How to Back Up Your Android Phone

There are some premium apps for MacOS that offer more of an iTunes-like experience, but nothing that I vouch for.

Backing Up to Your Chromebook

Here is how to back up files from your Android phone on a Chromebook:

1. Plug your phone into a USB port on your Chromebook.
2. Drag down the notification shade and look for a notification from Android System that says something like Charging this device via USB, Tap for more options and tap it.
3. Look for an option that says File transfer and select it.
4. The Files app will open on your Chromebook, and you can drag any files you want to copy over.

Backing Up to Another Cloud Service

Maybe you have run out of Google storage, or you prefer another cloud service. There are Android apps for Dropbox, Microsoft’s OneDrive, MEGA, Box, and others. Most of them offer some cloud storage for free, but what you can back up and how you do it differ from app to app.

We looked at how to back up mobile photos on a few of these before, and you can usually set that up to be automatic, though other files often have to be backed up manually. If you want to automatically sync photos and other files across devices using one of these services, then check out the Autosync app. There are specific versions for Dropbox, OneDrive, MEGA, and Box.

Whatever service you choose, make sure to keep your cloud storage safe and secure.

Backing Up a Samsung Phone

If you have a Samsung phone, then you have additional backup options. We recommend sticking with Google, because Samsung backups can be restored only to Samsung phones, but if you want a second backup or you plan to stick with Samsung, here’s how to use Samsung’s cloud service: