Full Android backup via adb. How to backup an Android device before flashing it

Very often in articles on this or that topic we warn: do not forget to backup your data! Moreover, this procedure is relevant not only in cases where you are going to test some new program and decided, just in case, to be on the safe side by making a backup copy of the information stored on your device.

First, let's understand the terms that will be mentioned in this material.

“Backup” is usually called the procedure for backing up the necessary files (including system ones).

It is important to make a backup periodically, without waiting for the roast rooster to peck in a known place. In this case, “roasted rooster” means a critical system failure or a virus infection, when you have to do a complete reset, deleting all information from your device.

Backup can be done manually or using special applications. We will now talk about how to backup an Android device via recovery.

What is recovery?

Recovery (or recovery) is a special service boot mode for an Android tablet or phone, which allows you to install a different version of software (firmware), calibrate the touchscreen (not on all Android models), make a system backup, and then restore it.

There are two types of recovery:

  • Stock – installed by default
  • Custom – modified

In our case, we will be talking about stock recovery.

How to enter recovery?

Entering Recovery mode may vary depending on the model (or manufacturer) of the device. Now we will look at all the methods.

Universal method for all devices

Turn off your Android device (tablet or smartphone), then hold down the power button and briefly press the volume rocker up. Ready.

Watch the video:

As mentioned above, entering recovery mode may differ on different models, so if the universal option did not turn out to be effective, read on.

Recovery on Samsung devices

If you have a device from the manufacturer Samsung, then in the instructions you first see a method for more modern models, and below (buttons 1+ 3) - actions that are relevant for old Korean combat comrades:

If you have a Samsung tablet computer, then you can get into recovery as follows:

  • Turn off the tablet
  • Simultaneously press the power (off) and volume up keys.

Recovery on Sony Xperia

For gadgets running Android OS from Sony, there are several ways to enter recovery. Below you see two options:

If these manipulations turned out to be ineffective for your device, then you can follow these steps:

  • Turn off the device
  • Press and hold the power button until a couple of vibrations appear
  • Immediately release the power key and press the sound rocker to increase the level.

Recovery on Nexus

To the delight of the owners of Nexus brand devices, the manufacturer, without further ado, made the recovery login exactly the same for all of its devices, therefore, the instructions below are absolutely simple and suitable for all Nexuses:

Recovery on HTC

On HTC devices, you can enter recovery from Bootloader mode. Watch the video instructions:

Now, fully armed, we come to the main part of our conversation. What our next steps should look like.

Before you begin the procedure, you must fully charge the device's battery, since the process is quite lengthy and requires a sufficient amount of battery power.

Having chosen the method that is relevant for your device, open the stock recovery menu. We will see the following items (all, partially or some other):

Apply Update from SD card– installing an update from a memory card.

Wipe Data / Factory reset– resetting the system to factory settings, or “wipe” (all personal data is deleted).

Wipe Cache Partition– clearing the phone cache.

Install zip from SD card– installing an archive from a memory card (usually an official update).

Backup and restore– system backup and recovery procedure.

Use the volume button to move through the list of actions and select “ Backup user data" (on some devices " backup and restore"), then pressing the power button (" Power") confirm the selected action, after which the copying process will begin:

The backup will be saved to the root directory on the SD card.

To restore data, you need to go to the recovery menu again and select “ restore user data", press " Power"From the list of saved files that opens, select the desired one, confirm the selection again (power button - “Power”). All that remains is to reboot the device:

Video on the topic (How to make an Android backup through recovery using the Lenovo A850 as an example):

Do you need to back up your current Android state via custom TWRP Recovery or recovery, but don’t understand this yet? This article will tell you how to do this!

Create a backup via TWRP recovery

Before making a backup, make sure you have it installed:

Also make sure that you have enough free space on the internal memory or external memory (memory card), if available, and there is a slot.

Creating a Backup

Now after you have entered the custom TWRP recovery, go to “ BACKUP section". Depending on the device, you will have access to certain partitions, by checking which you can create backups:

  • Boot— kernel (kernel, zImage) of the Android OS, responsible for loading and operating the system
  • System- system, firmware
  • Data- installed applications, updates and personal settings
  • Cache- cache (various temporary files)
  • Recovery - Recovery partition
  • .android_secure - applications installed on the memory card
  • Efs - IMEI on Samsung devices
  • Modem - modem (communication)

In order to create a full-fledged backup TWRP, with which you can always restore to the desired state, you need to mark the sections:

  1. Boot
  2. System
  3. Data
  4. Cache

If you have a memory card, you can also make a backup on it, for this there will be a button at the bottom of the screen. Storage: ……….»

And so, to make a backup go to « Backup» -> « Select sections» -> if you need to change the memory for saving or leave it as is

In order to start creating a backup copy, you need to drag the slider located at the bottom left to the right

after which a process will begin that will continue for quite a long time.

Upon completion, if the copy was successfully created, you will be notified “ Backup Complete«.

Additional information on creating a backup copy in TWRP

You can activate additional options when creating a backup in TWRP:

  • Enable compression
  • Skip MD5 generation during backup
  • Disable Free Space Check

Enable compression— enabling compression (archiving/compression), which will save the space occupied by the backup copy (reducing the backup up to 2x - 3x times).

Skip MD5 generation during backup— when creating a backup, a check of the integrity of the backup copy is automatically created, which will allow in the future if it is “broken” not to break the device ( on a note: If you rename the backup, it will no longer pass the test).

Disable Free Space Check— if the partition is not completely full, that is, there is free space, then if you check this item, TWRP Recovery will cut it off and allow you to create a smaller backup copy (additional compression). Use this option at your own risk.

Restore Android from a backup using TWRP recovery

If “something went wrong” and your Android does not load or is not working well and you have a backup copy that you created, then it will help restore the functionality of your device.

Restoring from Backup

Go to section "Restore" and select available backups

Mark which partitions to restore and drag the slider at the bottom to start the process
When finished, you will be prompted to reboot into normal Android mode - "Reboot System".

Do you still have questions? Write them in the comments, tell us what you did or vice versa!

That's all! Read more useful articles and instructions in the section. Stay with the site, it will be even more interesting!

It is worth making a backup before any manipulations with an Android device; a copy can be useful if something goes wrong during the new firmware, or it will allow you to restore all the data on a new device of the same model if the old one is lost.

It must be said that mail and contacts on a device with an Android system are tied to a Google account, which itself will take care of the backup.

You just need to log in to your account on the new device, and access to the data will be open. There are special programs for backing up games and applications, for example, Titanium Backup.

The Android firmware image will be written on the card in a directory with the current date, all files that will be needed during recovery will be placed there. It will look like a folder with files: boot.img, cache.img, data.img, recovery.img, systrm.img.

Preparing to create:

First, you need to root the device. -Secondly, download the ROM Manager program from Google Play.

This universal application can not only create copies, it can also be used to reflash an Android device.

How to make a backup of the Android system:

For a full backup, you will need to install a Recovery Image for this device; ROM Manager will do this; you just need to click a button. Please note that an error may occur when creating a Recovery Image if the device is currently connected to the computer. The USB cable from the device must be disconnected.

Recovery Image contains a bootloader that will allow you to start creating a backup and restoring it using the Nandroid backup utility.

ROM Manager will independently determine which version of RecoveryImage should be installed on a specific device; just click the “Clock work Mod Recovery” button, confirm your choice and wait for the installation to complete.

Now you can proceed directly to the backup. This is a very simple operation, you just need to click on the “Backup Current ROM” button. The device will reboot itself and create a complete copy of the entire system, recording it on an SD card.

After this, the normal boot will take place and the device will continue to operate as normal. For reliability, you can save the system backup folder on your computer or in cloud storage.

How to restore a backup:

Restoring your system from a backup is just as easy. You should click on the “Manage and Restore Backup” button and select from the list of backups the one that you want to use during recovery.

In this you can, if desired, rename or delete folders with backup copies. After rebooting, the device will work with the settings and applications that were backed up.

Backup or backup allows you to make a copy of all data from the device’s hard drive, which can be restored if damaged. Backup is most often done for computers, but today we will look at options on how to make a full backup of the system firmware on Android.

You can create a backup copy for an Android device in several ways: using a computer, using special applications, using services built into the device.


Recovery is a special program, different from regular applications for the Android system, that creates backup copies and then allows you to roll back to them. Stock recovery is installed on devices initially when they are purchased. This type of backup is performed only if you have root rights to the device.

You can install custom recovery yourself. The latter allow you to perform more different actions, and therefore are popular. The most common of them are: TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) and CWM (ClockworkMod). Next, you will see how to install backup on Android through recovery.

CWM

ClockworkMod is an older program that has less functionality compared to TWRP. You can replace the stock recovery with it (if it is not already installed as the main one) using the ROM Manager utility in the “Setup recovery” section. One of the features of CWM is the control of only “hard” buttons, i.e., volume control and power buttons, which all Android phones and tablets have.

Algorithm for creating a backup using CWM:

  1. The phone charge should be at least 60%, and preferably 100%.
  2. Free up 500 MB or more of free space.
  3. Turn off, wait about a minute.
  4. Press and hold the power button and “-” or “+”, depending on the phone model.
  5. When the upside-down Android icon appears, briefly press the power button and the opposite volume control button to go to the menu.
  6. In the menu that appears, use the “-” or “+” buttons to select the “backup and restore” section, and confirm the selection with the power button
  7. In the next menu, select and click “Backup” in the same way
  8. All! Within 10–15 minutes, a backup of the firmware and all files will be created on your phone.

How to make a backup on Android without applications? Use the same algorithm, since often installed recoveries have similar menus, as well as control methods. In this case, you do not have to get root access.

If this option seems too inconvenient or you need a backup copy of only part of the data, then below you will read how to make an Android backup using TWRP recovery.

TWRP

TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) is a more advanced utility for the Android system that allows you to use the touchpad and has an almost complete set of functions for working with file storage, software and the operating system. For example, you can back up only selected files. TWRP has a more convenient menu compared to CWM.

To install TWRP, you will need one of the special applications, such as GooManager. In the program menu you need to select “Install OpenRecovery Script”. Then, using the same program, click “Reboot Recovery” and get to the TWRP menu.

IMPORTANT. It is worth noting that the Android device must also have a high battery level and free storage space.

Click “Backup” and select the required partitions. We swipe across the part of the screen highlighted at the bottom, and the program begins creating a copy for the Android system. After a few minutes, click “Reboot system”. The copy is ready.

Using a PC

Obtaining root access, and at the same time mastering various applications, can be difficult for the user, while making a backup of Android firmware on a computer will be much easier for someone than with TWRP. Moreover, you don’t have to download any additional applications for the device.

All you need for this:

  1. Enabled USB debugging on the Android device (you can do this from the settings).
  2. Install ADB RUN for your computer, download it for free.
  3. PC drivers, which are often installed automatically, and a USB cable.

Algorithm of actions:

  1. We connect the phone to the computer and launch the ADB program.
  2. Select Backup in the window that opens.
  3. Next, select the first item in the new menu.
  4. On your Android device, click “Back up data.” You are also prompted to create a password, but this action is optional.

A copy has been created for you to use if necessary!

Here we discussed the main ways to create a full backup for Android, that is, a firmware backup. In addition, there are various functions and utilities that allow you to make copies of applications or various Android games, contacts, SMS, etc. separately.

Contacts, photos, progress in games - smartphones contain no less necessary information in their memory than computer hard drives. Android backup allows you to prevent the loss of important data by storing it securely on Google servers or on your computer.

Backup to Google servers

For Android to work fully, you need a Google account - a Gmail account, with which you can log in to any service from the global corporation. Therefore, an Android backup to Google is the easiest way to save content and settings. To back up your contacts, some application data, calendar and disk, just add your Google account in the settings and turn on synchronization.

The marked data will be automatically saved to Google servers. To restore them to your phone from a backup or transfer them to another device, just add an account and enable synchronization.

There is also a “Backup and Reset” section in your phone settings. Here you need to enable backup, add a Google account for synchronization and activate auto-recovery, which will help you return a copy of the settings and data of some applications when you reinstall them.

Important information is stored on Google servers, but, for example, progress in a game cannot be transferred to another device using such synchronization. If you want to save absolutely all your data, then you need to know how to make a full backup.

Backup via Recovery

The standard Android recovery menu (Recovery) has extremely limited functionality - resetting settings and installing updates. But if you install an alternative Recovery (for example, Clockworkmod) on your phone, you can perform a number of operations, including backup. In fact, this will not be a backup copy of the data, but a full-fledged snapshot of the system.

If you don’t know what custom Recovery is and have never installed it, then it is recommended to immediately move on to the next point in the guide, which describes how to create a backup using a program for backing up Android on a PC, called Adb Run.

If you have a custom Recovery, then making a snapshot of Android is not difficult:

  1. Turn off the phone, go to Recovery (usually you need to hold down the “Volume +” and “Power” keys).
  2. Use the volume rocker and power button to open the “Backup and Restore” section.
  3. Select "Backup" to create a copy of the current firmware state.

The backup will be saved to a memory card, in a folder called “CWM” or “TWRP”, depending on what Recovery is installed. Then there are two options:

  • Store the system image on a memory card.
  • Connect your phone to your computer and transfer the backup to your hard drive so as not to fill the mobile device’s memory with a large amount of data.

To restore Android data after a backup via Recovery, you need to make sure that the system image is in the appropriate folder on the SD card. Then you should go to Recovery again, open the “Backup and Restore” section and go to “Restore”. A list of backups available for restoration will appear, from which you need to select the appropriate system snapshot.

Using the Adb Run program

If you want to backup Android to a computer without creating a backup in the Recovery menu and setting up a Google account, then use the free ADB RUN utility. For it to work, two conditions must be met:

  • USB debugging is enabled on your phone.
  • Mobile device drivers are installed on your computer.

The drivers must be for the model that you connect to the computer. If the conditions are met, you can proceed to creating a backup copy.


The backup copy is stored on the computer; to return the data to the phone, you need to run Adb Run again and go to the “Backup” section. Here you should open the “Adb Restore” subsection and select the desired backup, after which the data will be copied back to the mobile device’s memory and to the SD card.

Methods for creating a backup copy on Android are not limited to the tools described. In the Play Market you can find a dozen applications (with root or without root) that allow you to save different amounts of data - Safe Backup, Super Backup, Titanium Backup. But before using the application's capabilities, be sure to read user reviews about its operation - some programs are unstable.