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So somewhere along the line Android got a native "backup my data" option but I haven't gotten to use it. I used to use Titanium Backup and it was the main reason I rooted my phone, but I don't have Titanium or Root anymore.

Is there any significant difference in what's backed up between the native Android Backup from Google's servers vs the standard Titanium Backup? I mean a plain old backup, none of the freezing/bloatware melting/ect that Titanium also provides.

What do I end up with if my phone is bricked or I get a new phone and I restore from either platform?

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2 Answers

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I think you're better off using Titanium Backup if you want to ensure that when you restore your phone, you'll have exactly what you had when you performed the backup. I find that Android's new built-in backup options are inconsistent. For example, after re-installing some apps, some of the settings are magically maintained, however some data (usually authentication data) is no longer there. I guess this is a good thing as storing everything in the cloud would be a bit scary, but when you use Titanium, there are no surprises: all of the data is restored.

Another benefit of Titanium is that you can do multiple backups at of a single app's data and restore any of those levels--not so for the built-in backup options.

So I'd advise using Titanium.

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So it's mainly (or only) authentication data that's lost? That sounds consistent with iCloud (which I've had to restore from a few too many times) – Ben Brocka Apr 6 '12 at 13:34
This is usually the case. However, because only some of the data is backed up (and because you have no control over when the backup occurs and when data is restored) it's a really good idea to perform your own backups, though. This can guard you against outright data loss as well as data corruption--something that the built-in auto-backups do not really help you with. – ctt Apr 6 '12 at 16:20
True...maybe I'll have to try and see if Super One Click can root my phone yet – Ben Brocka Apr 6 '12 at 16:43
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You should also be aware of the fact that for getting backed up by Google's "native" backup-to-cloud, an app must actively support that -- i.e. it must explicitely use the corresponding API, or it will not be included with those backups. While not all apps support this (<- euphemism), there's nothing excluded by Titanium Backup. As described, the latter backs up really everything -- while the former only backs up some data from some apps.

Another good thing to do from time to time is a full Nandroid backup, which is supported by most (all?) custom recovery images/modes (e.g. ClockWorkMod aka CWM). Once booted into Recovery, you can create a Nandroid backup (make sure to have enough free space on your sdcard), and having done this, you can move it from the card to your computer for safekeeping. If you've got enough space on your card, you could also keep the latest copy there: With Titanium backup, you can even extract single elements (such as a special app and its data) from a Nandroid backup. Or, if your system for some reason gets really messed up, you can restore it completely from this Nandroid backup -- again via the Custom Recovery.

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