How to backup your Android phone (2026)

There are some premium apps for macOS that offer an iTunes-like experience, but nothing I can guarantee.

Backup your Chromebook

Here’s how to back up files from your Android phone to your Chromebook:

1. Connect your phone to the USB port on your Chromebook.
2. Swipe down the notification shade and find Notification From Android system To say something like that Charge this device via USB, click for more options And press it.
3. Look for the option that says File transfer And choose it.
4. the Files The app will open on your Chromebook, and you can drag in any files you want to copy.

Backup to another cloud service

Maybe you’ve 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 offer some free cloud storage, but what you can back up and how you do it varies from app to app.

We’ve looked at how to back up mobile phone photos on a few of these files before, and you can usually set up the process to be automatic, although 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, check out the Autosync app. There are specific versions for Dropbox, OneDrive, MEGA, and Box.

Whatever service you choose, be sure to keep your cloud storage secure.

Backup locally

Maybe you prefer not to use the cloud or Google services for backup. You can always use the above methods for Windows or Mac to download files, then manually transfer them to a portable hard drive or USB flash drive, but that takes a lot of work.

If you have a network attached storage (NAS), there’s probably an app that can automatically back up some of your files when you’re connected to your home Wi-Fi network. You might also consider using Syncthing (although it’s better for syncing rather than backing up) or something like Swift Backup, though you may need to pay and/or root your phone to get the best of both.

In-app backup

Messaging apps, and a few others, have their own built-in backup systems. I’ll give you a few examples here, but check out your favorites.

WhatsApp via Simon Hill