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need help with factory reset and saving info

H

heretical

Newbie
Hopefully, this post is in the right category, and please don't think I'm nuts for asking this!
Having extreme issues with my phone, and need to store ALL info in order to do a factory reset. This includes texts, side-loaded apps, etc. I do not like google playstore or google in general (and understand that side-loaded apps would not be able to be restored from the playstore or google), will not use "the cloud" or onedrive, and would prefer to not use a third-party app (it "shouldn't" be necessary to do that if an sd card or computer is available, right?) so am limited to directly hooking the phone up to my linux pc or using the sd card. My understanding, right or wrong, is that what I am trying to do is not normally done or is possibly not able to be done. Please advise me as to how to do this safely, or what third party apps I will have to use if that becomes necessary. Thank you!
android version 11, motorola tracfone model b140DL
 
what phone do you have?

there is no way of saving texts messages other than to use a 3rd party app......sorry

depending on who your manufacturer is, they may have a utitlity program to backup your phone's data. samsung has Smart Switch. i know LG and Moto also has similar programs.

other than that, there is not much you can do on your own, without some kind of app or program. if your phone is rooted you can use a custom recovery like TWRP to make a nandroid backup of your phone. a nandroid backup is a complete backup of everything on your phone. but the phone needs to be rooted to do this.
 
ocnbrze said:
what phone do you have?

there is no way of saving texts messages other than to use a 3rd party app......sorry

depending on who your manufacturer is, they may have a utitlity program to backup your phone's data. samsung has Smart Switch. i know LG and Moto also has similar programs.

other than that, there is not much you can do on your own, without some kind of app or program. if your phone is rooted you can use a custom recovery like TWRP to make a nandroid backup of your phone. a nandroid backup is a complete backup of everything on your phone. but the phone needs to be rooted to do this.
Click to expand...
While rooting is something I would "like" to do someday, I am a total ignoramus on computer stuff. So I guess I'll have to find an appropriate app to help me. Someone suggested one app which only creates a file online, and I refuse to use dropbox/onedrive/anything else online. Needs to be able to be saved on the computer or on the phone and then transferred to the computer to re-install after the memory wipe. Phone type is listed above at end of posting. Thank you!
 
well contacts can be saved as a vcf file:
https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/7199294?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Android

text messages:
SMS Backup and Restore

files:
can just be done by hooking up your phone to your computer (not sure on linux though)

app data:
not sure on your phone. moto used to have motorola migrate, but they discontinued it. and i can't find anything moto has put out that is a replacement to it.......so i'm not sure on this. some apps are backed up on their own server so it might depend on what app you want data to be backed up.
 
my problem is that nothing described in what you said or what I see anywhere on the internet exactly matches what is showing on my phone. For example, the hamburger at the top does not do anything except "search contacts". Instead, there is a little wrench on the bottom right that says "fix and manage". Opening it up gives me the option to "import from sim", "import from file", "export to file", or "settings". And nowhere does it give me a chance to export that vcf file to the sd card or computer.

never mind that last queston. I had to disconnect the computer and then reconnect it. Moved it onto the sd card manually. Getting closer to what I need. :)
 
ocnbrze said:
well contacts can be saved as a vcf file:
https://support.google.com/contacts/answer/7199294?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Android

text messages:
SMS Backup and Restore

files:
can just be done by hooking up your phone to your computer (not sure on linux though)

app data:
not sure on your phone. moto used to have motorola migrate, but they discontinued it. and i can't find anything moto has put out that is a replacement to it.......so i'm not sure on this. some apps are backed up on their own server so it might depend on what app you want data to be backed up.
Click to expand...

Backing up files to Linux works well (At least it does in Ubuntu and Mint.) Linux just sees the phone as one or more removable drives.
 
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