup and Restore Your Android Phone
February 6, 2010 in Android General How To's, Android How To's, Featured, How To's, Video
Weary of rooting your device? Maybe you just want to try that new experimental ROM? There can be many reason to be worry about messing with your phone, but with all the built in back up features rooting provides you, its never been easier to just hit “restart” and try again. So here’s how to backup and restore your Android phone so you can take full advantage of it fearlessly.
I. Before You Begin
1. If you have not already rooted, you need to do that and flash a custom recovery image. So if you have Donut on your phone you need to follow this procedure (just do the How To Downgrade/Unroot procedure and the How To Root procedure so that you have a custom recovery image, don’t load a ROM, Radio, or SPL yet).
If you have a Nexus One, do this procedure to gain root, then do the next procedure but STOP after Section II.
2. Once you have a custom recovery image then you can proceed.
II. Boot into Recovery
1. Depending on your phone it is a different button combo to get into recovery mode, but simply turn off your phone then turn it back on by holding down Power and [whatever your button is listed below] until you get to your custom recovery screen. (If you get to an ! screen, that is the original recovery screen that came with Android and means you did not flash a custom one, go back to Section I and do the unroot and root procedures then come back):
G1, Dream, MyTouch, Magic, Hero – Hold HOME and Power while the phone is off to get to recovery.
Nexus One – Hold Volume Down and Power to get to bootloader mode, then use the volume keys to get to the Recovery option and press the power button to reboot into recovery.
2. Once you are in recovery mode, you can go to the next step.
III. Performing a Nandroid Backup
1. Once in recovery mode, simply use the trackball to select the option that says Backup (on different recovery images it says different things but it will say something like backup or Nand backup or Nandroid backup).
2. Once you push that it will backup your entire phone to your SD card. Now that you have that (I would recommend copying the entire nandroid folder to your computer so you never delete it off the card on accident), you can now load ROMs, Radios, etc. and know you can always get right back to this point by putting that Nandroid backup on the root of you SD card and get it back.
IV. Restoring a Nandroid Backup
1. Simply put the nandroid folder back onto your sd card (if you removed it).
2. Boot into recovery mode.
3. Select Restore (may be called Nand or Nandroid restore as well) and wait for it to finish.
4. Once done, click reboot phone and you’re back to the way things used to be.
bhellim said on May 2, 2010
Hi I also have this problem “Error : Run ‘nandroid-mobile.sh via adb”.Already formatted my sd card but it’s still the same?I can’t use any of my Nandroid backup, any more tips? thanks
Aimar said on May 5, 2010
Hi, this prob a daft question. But i’m trying to root my htc hero (orange), I have downgraded to the one required, but one the second step, it says that i need to ‘format’ my sd card. I want to backup all my stuff on the phone before rooting, but in all the steps so far, i hesitate to format sd card. please help
Thanks
ps awesome site
andre shorter said on May 9, 2010
@unlockr,
this is a noob question. since i’ve added custom roms onto my nexus one, i noticed that files have been placed on my sd card. am i able to remove these files without any adverse effects to my phone? i realize i have some backup files for nand and titanium backup as well as photos i’ve taken.
junky said on May 20, 2010
hey unlockr is there a way we can unroot our n1 back to the stock rom? i don’t care about the lock bootloader but i just want to put the n1 back to its stock rom without having to use the custom roms. because i want to get the ota update of froyo. if there is please make a tutorial video on it plz.
TheUnlockr said on May 22, 2010
Junky,
You should still get it even with a custom ROM on your phone (itll just overwrite your ROM).
Anyway though, there will be a custom 2.2 ROM within the next day or so, we’ll post it here. You’ll most likely get that from us here faster than getting the OTA…
Garth said on May 22, 2010
i stupidly deleted my backup file from the sdcard so i cannot restore. I rooted and installed Demoshadow rom and i am having problems getting a new rom to load. Demoshadow keeps loading and leaving me with clock error. how do I restore the default rom or change to a different rom?
Garth said on May 22, 2010
i have the cliq
josh said on June 22, 2010
Having the same problem as jack2k5 did on 7 April on my n1. His second response describes my problem. Little help?
church said on June 30, 2010
Is there a guide to backing up the stock Rom without rooting? I have an Orange UK desire and the stock Rom has not surfaced yet. I would like to make a backup of that before flashing stock HTC Rom. Thanks
TheUnlockr said on December 19, 2010
Sorry but we don’t have that phone on the siteso wouldn’t know how to help you or what you did to root it. Google for a solution or check with whoever helped you root it.
TheUnlockr said on December 19, 2010
Sorry but we don’t have that phone on the siteso wouldn’t know how to help you or what you did to root it. Google for a solution or check with whoever helped you root it.
TheUnlockr said on December 19, 2010
Sorry but we don’t have that phone on the siteso wouldn’t know how to help you or what you did to root it. Google for a solution or check with whoever helped you root it.
mrsilent said on January 8, 2011
Does not backup radio basebands. Bricked my milestone by installing new bb. Nandroid restored but WILL NOT RESTORE BASEBANDS. Wish people would clarify that.
mrsilent said on January 8, 2011
Does not backup radio basebands. Bricked my milestone by installing new bb. Nandroid restored but WILL NOT RESTORE BASEBANDS. Wish people would clarify that.
mrsilent said on January 8, 2011
Does not backup radio basebands. Bricked my milestone by installing new bb. Nandroid restored but WILL NOT RESTORE BASEBANDS. Wish people would clarify that.
Jonathonheat5 said on February 12, 2011
man idk what to do:/ i open the recovery flasher and press back up recovery imagae but it keeps on saying backup failed help anyone? im on a mytouch 3g 2.2.1
Siphomie4life said on May 11, 2011
It used to happen to me on my G1 it was usually because the phone wasn’t charged enough to complete the task try that and if not try backing up using mybackup pro works great
Dr-almoamni2007 said on February 22, 2011
after i use one click root >>>>>>>its root now thanx
but i cant get to recovery screen >………..just warining sign triangel
???????????ples helpe
also what is the best arabic room >>>>htc magic tmobile
and do i need unlocker code for gsm in new room ?
how i get it ?
do i lose the root also ?
pleeeeeeeeez
Dee said on August 1, 2011
“Weary” and “wary” are two different words.
Raise the bar a bit, please. Thanks.
Bey Bey said on August 10, 2011
for some reason after rooting my my sensation i cant download apps from the market any more, it will start and disappear outta nowhere
PLEASE HELP!!!
Iamrebel125 said on October 18, 2011
when i flash a custom rom will it delete my apps?
Tatum said on January 7, 2012
What if your phone does not work. The corner of my phone got smashed and the touch will not work. We talked to Bell and they said we could back it up, but we can’t. Please help!