What to do before updating Android. A new version of Android knocks on your door? After months of waiting, the natural reaction of many is to press the download button and install at full speed, to prevent the update from disappearing.
If you want to save yourself problems like losing your photos, losing your settings or receiving an error during installation, all you need to do is follow some simple steps that won’t take long. The update will still be when you have finished reading this tutorial on what to do before updating your Android.
Is data lost during an update?
It is undoubtedly the most important question and the simple answer is no, it should not happen. The normal thing is that you save your data, files, and photos, both in the internal memory and in the SD memory. The official Android update should only touch the system partition and cache, not user data.
We have considered the standard or official update process. If you need to install a custom ROM or you are updating the firmware with Odin or similar, then this process may erase all your data from the phone (even if the memory card should not be erased).
Another thing you need to remember is that the update process may fail due to some unknown error. Sometimes the problem may not have been caused by you or your mobile phone, but the update was released with factory errors. Occasionally, anything could happen, which is why all manufacturers recommend making a full backup before the upgrade. The proverb prevails- prevention is better than cure.
Before upgrading Android, make sure you have enough battery available, even if your cellphone keeps you from moving forward if you don’t have enough power. Connect it to the charger and wait for the installation to finish, to reduce the chances of failing the installation.
Does your phone have an official application?
They are in danger of extinction, but there are still some official applications for making backup copies of the cell phone. For example, traditionally Samsung was Samsung Kies, which later became Smart Switch and is also useful for making backup copies of your phone.
We cannot blindly trust these applications, so use them with a little care. Applications like Smart Switch are useful for creating a copy of items such as call logs or text messages, but not for saving all your photos. When you restore a backup made with this application, you will often have problems with repeated photos, it would be better to make a complete copy of the photos, just in case.
Save your contacts to the cloud
Technically, you shouldn’t lose your contacts – or many other personal data – when trying to update Android, but it never hurts to imagine the worst scenario. You have several ways to save a backup of your contacts, for example export them as a VCF file, but the simplest option is to synchronize them on Google.
You will find both options in your contact application. If you decide to export your contacts as a VCF file, remember to save the file before updating it. The advantage of saving your contacts on Google is that they will be available on all your Android devices.
Save your SMS
Do you have any SMS you would like to save? Once again I can say that they should not disappear due to the installation of a new version of Android, but you do not hurt to be careful. This is where the official applications like Samsung Smart Switch do a good job, although it is also possible to use third-party applications.
For years SMS Backup + has been the most famous application for SMS backup, but if it doesn’t work or if you want to try another, it should also be used with SMS Backup and Restore.
Don’t miss your Whatsapp chats
Most messaging applications today are based on the cloud, but there are still some that are resistant. If you want to make sure that the data of your messaging applications remains there even after updating to the latest version of Android, the most sensible thing is to export them / make a backup.
How to backup Whatsapp | Simple guide
To make a backup copy of WhatsApp is much simpler today than a few years ago thanks to the copy on Google Drive. All you need to do is go to Account – Chat, and Backup, or read the tutorial above.
Don’t forget the photos!
Before updating Android the biggest concern you have is to lose your photos, a real tragedy for which, fortunately, you have some solution. First of all, once again, I can say that you don’t lose photos during the Android update, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
First of all, the Android update should not touch the memory card, so if you have saved the photos on the external memory, you shouldn’t worry. Another thing are those that are in the internal memory, there could be the risk of cancellation, even if as we have said it should not happen.
Activate the backup of Google Photos is always a good option to have a copy in case of an emergency, but remember that the quality standard of the copy reduces the resolution of photos. It is more an option to have as a last resort than a solution.
Instead, the safest way to save your photos is to connect the phone to a PC with its USB cable and copy all the folders you want to save to your PC. In this way, the same folder and photo structure is maintained with their original quality.
Before pressing the button…
One thing I usually do before updating the system or switching to new mobile is to open the application menu and review all the applications I have installed one by one. Are all data safe? Is there anything I overlooked?
Then it might be useful to know how to back up your Android device’s application data. The tutorial on what to do before updating Android is finished. For doubts or problems do not hesitate to write on our Facebook page.