Titanium Backup has been one of the most popular apps on the market for some time, and with good reason. It can be used to backup all your important app dada, system data, and even WiFi passwords on your handset.
Now, Android is a very stable operating system, and it’s pretty rare to run into a system or app killing bug. Even so, it’s better to be safe than sorry, you never know when a crippling update or malicious app might cause a problem. If you’re planning on removing apps using your newly found root permission or are planning to install custom versions of Android, then backing up your device is essential.
First things first, you’ll need a rooted handset before you can use Titanium Backup. Following that the app will need to be granted root permissions on your handset, but that’s simple enough. You’ll be prompted by Superuser once you run Titanium Backup, and can select to give it permanent access so you won’t be prompted again.
One word of caution before we proceed. If you’re using Titanium Backup to restore apps in between installing ROMs DO NOT attempt to restore system apps or their data across ROMs, as this will cause all sorts of crashes. Individual apps work fine, but system data will be incompatible.
Now that everything is setup we can begin.
Performing a mass backup
At first glance, Titanium Backup doesn’t appear to have the friendliest looking interface, the black and grey theme could certainly use a makeover. But don’t let that put you off, everything you need is actually very easy to find.
Frustratingly though, probably the most useful tool for performing a mass backup is actually hidden in another menu, rather than on the Backup/Restore tab where you’d think it would be. Instead, click the Menu button on your handset, and then select the “Batch actions” option under the “General” section, it should be the second option on the list.
Batch actions can be accessed from your devices menu button, or via the icon in the top left of Titanium’s home screen.
Batch actions can be accessed from your devices menu button, or via the icon in the top left of Titanium’s home screen.
The all-important backup section is located right here, giving you a wide variety of options regarding app and system data. System data includes Bookmarks, WiFi information, calendar events, etc. If you’re performing a backup for the first time then want to use the “Backup all user apps + system data” option, or at the very least the “all user apps” function. Clicking “Run” will present you with several more options to refine exactly what you’d like to backup. Once you’re satisfied with the selection, tap the green tick in the top right to begin the backup.
Patience is the key here as this can take a while, especially if you have lots of large apps installed.
If you’ve performed backups in the past and simply want to make a backup of newer apps you’ve installed recently, the “Backup new user apps” option on the “Batch actions” menu is the best choice. Alternatively, you can use the “Backup/Restore” tab on the Titanium homepage to select individual apps to backup.
Creating a recovery backup .zip file
Whilst the above backups will protect you from most bugs, they won’t be of much use if you experience a severe error that prevents your device from booting properly, such as corruption in a system file, or a bugged out launcher. This is where recovery compatible .zip files come in handy, as the backup can be restored without having to boot into Android. However, this is a donate version only option, but might be worthwhile if you’re changing ROMs a lot.
Head on over to the batch options again and scroll down until you see the “Recovery Mode” category. Here you can select the apps that you’d like to include in the backup .zip file, choose between apps or data only, and name the .zip file appropriately so that you can remember what it is.
If you ever need to recover your device using this boot file, enter ClockworkMod recovery and choose install zip from SDCard.
Scheduled backups
Generating a backup every time you install a new app is a bit of a pain, and it’s unlikely that anyone will remember to make a backup every week or month anyway. Fortunately, Titanium Backup now includes a scheduled backup option.
Over on the main menu tap the “Schedules” tab and you’ll be presented with two options. The first choice labelled “redo backups for modified data” will schedule backups only for app data which have been changed since the last backup. This could include games or changes make to specific app data.
The schedule has plenty of options to control automatic backups, so you don’t have to mess around with Titanium regularly.
The schedule has plenty of options to control automatic backups, so you don’t have to mess around with Titanium regularly.
The second option is probably the most important, as it will backup any new apps, system data, and updates since the previous update. Click “edit” to make changes to the schedule. There are all the necessary options to adjust the time and date of when backups are generated, but users can also set the charge state of the device required before making a backup, so as to prevent shutdowns mid backup, and there’s also a choice regarding filters and what to do once the backup has completed.
Restoring from backup
Alright, you’re protected in case your handset suffers a minor meltdown, but the next important step is being able to restore your apps and settings should anything go wrong.
In the batch actions, yet again, you’ll find a list of options for mass restoring your data. “Restore missing apps with data” will replace any content that is missing from your handset after a wipe. Alternatively restoring all apps with data will replace any existing apps with the backed up versions of them created earlier. There’s also a rather helpful option to only restore newer versions of user apps if you’re reinstalling your system.
However, the option that’ll you’ll most likely be interested is the “restore missing apps + all system data” option, which will put everything back to where it was when you created the backup. Although I can’t stress enough, that system data shouldn’t be restore if you’re switching ROMs.
Batch and individual restores can both be performed. There are also some additional commands when looking up the options for each app.
Batch and individual restores can both be performed. There are also some additional commands when looking up the options for each app.
If you discover that a specific app has developed a fault, say after a bugged update, and you want to restore it to a previously saved version, then this can be done by clicking on the backup/restore option on the main page. Here you can pick the specific app or piece of data from the list. Once tapped, a list of backups will appear along with a list of other functions to create backups, etc. Here you can manage your individual app backups, or can restore the app to a specific date by clicking on the corresponding restore button.
Managing bloatware
Whilst looking at the specific apps you’ll probably have noticed the Freeze function. Freezing apps is a handy tool that will allow you to completely stop apps from running without having to uninstall them. Usually this is used on factory installed apps that you don’t want to use. This option is a paid for only function, but it’s very helpful if you want to stop an irritating tasks from running or to see how your handset will react before uninstalling a piece of software.
Root permission also means that Titanium Backup can be used to uninstalled unwanted apps and bloat ware. A word of caution before doing this with any pre-installed software, uninstalled essential apps can cause force close errors and even render your handset virtually unusable if not done with care, so I thoroughly recommend backing up your apps and system first, preferably with a recovery zip file too.
Special features
That’s the really important stuff out of the way, but Titanium backup includes plenty of additional advanced features if you want to make the most out of your backups.
Firstly, backup data can be imported from by going to Titanium’s main menu and scrolling down to the import backup option. So you don’t even need to store all your backups on your handset, the files can easily be moved back and forth from your PC to your phone.
Slower compression will save on storage space, but be prepared to wait a little while while backups are performed.
Slower compression will save on storage space, but be prepared to wait a little while while backups are performed.
If you’re short of internal memory storage, there’s also the option to move apps to the SD card. However, this will cause certain apps to malfunction, so it’s only recommended to use on software which don’t integrate closely with any other part of Android, such as games.
Titanium Backup features many more options under the configurations menu, including tweaks to the type of compression used to create backups, the maximum number of backups to keep for each app, and whether or not to store market links for apps. In fact, apps can even be disconnected from the marketplace, so automatic updates can be left on for apps but then manually disconnected for certain apps, if you so desire.
Cloud backups
An extra feature for those who purchase the PRO edition is the ability to send backup data to various online services, including Dropbox and Google Drive. Although not essential, these options are very helpful if you need to wipe your SD card, or if your SD card ever develops a fault. To enable syncing to one of these services, tap your phone’s menu button and then go to “Preferences”, the options are under “cloud sync settings”.
And that concludes our guide on Titanium Backup. Hopefully that’s everything you need to protect your handset from unexpected faults.
Related
Hello all
I think this thread would be highly relevant since we are all in the business of continuous wipes and ROM installs.
I have been using two programs for my backup needs: Titanium Backup and My Backup Pro. I know the two apps are quite different, but ultimately their purpose is the same. I list brief observations about the two:
TItanium BAckup
1) Backs up all right, but stalls on some programs while restoring, restarting Sense. In order to resume, one has to uncheck that program from the restore list
2) Creates a single, unified backup, thus saving disk space. But also, I haven't found a way to restore exactly the apps that I had last - it only restores ALL the apps in its backup history, meaning it is a cumulative history of apps rather than latest snapshot. The options are either 'restore missing apps' or 'restore all apps'. Am I missing something?
3) Closes down everything while backing up - something of a minor irritation
4) Does not restore my Sense desktop fully
5) Some restored programs are prone to errors or missing data
My BAckup Pro:
1) Generally quite slower than TB
2) Backs up everything, allows to restore only the apps I had last installed
3) Restores Sense desktop quite well
4) Sometimes stalls in the process of zipping the backup or unzipping it again. But always picks up from where it left.
It turns out MBP is slightly better. But I'd love others' feedback on this.
I've found TB to be highly advanced in Apps backup area compared to MBP. TB allows app freezing, which virtually allows you to uninstall a nagging system app with an undo option. And with the latest version it even allows uninstalling system apps!!
Bye Bye Teeter, Peep and the like.
Yes, you are right it is more 'advanced'. But for me more important than saving a few MB by removing system apps is getting my whole apps and desktop back undamaged and without errors etc, and in this case I found MBP to be better.
As I mentioned above, Titanium does not offer an easy way to restore the EXACT apps I had before wipe - it either offers 'ALL apps ever backed up' or nothing. Again, that might be my misconception. But as I said, it does stall on too many apps.
talhamid said:
Yes, you are right it is more 'advanced'. But for me more important than saving a few MB by removing system apps is getting my whole apps and desktop back undamaged and without errors etc, and in this case I found MBP to be better.
As I mentioned above, Titanium does not offer an easy way to restore the EXACT apps I had before wipe - it either offers 'ALL apps ever backed up' or nothing. Again, that might be my misconception. But as I said, it does stall on too many apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will have to agree with u TB is quite annoying stopped using a while ago
the only problem i have with MBP is the contacts and calender restore so i stopped using them
i just log on to my gmail and sync my contacts and calender
and as for app restore, its works great never had any errors and i usually restore with data.
TB does allow single apps to backup or restore.
I have backup and restored single apps many times. U can set it to backup only user apps an optionally add the system ones. You simple press menu->batch->backup user apps then you can go through the list and tick/untick those apps you wish to backup or not.
I have found TB so easy to use for whatever combination of backup restore i feel like doing. Also the scheduled backup is a life saver!
for these reasons i have donated to this app!
Been using the paid version of Titanium since I got my Desire and love it. Have never had a single issue or experienced any of the problems listed...
i always used titanium earlier but since i tried MBP.... i generally uninstall titanium from the custom roms of flash. for me MBP is the best love it
I have paid versions of both TB and MBP, and only have one installed on my phone now.
Which one?
Titanium.
I've not experienced a single one of the issues that the OP mentioned. As has been said previously, even in batch operation you can select/deselect the apps you want to backup or restore.
To the OP: Are you using the paid version of Titanium?
Regards,
Dave
Yes, I am using paid version. I am aware of the option to restore single apps as well. I have been using both for months.
Actually, my problem is this: I have about 167 apps that I am currently using (or pretend to be using anyway!). TBP has a backup of these 167, PLUS many other apps that I backed up earlier but uninstalled. Now when I wipe, and then restore, I have to uncheck the apps I had uninstalled from the restore list. Second problem is, TBU stalls on some apps and reboots Sense, and will continue only if I keep looking at the progress bar, notice which app causes the crash, and uncheck it from restore list.
MBP provides multiple backups, allows me to back up JUST the apps I have installed RIGHT now, and restores them without a problem. it also restores my desktops quite nicely.
when you do a full backup of all the apps and system apps of course sense will crash , because TB shuts sense down to back up the files !
Thats the case with all the running apps, because you can choose
Kill active apps OR Exclude active apps !
You can choose a batch to backup the NEW programs in TB.
its in the list.
Backup All new apps & newer versions
I use the paid version and im very happy with it, it works great.
talhamid said:
Now when I wipe, and then restore, I have to uncheck the apps I had uninstalled from the restore list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't want the backups for the uninstalled apps, why not just use the batch operation to delete them?
Second problem is, TBU stalls on some apps and reboots Sense, and will continue only if I keep looking at the progress bar, notice which app causes the crash, and uncheck it from restore list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never experienced this issue, so I can't comment.
MBP provides multiple backups, allows me to back up JUST the apps I have installed RIGHT now, and restores them without a problem. it also restores my desktops quite nicely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TB backs up your desktop too, if you select the right options.
Does MBP now have something similar to Market Doctor from TB?
Regards,
Dave
The Sense stall comes during RESTORATION not BACKUP, and on certain specific apps.
Secondly, yes I have seen the option, but what about restore. I have 'restore missing apps', 'restore all apps', and 'restore newer apps', none of which exactly matches my requirement.
Also, I know with the 'right options' I can restore the desktop with TB too, but it is restored in a broken way with many widgets missing.
Does MBP now have something similar to Market Doctor from TB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually yes but I have currently the problem, when restoring all apps with their data, they won't show up in the market until I reinstall one app (does not matter which one) and then you will see all your installed apps in the market. Can anyone confirm this ?
Besides that it won't restore 3rd party widgets at your homescreen but I'm almost using all launcherpro plus widgets and the lpp config will be anyway saved through MBP app backup.
I'm using MBP quite often to restore everything and it's quite impressive imho and definitely well worth its money. Never had a big issue with it except the small ones mentioned above.
Best Regards
How about, "Delete backups of Uninstalled Apps"
I used that after every full backup to make sure when I restore it doesn't restore uninstalled apps.
OK, I didn't notice the 'delete backups of uninstalled apps' - so my bad.
That said, I think MBP does what I need with far fewer clicks. Perhaps this is because it has less features.
One thing I can't get around is the error messages I keep getting with TBU.
Guess will have to keep both
talhamid said:
Also, I know with the 'right options' I can restore the desktop with TB too, but it is restored in a broken way with many widgets missing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect that this may be due to the order in which the backups are restored. It's possible that TB restores the Sense homescreen data before some of the apps and widgets that are on the homescreens have been restored, causing the problems you mentioned.
I've no particular interest in testing it because I don't generally feel the need to backup and restore my homescreens, but if you are, I'd suggest trying to restore your apps and then try to restore your homescreen data.
One other great feature of TB is its integration with App Organizer. Using this, you can label your apps and then backup/restore by label. For example, I do play some games on my phone, but due to space restrictions I don't keep them on the phone at all times. Using App Organizer, I label all my games as "Games", and I then in TB I can backup/restore by that label.
Personally, I think TB is a much more flexible tool than MBP, but with that flexibility comes complexity, which means that MBP is probably superior for less technical users.
Regards,
Dave
To be honest i am a Lover of
My Backup Pro,
When i first flashed my phone, i was told by a number of people to use
Titanium
So i got it installed it,
and it come to flashing my rom, i loaded it up,
And was blown away by the number of options,
For me and my honest opinion and what i need it for,
Its far to over complex and does not always perform correctly,
After fafing around for a while i finialy managed to Backup my apps and Data,
And restoring them was a faf, And when i did some Apps didnt load / crash
At this point i never give it the time of day,
I got My Backup on the go and Wow was it easy and fast.
In the Time messing around with options in Titanium i would have backeup all my Apps and Data, and every settings and contacts SMS and MMS Alarms, well pretty much the whole phone using My Backup,
It was Super easy, no fuss, no messing, it backs up and restores,
Restoring is just as easy, select all, or Deselect ones you dont want to restore, if its Settings or A Couple of Apps,
So after loving it i paid for the Pro Version,
Never looked back
the_rebel said:
I've found TB to be highly advanced in Apps backup area compared to MBP. TB allows app freezing, which virtually allows you to uninstall a nagging system app with an undo option. And with the latest version it even allows uninstalling system apps!!
Bye Bye Teeter, Peep and the like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying right now to uninstall Facebook widget and devices is rebooting...
Any suggestion
P.S.: Leedroid 2.0c ROM
I have been using My Backup Pro since day 1 of having an Android phone. But I am so sick of this POS app. Every single time I restore my apps to a newly rommed phone a number of them force close. If I uninstall those and reinstall fresh from market, they then work fine, so I completely blame this app.
I am not referring to widgets, btw
My question is, before I dump this POS and buy Titanium, has anyone experienced similar problems with it?
Thanks
Hi Barsky,
According to your question, I didn't encounter any issues with user apps + data restore.
However, in order to succesfully use all the features of Titanium Backup (reffered as TB) you have to be an aware user.
This means that you either backup everything and make custom restore, or you backup with a proper selection of things and restore everything. What do I mean?
1. You probably don't need to hesitate backuping user apps+user data, that comes pretty straight-forward.
2. You also probably don't need to worry when you upgrade your ROM.
3. The problem arises with rom/system applications and settings when changing (not upgrading) ROM (Froyo/GB, Sense/AOSP etc). What I found quite safe is:
BACKUP:
- backup everything in TB
- use Calls Logs & Backup from the market to backup calls log
- synchronize contacts and calendar with google
RESTORE:
[don't allow google synchronization before restoring calls log if you don't want to have call log with unbound telephone numbers]
- use Titanium Backup to restore Call Logs & Backup application
- use Calls Logs & Backup to restore calls log
- restore selective tasks in TB:
[be aware that restoring Widgets/HTC Sense may cause conflicts]
# Accounts
# Bluetooth Pairings
# HTC Sense (If you use Sense - and I have suspicion this can cause conflicts, but not sure yet)*
# Bookmarks
# SMS/MMS/Apn
# E-mail account settings
# Wi-Fi Access Points
# SMS/MMS Prefs
# ALARMS
- reboot
- enable google synchronization for contacts and calendar (I don't restore contacts with Titanium Backup since: 1. It's not necessary, 2. It causes FC on some migrations)
- restore all user apps+data from TB
Always make nandroid backup along with TB backup. I also advise making nandroid backup after restoring everything mentioned above except HTC Sense and Widgets, and then try to restore those two (if needed).
Obviuos tip - selective restoring can be done by executing 'batch restore' and then selecting from the generated list.
When I got all that, I am happy with TB. I don't expect perfect Backup&Restore tool, since there are too much defragmentation in Android platform.
What are you guys using to back up your phones when switching Roms? I want to back up contacts, wifi settings, APPs etc.
If I'm switching ROMs I set them up from scratch again, after doing a Nandroid of the current one
Titanium Backup works really well. It's on the market. Probably on here somewhere also.
Will Titanium restore your screens? Its a bit tiring getting them alls setup and then starting from scratch on my droid incredible I never really set up the phone because I switched Roms so often.
veli69 said:
What are you guys using to back up your phones when switching Roms? I want to back up contacts, wifi settings, APPs etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use google for contacts and wifi settings, apps Titanium Backup
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
veli69 said:
Will Titanium restore your screens? Its a bit tiring getting them alls setup and then starting from scratch on my droid incredible I never really set up the phone because I switched Roms so often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, so for backing up your system you're going to want to use CWM and make a NANDROID backup. After you're done with that you will probably want to back up your apps. To back up app as well as data (such as angry birds scores) you will want to use Titanium Backup. Just remember not to restore system data, just apps/app data after flashing your ROM/Kernel.
For contacts (assuming you are on verizon) you had the option to chose where you store your contacts. Those options were either in your Gmail account or in "Backup manger" if you cant figure out where they are you can always make a file with all your contacts and place it on your SD card by going to the People App>menu>import/export>Export to storage.
As far as wifi settings go i am not aware of a way to do so.
And if you wanted to keep the launcher as it is (like where your apps are, folder, widgets, etc.) you will have to be on a custom launcher such as ADW or GoLauncher. This happens because the launcher is an app and when the app data is restored (from titanium backup) the placement of things are exactly how they were when you made the backup!
1) Nandroid. Always nanroid just to be safe - if something breaks, you need to have a working build to fall back on .
2) Contacts - I don't worry about it - they should all be synced with your Google account anyhoo.
3) Wifi settings - should also be synced with your Google account, and will be automatically restored when you set up the new ROM (assuming you tick the "restore data to my device" option in the google account setup screen).
4) Apps - TitaniumBackup for apps and data - not for system data though.
5) Launcher - some launchers will have an option built-in for backing up and restoring your screen layouts, folders, etc. Widgets will rarely be able to be restored no matter what method you use. You can also use Titanium to explicitly back up and restore your launcher's data - if you're still on the stock launcher, filter for System apps and look for an entry that starts out "[DESKTOP] Launcher ..." (it'll be in green) and backup/restore the data for that.
When you boot after first wipe it asks you for Google account details, then it will pull down your contacts, wifi settings etc. which we want.
But it also starts re-downloading all your Market apps, which we don't want because we've got them in Titanium Backup and we want to restore them with data (save games) and be linked to the Market for updates.
What's the correct way to handle this?
I've created issues before where some apps don't list in 'My apps' in the Market, and don't auto-update unless I search for them at which point it says 'Installed'.
I usually enable airplane mode immediately after the Google account setup, reboot, restore from titanium, reboot, and then turn the radios back on.
ClockworkMod Rom Manager. Its the best tool there is. yu can flash roms by pressing a simple button.
make sure you understand the difference between clockworkmod and titanium backup before you start modding your device. CWM will restore your phone exactly to how it was when you made the backup, everything from your screens, apps, setting, contacts, call and text logs. When you restore with CWM it will erase everything that was done after the backup point. Another thing to keep in mind is that you cant choose to restore specific things in CWM like you can with TB, you have to restore it all in one shot.
TB will restore apps, system apps and data associated with those apps. TB can also be used to backup settings, wifi access points and bluetooth pairings.
So if you get a bootloop or softbrick you have to use CWM. You need to do a factory reset/wipe before you flash a new rom, this is when you would use TB. Use TB to restore the apps, data and settings.
SMSbackup and calllogbackup in the market is also good for backing up or texts and call logs if you want to keep them. google will backup your contacts if you allow google to do this but you can always just save your contacts on your sim card
never ever restore system apps and data.
Especially if it was meant to be a full wipe.
Even then, clean start is always best so wipe and stop reporting bugs if you didn't do a wipe.
s2d4 said:
never ever restore system apps and data.
Especially if it was meant to be a full wipe.
Even then, clean start is always best so wipe and stop reporting bugs if you didn't do a wipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On that note, some data for system apps can be safely restored - just never do it as a batch process. If I'm going to try restoring any system data, I do another full nandroid first (just in case) and then restore data one at a time.
I'm shocked no one has mentioned this app yet. Appextractor let's you restore things from your nandroid, Obviously some things shouldn't be restored, but many things can be safely restored.
EKnofsky said:
I'm shocked no one has mentioned this app yet. Appextractor let's you restore things from your nandroid, Obviously some things shouldn't be restored, but many things can be safely restored.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only problem I had with app extractor is the amount of SD storage space it uses - and doesn't automatically clean up. My nandroids are already ~2.7GB - I don't really want the whole thing also stored uncompressed. I quickly run out of storage space that way.
Oh, and it's painfully slow.
AppExtractor is useful if there's an important app you forgot to back up in Titanium, but doesn't really make sense to me as your primary restore method.
Isn't the Titanium data wiped when a new ROM is flashed? I assume that before flashing anything, copy the /sdcard directory to another computer?
And after flashing a new ROM, I assume that Ti has to be downloaded first in order to restore the other apps
thereddog said:
Isn't the Titanium data wiped when a new ROM is flashed? I assume that before flashing anything, copy the /sdcard directory to another computer?
And after flashing a new ROM, I assume that Ti has to be downloaded first in order to restore the other apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you're using the factory recovery, the Titanium data will remain intact. You will have to reinstall Titanium from the market - or use the tool built-in to Titanium to create a flashable *.zip. Just flash that *.zip before you boot your ROM the first time and you'll have Titanium pre-loaded.
use adb! works without root
adb backup [-f ] [-apk|-noapk] [-shared|-noshared] [-all] [-system|-nosystem] []
- write an archive of the device's data to .
If no -f option is supplied then the data is written
to "backup.ab" in the current directory.
(-apk|-noapk enable/disable backup of the .apks themselves
in the archive; the default is noapk.)
(-shared|-noshared enable/disable backup of the device's
shared storage / SD card contents; the default is noshared.)
(-all means to back up all installed applications)
(-system|-nosystem toggles whether -all automatically includes
system applications; the default is to include system apps)
( is the list of applications to be backed up. If
the -all or -shared flags are passed, then the package
list is optional. Applications explicitly given on the
command line will be included even if -nosystem would
ordinarily cause them to be omitted.)
adb restore - restore device contents from the backup archive
example: adb backup -all -system -shared -apk
nitramz said:
use adb! works without root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this. I had seen adb backup alluded to elsewhere but not a concise post detailing the usage. I'd rather not have to use my computer to handle backups, but it sounds like a pretty cool option.
Try MyBackup PRO. It does exactly what you need. I have used it before and it is good.
Below is a thread that I original started in the Desire section.... Thought it might help some One-X users who are starting out.
Here is the official user manual as written by the app developer: http://www.titaniumtrack.com/kb/titanium-backup-kb/titanium-backup-user-guide.html
Hi, Call me blind but i could not find any guides on XDA...strange soo maybe someone will correct me (my wife does it all the time!). As you can see by the way i have uploaded the photo screen shots...I'm also a No0b but trying to learn and share as well.
Here is my attempt at a No0b's guide to using basic Titanium features of backing up and restoring. Let's face it this program does so many things but me, for one, I just use the basic functions, so if there are some "Super users" out there please come forward and share your knowledge!
Getting started, I'm using the PRO version so if you are only using the FREE version your guide may be different.
From the user "Preferences" (Menu/Preferences) make sure that you change the "Max backup history to more than 1" this will allow you to have more than one back up version before the app overwrites the previous backup.... useful if you upgrade an app then realise that it was not such a good idea.
Another tip is that if you have a certain app that you want to retain the backup and user data for then you can simple go the the main app window, select the "Backup / Restore" button then tap on the app that you want to permanently keep a back up of, then tap on one of the backups, then select "Protect this backup". now this version of your back up will always be kept and never over written.
BACKING UP
Lets assume that you have installed Titanium Back up (PRO) and that you now need to make your first system and user apps back up. Then open the app and then press the icon at the top right of screen which looks like a page with a tick mark on it, then choose "Backup all user data + system data" from the list and hit the "RUN" button to the left of it. (Image #1). For backing up you are now done. (Note that if you are a frequent ROM flasher then you might only want to ever back up the USER APPS and data as restoring System apps across ROM is the main culprit of errors from using TItanium Backup. If you decide only to make user app back up then follow this by selecting the "Backup all system data" and on the next screen select the "Deselect all" button, next go through the list of system apps and select only the green coloured items (see below the list of system apps/settings that I recommend you ONLY restore across ROMS).
RESTORING after ROM change
After you have done a full wipe and then installed a new ROM you now want to RESTORE your applications and all of their user data, things like settings and user information. Titanium back up is an excellent tool for this but you MUST be careful not to restore any SYSTEM apps or data otherwise you can run in to trouble and it will cause many "FC's". According the the Official TB user guide: Again, if you’re restoring them from a different phone/ROM, enable the “System data migration” option (found under Menu/Preferences and half way down the screen list to the "Restoration Settings" section).
Then open the app and then press the icon at the top right of screen which looks like a page with a tick mark on it, then select BATCH and then scroll down to the RESTORE section and select "Restore missing apps with data". by default the "App+Data" will be checked, leave this option as is for this BATCH task (Image #3). Or you can review the list and manually Deselect one by one any apps that you did not want to restore on this occasion.
Or you can review the list and manually Deselect one by one any apps that you did not want to restore on this occasion. Or if you only want to restore a few of the apps then "Deselect All" and then manually add each app that you want to restore when you have completed your selections then hit the "Run the batch operation" button at the top. (Image #4).
It will take some time for the BATCH to run and re install all of your user installed apps. after the batch has completed then you are ready to install just a few of the other GREEN coloured items from the main menu.
This time from the main application window select the top middle "Backup / Restore" button. (Image #5). Now BE CAREFUL here, i ONLY RESTORE the following options and have never had any problems HOWEVER if you try to restore Accounts and Settings and some other green coloured items you can run in to trouble with FC's....you have been warned but test this out for yourself and report back if you have any success:
What to RESTORE safely:
Bluetooth pairings (User data only)
[Calandar] (User data only)
[Alarms] Clock (User data only)
[Desktop] HTC Sense (User data only) - NOTE it must be the same version as the previous ROM check the currently installed version against your last back up version number, if they match then you can restore and it will put back ALL your old desktop short cuts and screens (but NOT any of your widgets)....very handy one. (Image #12 & #13)
[Bookmarks] (User data only)
[User Dict HTC] (User data only)
[User Dict] (User data only)
Wi-Fi Access Points (User data only)
What NOT to Restore
Accounts
Application Widgets
[Contacts/Cal...]
Country, Language, Time zone
[SMS/MMS/APN...]
[E-Mail Accounts]
[Playlists]
[SMS/MMS Pref....]
[Voicemail]
[Wallpaper/Se...]
[Settings/Blu...]
You will now need to REBOOT your device for the system items to take effect.
Now a little tip that i use, as you will be updating your apps and settings will change almost daily why not set up the Schedule feature so that your apps and also your changed settings data are all backed up every night?
Here is how:
Open the application then select the top right button "Schedules" (Images #22-#24)
now enable the first option and select "Redo backups for modified data" select every day and also change the time to during the nighttime or other suitable time for you when you are not going to be using your phone.
Select the second option and change it to "Backup all new apps & newer versions" and again select the best time for yourself.
That's it, you are done so now you can rest assured that every night your current apps and user data will be backed up and ready for the next days flashing of new ROM's.
And one final tip that i use.........when setting up a ROM from scratch, do not sign in to the Google account until AFTER you have RESTORED all the user Apps with Titanium as the Market will try to restore all your apps from your Market user history, which is OK but will conflict with your BATCH RESTORE using TItanium Backup.
YOu should also make a copy of your installed version of Titanium Backup App to allow you to restore it on the new ROM without having to go to the Market for the reason detailed above. (Folder: /data/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup-1.apk)
enjoy.
Sent witH desire from One X
Thanks for tutorial :thumbup: now some options are more clear
Sent from HOX with ARHD 13
Just wanted to say thank you for these instructions. They helped and made it a very easy process for me. :good:
For moderators:
In my opinion, to be more useful, the guide must be moved to Q&A
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1480343
One thread seems enough huh.
Hi all - I freaking love these forums, you guys are awesome. What a great community here.
I searched the forums for a walkthru of setting up a new phone from the old one; if it's here somewhere and I missed it, feel free to just point me to it and I'll manage it from there.
So I'm just getting my new AT&T GS III probably today, replacing my stone-age Captivate. I've done a BIT of hack work on the Captivate, it's rooted etc with firmware v2.2, build Froyo.UCJI6. I've got Titanium Backup Pro v5.7.3 running currently. My question is regarding backing up and restoring my settings, market purchases, contacts, saved games (important!!), etc onto my new S III.
For backing up, is it simply a matter of running the batch "backup of all user apps + system data" on the Captivate (which I do weekly), then copying over all the backup files to my removable SD? As long as I run a backup of all apps/data so I just take the files with today's mod date? If I need them all, is there any easy way to batch copy ALL of the files to my SD rather than taking a half-hour to select/deselect the files I need on my tiny Captivate screen?
My bigger concern is that the restoration goes OK on the S III, as they have different versions of the OS. In the Titanium prefs, there are a TON of settings so I'm don't know what I need to focus on or if it's all set to 'auto-pilot' restore on a new phone. I assume I have to first root and then install Titanium on my new phone, just not sure what to do from there? (BTW, can I do a fully-functional restore on the free version of Titanium with my paid version backups? Or do I need to purchase it again on my new phone?)
Thanks in advance, I LOVE this place!!
Tom
teebob2000 said:
Hi all - I freaking love these forums, you guys are awesome. What a great community here.
I searched the forums for a walkthru of setting up a new phone from the old one; if it's here somewhere and I missed it, feel free to just point me to it and I'll manage it from there.
So I'm just getting my new AT&T GS III probably today, replacing my stone-age Captivate. I've done a BIT of hack work on the Captivate, it's rooted etc with firmware v2.2, build Froyo.UCJI6. I've got Titanium Backup Pro v5.7.3 running currently. My question is regarding backing up and restoring my settings, market purchases, contacts, saved games (important!!), etc onto my new S III.
For backing up, is it simply a matter of running the batch "backup of all user apps + system data" on the Captivate (which I do weekly), then copying over all the backup files to my removable SD? As long as I run a backup of all apps/data so I just take the files with today's mod date? If I need them all, is there any easy way to batch copy ALL of the files to my SD rather than taking a half-hour to select/deselect the files I need on my tiny Captivate screen?
My bigger concern is that the restoration goes OK on the S III, as they have different versions of the OS. In the Titanium prefs, there are a TON of settings so I'm don't know what I need to focus on or if it's all set to 'auto-pilot' restore on a new phone. I assume I have to first root and then install Titanium on my new phone, just not sure what to do from there? (BTW, can I do a fully-functional restore on the free version of Titanium with my paid version backups? Or do I need to purchase it again on my new phone?)
Thanks in advance, I LOVE this place!!
Tom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the whole transfer-of-backups process when I got my current device, migrating over from an even more ancient device than your Captivate.
For the backup process, you could fairly easily tell TiBu to use the SD card for its backup storage - that would probably be the easiest way to get the backups in the right place for the move. Other than that, you could, for example, use ADB to pull the backups off of your phone, use one of the cloud storage services that TiBu Pro supports, or find a file manager app that lets you select everything readily (or even just the TiBu folder - one folder isn't that much of a stretch to move) and move it over to the card.
For the restore process, you want to be careful with exactly which system data settings you choose to restore, as - especially across major Android versions and across devices - restoring many of them will just confuse your device as opposed to doing anything useful. Most of the important things - such as your contacts (assuming you have it set to do that, which is the case by default) and market account purchases - aren't stored on the device, but associated with your Google account, so just logging back in with your account on the new phone will restore a lot of that information easily; in particular, this makes it extremely easy for TiBu to find its licence again (once it's on your device).
Hope that's of help
Don't backup system data with titanium, just the apps. I've had some luck backing up sms and WiFi passwords with titanium and restoring them on different roms, though you should use the xml backups (colored in yellow). Your contacts and market purchases should already be synced with your Google account, so if you use the same account on the new phone all of that data will follow.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
smelenchuk said:
For the restore process, you want to be careful with exactly which system data settings you choose to restore, as - especially across major Android versions and across devices - restoring many of them will just confuse your device as opposed to doing anything useful. Most of the important things - such as your contacts (assuming you have it set to do that, which is the case by default) and market account purchases - aren't stored on the device, but associated with your Google account, so just logging back in with your account on the new phone will restore a lot of that information easily; in particular, this makes it extremely easy for TiBu to find its licence again (once it's on your device).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! Do I at some point in the backup or restore process have the option for which system settings are restored?
Also, I'm not sure my contacts are backed up online, is that with my gmail account? I don't think I ever explicitly set that up but I do check gmail on my phone. How can I tell whether it's linked up and already backed up online?
Thanks!
You can check your saved contacts here:
https://www.google.com/contacts/#contacts
When you select to restore in tb you will be given a list of apps/settings to restore. Un check any items that you don't want to restore before confirming the operation.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Before I restore my Titanium backup to the new phone, do I have to have all the apps that have backed up data already installed on the new phone?
Hello,
since Titanium Backup which I used for years seems to not work anymore, I am now looking for any other possibilities to transfer my apps+app data and also some system settings like wifi passwords/APN data, BT connections and such.
With TB this was always well working for me.
What I have tried:
OAndBackupX -> I enabled "special backups" and tried to backup wifi, but sadly it just creates a new folder for the wifi backup (special.wifi.access.points) with a properties file. However the subfolder, where the backup should be present is empty.
So this solution doesn't seems to work, at least not on my phone with Android 8.
I also tried to do backups of some apps, however it looks a bit strange to backup an app that shows as 25mb and the base.apk which gets created for it is only 9mb (and no other file besides that, although everything was ticked for backup)
How is everyone here doing this when switching from one phone to another (especially for access point data and data of apps)?
Syncing wifi passwords to google cloud I somehow do not want (even if they're encrypted) and the issue with app+app data is still present then.
Annil said:
Hello,
since Titanium Backup which I used for years seems to not work anymore, I am now looking for any other possibilities to transfer my apps+app data and also some system settings like wifi passwords/APN data, BT connections and such.
With TB this was always well working for me.
What I have tried:
OAndBackupX -> I enabled "special backups" and tried to backup wifi, but sadly it just creates a new folder for the wifi backup (special.wifi.access.points) with a properties file. However the subfolder, where the backup should be present is empty.
So this solution doesn't seems to work, at least not on my phone with Android 8.
I also tried to do backups of some apps, however it looks a bit strange to backup an app that shows as 25mb and the base.apk which gets created for it is only 9mb (and no other file besides that, although everything was ticked for backup)
How is everyone here doing this when switching from one phone to another (especially for access point data and data of apps)?
Syncing wifi passwords to google cloud I somehow do not want (even if they're encrypted) and the issue with app+app data is still present then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was the biggest pain in the ass. I tried plugging my old phone into the new phone but my old phone died midway through so I basically just started fresh. it sucks I have been doing it all last night and this morning and haven't finished. I did use sms back up & restore to get my text messages other than that everything is fresh and annoying.
No one else facing issues with backup/transfer? How is everyone transferring nowadays their appdata and access points and such? Really curious....
Got two phones here (Pixel 6 + Pro) waiting for transfers and I am still not sure how to accomplish completely...
Glad about any inputs!
A lot of people are recommending Swift Backup which is supposed to be the successor to Titanium Backup. I haven't tried it myself though.
If I understand correctly, Swift Backup also requires root to restore app data, network settings etc.
The best backup/restore solution I found was Google One's built in. It just works (albeit not as well as, say, iOS, and definitely not up to the level of Swift/Titanium). Without root, sadly, you won't have many options as you're limited to the APIs Google provides, which themselves are limited. Swift works this around by "manually" backing up all the files/folders for every app.
I do have google one, but sadly most apps I would require, get only backed up for the APK but not the data
Is Titanium Backup now deprecated for latest Android? I have Android10 on a car head unit with a very customised oem Launcher. I managed to root it with universal root from here and Magisk (Thanks). Titanium shows me all the installed apps and bloat with sizes - great!. I want to make a backup of an App in the oem system folder before deleting it. I seem to be able to create a backup on mnt/sdcard, but I can't delete the oem app?
I have 2 system folders, System\ and system (root). They appear mirrors of each other and if I go to system(root) /oem/app/*My bloat app, I can delete it with FX root file browser. But not if I go to folders inside System\. Is this something to do with how Magisk roots and can restore to non root by creating a mirror folder? I used TB to make a backup of this bloat app and it worked. But after deleting the app successfully with a file browser the TB backup folder was empty - is this normal? With one pre-installed (Russian!) nav app I didn't need or trust, I recovered 4.5Gb of memory with more oem apps to look at.
For now I can use TB to locate bloat apps I want to remove with a file browser but I really wanted to back them up first and delete from within the app. Is TB trying to delete from system\ where access seems denied, rather than system(root) where I can delete files with a root explorer? Any help appreciated - Thanks
TB is pretty much dead...
i started using Swift.. and also https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...mate-app-manager-debloat-tool-tweaks.4147837/
Thanks, I was guessing that from the age of posts in this thread. I started off thinking I wanted a full Nandroid backup but that requires a customised TWRP partition and AFIK this car head unit with its OE launcher doesn't seem to follow the partition structure I'm used to in phones. It has 3 external USBs and I can't get it to do anything with adb and a pc connected. The USBs are only active towards the end of boot. However, their factory image and unversal root seems to get picked up with the same 'Upgrade' screen messages from the folder Isec_updatesh. I don't know what I'd do if I bricked it, although I have found the OE Boot.img file packed in their update folders.
Thanks for the link to bloat removal. Nandroid backup creates a full rom image whereas most other backup apps seem to only backup apks and not system files. Android car head units are heavily customised with many added hardware based peripherals so a full backup is important to me. Adb might offer a solution, but as I said, even in developer mode I can't get the USBs to talk to a pc which I assume is because there isn't the usual recovery mode, unless it's on button press combos I haven't found yet? There is a recovery to factory reset, but it's an option in their launcher so I'm guessing it's not in the usual Android recovery partition?
OK I took a quick look at ADB AppControl. First I need to establish an ADB link from PC and I'm struggling with that. Second it does what some other non-root apps do which is to hide the bloatware and stop them running when my objective is to take the 16Gb+ memory they filled from 32Gb and recover memory by deleting bloatware and apps I don't need. There's a tendency now to sell these Chinese car head units with all the GAPPS and many more pre-installed. Unfortunely, most require a mobile network connection to function. I'm not interested in their Satnav, Google maps, Facebook or other social media apps they threw in. The one thing going for me now is I'm running AFwall+ which is the best reason for rooting a Chinese sourced device to stop data leaks to them or Google.
As I ran their factory 'update' I could see all these apps getting installed. If I was clever enough to understand how the Android 10 install 'Manifest' (my words) worked, I would prefer to edit out entries for OE apps in their installer, if it was possible?