Help Backing up my Optimus V...

[WATYF]

OK, so I've been a Palm OS user (yes, the old Palm OS... yes... I know it's lame ) for many years. I finally ditched my Centro about a month ago and switched to Virgin Mobile (mainly for their plans that are much cheaper than Sprint or any of the other major carriers). In the process, I picked up an Optimus V (for $129 at Target with a $20 Target gift card, so it was a no brainer).

So now I have to change my way of thinking, I guess. It used to be that I would plug my phone in and sync it to back it up. That way, I could lose the phone entirely and just get a different one and restore my sync and everything would be back the way I left it. But I don't see any such functionality on Android phones.

My question is, how do I do something similar for my Optimus? Is there a way to "back it up"? Or do I even need to back it up? Do all my apps and settings get saved with my gmail account that I use for my phone?

I've spent a good deal of time customizing it with apps and settings that mimic the functionality of the Palm OS that I liked, so I don't want to lose all of that in something were to happen to the phone.

WATYF

 

[lou61166]

OK, so I've been a Palm OS user (yes, the old Palm OS... yes... I know it's lame ) for many years. I finally ditched my Centro about a month ago and switched to Virgin Mobile (mainly for their plans that are much cheaper than Sprint or any of the other major carriers). In the process, I picked up an Optimus V (for $129 at Target with a $20 Target gift card, so it was a no brainer).

So now I have to change my way of thinking, I guess. It used to be that I would plug my phone in and sync it to back it up. That way, I could lose the phone entirely and just get a different one and restore my sync and everything would be back the way I left it. But I don't see any such functionality on Android phones.

My question is, how do I do something similar for my Optimus? Is there a way to "back it up"? Or do I even need to back it up? Do all my apps and settings get saved with my gmail account that I use for my phone?

I've spent a good deal of time customizing it with apps and settings that mimic the functionality of the Palm OS that I liked, so I don't want to lose all of that in something were to happen to the phone.

WATYF

The best way would involve rooting the phone and installing a custom recovery,which would allow you to create an image,but yes Google gmail has all your apps and contacts saved through your account

 

[WATYF]

The best way would involve rooting the phone and installing a custom recovery,which would allow you to create an image,but yes Google gmail has all your apps and contacts saved through your account

Is there anywhere that I can find out exactly what Google Gmail saves and restores? If it's all apps and contacts and maybe the main Android settings, then that might be good enough. I'd just want to be sure exactly what does get saved. At this point, I'm just guessing.

WATYF

 

[james391]

your contacts, callender, and mail sync with google severs online and can be retreaved using your account on your phone or pc.
(im not sure if this happens automaticly, but it does for me)

 

[WATYF]

your contacts, callender, and mail sync with google severs online and can be retreaved using your account on your phone or pc.
(im not sure if this happens automaticly, but it does for me)

Well, yeah... the contacts/calendar/mail part is pretty obvious, since I can view these things either online or on my phone right now, so I know they exist in both places. I'm more concerned about settings and applications. I'm assuming data (any files I may have on the SD card) isn't.

WATYF

 

[lou61166]

your contacts, callender, and mail sync with google severs online and can be retreaved using your account on your phone or pc.
(im not sure if this happens automaticly, but it does for me)

Just copy the contents of your SD Card to your PC,Apps can be re downloaded from your market account.

 

[SeriousSam]

For a rooted phone I would check out Titanium Backup for an unrooted one you could check out MyBackup Pro both available in the marketplace. I own both but I like Titanium because of the options and batch modes. You can backup things such as just your data or the entire phone and then sync that with a dropbox backup. It also allows for easy restore.

My backup pro is also nice and does offer extended features if your phone is rooted however it works if it is not as well. Titanium will not work without root. Those two may have some of the functions you are looking for.

 

[WATYF]

For a rooted phone I would check out Titanium Backup for an unrooted one you could check out MyBackup Pro both available in the marketplace. I own both but I like Titanium because of the options and batch modes. You can backup things such as just your data or the entire phone and then sync that with a dropbox backup. It also allows for easy restore.

My backup pro is also nice and does offer extended features if your phone is rooted however it works if it is not as well. Titanium will not work without root. Those two may have some of the functions you are looking for.

Cool. I will check those out. Thanks man

WATYF

 

[cutterjohn]

Apps should also be tied to the Google account used...

PalmOS: Loved it in the day. I had been using a Palm IIIx up until a couple years ago when I dropped it one too many times(gave up on cases years ago) and cracked the upper lefthand corner of the screen. (Need to track down a replacement screen before they disappear forever...) Used it as a reader(plkr, isilo, peanutreader, etc.), had onboardC to write quick native C apps, misc. games, etc.

I ended up buying an Archos A43IT as it was the closest thing in size with modern hw to my old IIIx... too bad about no user replaceable battery though which is a really crappily cynical "feature" in most portable modern products... i.e. instead of letting you buy a new battery they hope to be getting you to buy a new device... just glad that phones haven't adopted this crap policy excepting Apple products, but that's to be expected from them. ah... better stop before I start going on about how far Apple has fallen...