noob question about backing up app data across roms - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

it sounds like people switch roms fairly regularly.
but it's my understanding that using a system like Titanium to back up apps and app data should not be used across different roms (like from stock stock, to CM7, to CM10). are people re-installing their apps manually? how are they keeping settings? i have about 50 apps/games, and while appbrain will freshly reinstall the apps themselves from the appstore (saving a lot of time), i'd like to figure out a way to keep the settings too.
thanks in advance for any tips/corrections.

No, that's not the case. You have batch backups that just backup just apps and data. Then you can backup the system files, apps, data. Basically you have multiple options to do several types of backups. It's not one backup for all.
---------- Post added at 01:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 AM ----------
I switch ROM's once a month generally because of glitches in ROM. Like most people just want a switch ROM's for a different feel. What you must be aware of is Google play store reinstalls apps automatically. Not sure how many apps or why.

culaterout said:
No, that's not the case. You have batch backups that just backup just apps and data. Then you can backup the system files, apps, data. Basically you have multiple options to do several types of backups. It's not one backup for all.
---------- Post added at 01:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 AM ----------
I switch ROM's once a month generally because of glitches in ROM. Like most people just want a switch ROM's for a different feel. What you must be aware of is Google play store reinstalls apps automatically. Not sure how many apps or why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so am i understanding you correctly that titanium CAN backup (and successfully restore) apps and their settings between different generations of roms, but that it should not be used to back up system files between different roms (which i don't plan to do)?

Correct but changing between Rom's it is best to always back up the whole system. Dont mix Roms system files especially because one is a 4.1.2 version and the other is a 4.2.2 version. Don't forget to use the correct Gapps last night when installing Carbon Rom for Nexus 4 I was installing the wrong Gapps started to loop the boot sequence and shutdown and reboot. Finally it dawned on me i was using Gapps 4.1.2 for a 4.2.2 release.
Best for installs to know adb how to push files across and install roms this way. I have done backups with both adb backup and Titanium backups. The word is one in every 5 backups are bad. Make sure to export them to Dropbox or PC.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using xda app-developers app

Related

Titanium Backup - why not restore data?

I have read that when going to a different rom to do a full wipe.
So clearly if you want to keep your apps you back them up and recover them with titanium backup, but why is it advised to not restore the Data of the apps?
How else would I keep game scores and settings and such?
Thanks
restoring the data for the user apps is fine, don't restore the system data...
Wond3r said:
I have read that when going to a different rom to do a full wipe.
So clearly if you want to keep your apps you back them up and recover them with titanium backup, but why is it advised to not restore the Data of the apps?
How else would I keep game scores and settings and such?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that would be a bit of misinformation that gets spread around.....
its fine to restore user apps+data. i have been doing it for a long time with every device i have. swapping between devices and all.
do a batch restore MISSING apps+data
unselect anything that might be blur/sense/touchwiz specific (based on the phone you are using)
run the batch and reboot
verify you are not having any FCs on your apps
if you do a batch restore of just user apps+data (and not the MISSING option) you will get tons of issues.
it is not advised to use Titanium Backup for things like text messages, contacts, phone logs, etc. (while possible it will work just fine, i have seen lots more issues trying to restore those from rom to rom rather than just user apps.)
again. use the MISSING APPS option in the batch restore of Titanium Backup
i have been doing it for over a year on many different devices and i even share my titanium backup folder between different phones, with NO issues at all. and i typically flash several times a week on several different devices.
Wond3r said:
I have read that when going to a different rom to do a full wipe.
So clearly if you want to keep your apps you back them up and recover them with titanium backup, but why is it advised to not restore the Data of the apps?
How else would I keep game scores and settings and such?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is advised to do full wipe, if you install a rom.
And if you want to keep your settings, games scores etc, you use Titanium Backup.
Titanium Backup is your friend in those cases..
What is not adviced, is installing a Rom, without wiping your data.. In that way, you keep for example data of apps and games, of a froyo rom, to a gingerbread rom..
Rom to Rom differs(even in same android version), thats why you full wipe, and then TiBu saves you by restoring them, to the new rom's enviroment..
Edit: Agree with others.. I was typing on atrix, and since i wrote this, they already answered!
Also in atrix, NEVER restore FINGERPRINTS backup..
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Pirateghost said:
that would be a bit of misinformation that gets spread around.....
its fine to restore user apps+data. i have been doing it for a long time with every device i have. swapping between devices and all.
do a batch restore MISSING apps+data
unselect anything that might be blur/sense/touchwiz specific (based on the phone you are using)
run the batch and reboot
verify you are not having any FCs on your apps
if you do a batch restore of just user apps+data (and not the MISSING option) you will get tons of issues.
it is not advised to use Titanium Backup for things like text messages, contacts, phone logs, etc. (while possible it will work just fine, i have seen lots more issues trying to restore those from rom to rom rather than just user apps.)
again. use the MISSING APPS option in the batch restore of Titanium Backup
i have been doing it for over a year on many different devices and i even share my titanium backup folder between different phones, with NO issues at all. and i typically flash several times a week on several different devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That explains it. Ive seen MANY posts where users tell other users to restore apps but not restore data but dont specify they mean system data and not app data!
Also, when people talk of a full wipe, do they mean even deleting the contents of the internal storage (like photos and such?)
This would be for going from one ROM to another ROM, both GB
No they are talking about doing a "wipe data/factory reset" in CMW and not physically deleting your internal sdcard. if you delete your sdcard then you will wipe out data that you need including your titanium backups
morepower71 said:
No they are talking about doing a "wipe data/factory reset" in CMW and not physically deleting your internal sdcard. if you delete your sdcard then you will wipe out data that you need including your titanium backups
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ! I always feared that the wipe data/factory reset pretty much deletes all the files on your device like photos and music
The short answer is force closes. Which also can happen from restoring app data, altho it is less likely to happen, it can and it will. But yea def dont restore system data.
Is there any other way of saving game saves?
Wond3r said:
Is there any other way of saving game saves?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use SyncIt or GameOn, you can even back it up manualy with Root Explorer. You should be fine with TiBU, just if you do get a force close you will know why and what to do (delete data and/or uninstall/reinstall).
I am having an issue restoring my app data from titanium backup. The issue first occurred when i switched from a stock ROM to CM7 ICS ROM. When i restored my missing apps+data all of my app data had disappeared. I just started over and didn't worry about it. Then when i switched from CM7 back to a stock rom I received my old apps+data from before i switched to CM7. I read around on the forums that this might be a compatibility issue. So i started to use the setting in the batch menu "Manipulate data and converted my backups to roll back journal mode which says this works with all roms, and started uploading to Dropbox. I recently just switched my Rom from a stock ROM to CM9 ICS. I lost all of my apps again!! and got back all of the app data from when i was using CM7. Could someone please shed some light on what is going on here cause i have no idea. Please let me know if there is anything i can do to get my app data into CM9 from my last stock rom. The stock rom i was using was an old ROM called wet dream.
JonnyCazoid said:
I am having an issue restoring my app data from titanium backup. The issue first occurred when i switched from a stock ROM to CM7 ICS ROM. When i restored my missing apps+data all of my app data had disappeared. I just started over and didn't worry about it. Then when i switched from CM7 back to a stock rom I received my old apps+data from before i switched to CM7. I read around on the forums that this might be a compatibility issue. So i started to use the setting in the batch menu "Manipulate data and converted my backups to roll back journal mode which says this works with all roms, and started uploading to Dropbox. I recently just switched my Rom from a stock ROM to CM9 ICS. I lost all of my apps again!! and got back all of the app data from when i was using CM7. Could someone please shed some light on what is going on here cause i have no idea. Please let me know if there is anything i can do to get my app data into CM9 from my last stock rom. The stock rom i was using was an old ROM called wet dream.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The stock rom uses a different back up location than cm roms. You will have to manually go find the data backups in tibu. Don't bother having it auto detect, wont work. For example, all my backups were at mnt/emmc/titaniumbackup instead of the stock roms location of mnt/sdcard/titaniumbackup
pre4speed said:
The stock rom uses a different back up location than cm roms. You will have to manually go find the data backups in tibu. Don't bother having it auto detect, wont work. For example, all my backups were at mnt/emmc/titaniumbackup instead of the stock roms location of mnt/sdcard/titaniumbackup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like that was the the problem. I saved my backup on drop box so i just dropped what was on dropbox in my titanium folder and restored it. I now have all of my app data back.

[Q] unrooted backup with My Backup

My understanding is that when rooting some of the stock apps disappear, eg flashlight, soundcloud.
Does my backup successfully backup these apps without root?
so after I root it, I can restore them
if not, is there any other method to get a proper backup of apps and data without root on the HOX+
thanks
oopled said:
My understanding is that when rooting some of the stock apps disappear, eg flashlight, soundcloud.
Does my backup successfully backup these apps without root?
so after I root it, I can restore them
if not, is there any other method to get a proper backup of apps and data without root on the HOX+
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can backup/restore the apps, but not the data (so your score and progress in games and settings in apps will be lost).
Yezariael said:
You can backup/restore the apps, but not the data (so your score and progress in games and settings in apps will be lost).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a big mobile gamer so this would really suck. Please tell me there is a way to backup game settings so when the day comes that i can root my ATT version of the HOX+ that these get saved and carry over????
---------- Post added at 01:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:38 PM ----------
Basically for a newb android user who just purchased this device, what is the best backup app to use on a stock device? Then once i unlock bootloader do i need to restore from a backup or does unlocking bootloader not affect any apps or settings that need restored?
Once I finally Root my device, what is the best root backup app if i wanted to flash roms on the regular and not lose any game progress/data or apps in the process?
So many dang backup apps in the marketplace can't tell which one would be best and you really wouldn't know until you used one, unlocked phone, then find out the app didn't work! LOL. Trying not to find out the hard way, thanks!
ok, I've made a backup of everything I can with My Backup, which as stated, wont keep app data.
I've also made a backup using adb backup
when I attempt root (I've already nuked one HOX+, so going softly softly this time) I'm going to try restoring the adb backup first and hope for success. If not, fall back on the My Backup...backup
Once rooted I intend to use Titanium Backup *root*, I used that on my sensation and it never gave me any trouble

[Q] moving apps across ROMs

I have installed a few custom ROMs, but i'm a noob when it comes to phones, and every time i switch ROMs i start fresh with apps: redownloading them (about 100 from amazon and google), reconfiguring my home pages, and all games start back at level 1. it takes a long time to do all this, but i assumed that switching ROMs is like switching PCs (you need new drivers, you need to reinstall programs, etc, so you can't just copy A to B).
is there some better way to automate this so that any of the following are true?
-my apps reinstall themselves in a step or two?
-my homepages are reconstructed automatically? i'm guessing this is the least likely, since homepages/launchers/etc probably differ per ROM.
-my game/app data is saved and restored easily? my kids don't want to lose their ice age village
i have titanium backup free, which i have used for complete backups in the event of a phone crash or something, but i don't know about app transfers across ROMs.
thanks for any help. this would save me a ton of time in the future!!
(i'm going from rooted stock to CM10 on my nook tablet, if that matters).
back up your apps onto your sd card with this app
Some launchers (such as apex? not sure) allow you to save your configurations onto sd card and restore them later.
and not sure about game data, but maybe find the folder for the game on the sd card, make a back up and rename it back to previous folder name when you install new rom?
hope i helped
Use utilities like Go Backup or Titanium Backup .
They will help you restore app+data so you are always with current data.
Go Backup helps you restore call log as well
:thumbup:
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda app-developers app
assist4tech said:
Use utilities like Go Backup or Titanium Backup .
They will help you restore app+data so you are always with current data.
Go Backup helps you restore call log as well
:thumbup:
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely in favor of the Titanium Backup, 'cos it can also backup/restore wifi passwords, accounts, sms, bluetooth pairings...

Google auto restore apps?

So I've had a number of roms that after flashing, Google will automatically restore all previous apps for you when setting up the new system. My question is.. is there a way to force this? I've had a few roms that didn't do this and I'm curious why, or if I can manually make the system do this. I have tibu as well but I kind of stopped using that after I had a few roms that did this for me
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
cgibsong002 said:
So I've had a number of roms that after flashing, Google will automatically restore all previous apps for you when setting up the new system. My question is.. is there a way to force this? I've had a few roms that didn't do this and I'm curious why, or if I can manually make the system do this. I have tibu as well but I kind of stopped using that after I had a few roms that did this for me
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Usually under settings there's a "Back up and reset" section. In there is the option to backup and automatic restore. If this section isn't included in the rom, then no it won't automatically backup and restore your google stuff. Therefore you can't force it too. Also when you install a new rom the device id changes. Tibu can restore your previous id and then the playstore will download your previous stuff. But tibu has to be installed first. To do this you can make an "update.zip" with tibu that you flash when installing a new rom. That will force it!
use tibu to restore just an I.d. to "restore" apps from the market?
That seems like a huge waste of time.
1. The market restore is over WiFi only, as its not really restoring anything...just redownloading and installing all those apps.
2. Being fresh installs, the apps settings aren't restored...
You're already using a much better method in order to do this, titanium backup works in airplane mode as it's restoring data stored on the device, along with their data.
Much more efficient.

[REF][NEW-USER] A guide to switching between ROMs

One reason why I chose to buy this device (aside from official Google support) is the overwhelmingly large amount of developer enthusiasm for it. And with that enthusiasm comes a lot of custom ROMs.
I haven't had time to test all of them, but I will - and here's a guide I made that'll hopefully make testing different ROMs easier.
Prerequisites
Before continuing with this guide, make sure that you have:
a LOT of free time, depending on how many ROMs you want to test;
unlocked and rooted your device;
downloaded all the ROMs you want to test;
have installed a good recovery - I would recommend the latest version of TWRP;
common sense.
(OPTIONAL) a spare microSD card of at least 8GB. This'll make everything easier, as you won't have to delete stuff in order to fit all your ZIPs and backups.
Things to remember
Make sure you know how exactly to restore your device to how it was before following this guide.
You should know what you're doing. One small mistake can lead to your device being completely unusable!
You should know what features you're looking for in a ROM. It's never nice to have gone all the way to flash a different ROM, only to discover that feature X doesn't work. Ask questions in the ROM thread, if you like.
You can always ask help from others, should you have any trouble with your device.
When using custom ROMs (or any customization, for that matter), do NOT ask for ETAs. Our developers are doing their work at their own leisure and during their own time, and they don't get their pay from you.
Ready? Let's get going!
Getting started
A good Android user always backs up before doing anything radical to their phone, and that's precisely what we're going to do. There are three ways to go about this:
The easy way
The easy way is through making a Nandroid backup. This is particularly easy to do in TWRP, as all you need to do is reboot into recovery, press Backup, select the partitions you want to back up and whether to compress them, and start backing up. Simple as that.
Pros: Easy to restore your data once you're finished testing ROMs.
Cons: It's somewhat hard to restore individual pieces of data (such as messages and apps) instead of the whole thing.
The (slightly) more complicated way
This way deals with TitaniumBackup, an absolute must-have app for every Android user out there.
With TitaniumBackup, you can choose to back up individual apps (and even update their individual backups). TB isn't limited to backing up/restoring data, though; it can do so much more - remove bloatware, freeze apps you don't use, make a flashable ZIP out of your backups... the list goes on.
Pros: Finer control over what data gets backed up. Very powerful tool in migrating ROMs.
Cons: Somewhat outdated and intimidating interface; and features are reduced without buying the PRO version.
The Google way
This one is the simplest way of all three, though it only works if you have a) GApps and have signed in to your Google account, b) if you've agreed to let Google back your data up when you first set up your device, and c) if you have Settings > Backup & reset > Back up my data enabled.
Google automatically backs up almost all of your data to its servers, ready to be restored when you do a factory reset/switch to a new phone. A list of all data that are backed up can be seen by going to Settings > Accounts > Google > (your email address).
Notable exceptions to the data backed up are messages, which you have to back up yourself - I recommend SMS Backup & Restore for that.
Now that you have your data backed up, let's get flashing.
Flashing
Put your ROMs/kernels/GApps on your SD card, then reboot to recovery.
1. Wiping / factory resetting
This is why we back up your data in the first place. Different ROMs need different data, and data left over from one ROM can cause another ROM to get stuck in a bootloop.
Tip: If you're using TWRP, try enabling Use rm -rf instead of formatting in Advanced settings. Formatting doesn't really have any perceivable advantages over simply removing the contents of your data partition (unless you somehow corrupted it), and it actually causes higher wear on your storage chip. (Storage doesn't last forever - I've had my old Samsung bricked because I reformatted too much.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In CWM, it's called wipe data/factory reset; in TWRP, it's simply called Wipe. Wipe your data, dalvik-cache, and cache partitions.
2. Flashing the ROM and other addons
In CWM, it's called install zip (from sdcard); in TWRP, it's simply called Install. Browse to your ROM zip and install.
Tip: If you're using TWRP, you can add ZIPs to the ZIP queue in this order: ROM > GApps (if any) > Kernel (if any) > Addons/Patches (if any).
Users of CWM must manually flash each ZIP, in the same order.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3. Finishing up
Now all that's left to do is pray for the best and reboot.
Testing
If you flashed GApps, do NOT let Google restore data yet. We'll do that later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After initial setup completes and your newly-installed ROM settles down, it's time to get testing. It would be helpful if you listed down all the features you need and check/cross them out one by one if they work or not. For example, I need working screen cast and usable video recording, both of which do not work in all the CM-based ROMs I've tested.
Some ROMs, especially sprout4 ROMs, require patches when installing on sprout8 devices in order to provide the most optimal experience. Try flashing those to see if the ROM gets any better for you.
Rinse & repeat?
So, have you decided that this ROM is for you?
Yes, this ROM is awesome! I love it!
If you backed up earlier using Google, do another factory reset and this time, let Google restore your data.
If you used Titanium for backup, you can safely restore your data now.
If you made a Nandroid backup, you technically can restore your backup as-is since most of the ROMs available for sprout are CM-based; but I wouldn't recommend this as this can cause bootloops. Otherwise, you can manually restore your data one-by-one - but this is a time-consuming process.
I'm not quite sure I like this ROM yet.
Well that's okay, just repeat this guide from the start.
Finishing up
Now that you've decided on what ROM to use, you can safely delete your backups and ZIPs - though it would be better to keep them as they might come in handy if your device starts having problems.
Notes
If you're flashing a Marshmallow ROM, don't flash Xposed right after you flash your ROM as this may cause a bootloop.
Never ask for ETAs on ROM threads. That's rude.
That's it for this guide! Happy flashing! :fingers-crossed:​
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Awesome post. Enjoyed it!?
aureljared said:
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Click to expand...
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Sry for digging up this old thread. I was wondering if there is a tutorial for Titanium Backup specifically targeting a switch between custom roms, having different versions of android.
I'm in the midth of moving from cm 13 to lineageos 15 and just tried to backup apps+data in Titanium Backup and restore them and the new system is now somewhat buggy..I'm not sure if the restored backup is the reason for this or not....Maybe there are specific settings to be set..... I mean it's common sense for me not to backup and restore system data but maybe I am missing other important things to be set prior to a backup in Titanium Backup.
trohn_javolta said:
Sry for digging up this old thread. I was wondering if there is a tutorial for Titanium Backup specifically targeting a switch between custom roms, having different versions of android.
I'm in the midth of moving from cm 13 to lineageos 15 and just tried to backup apps+data in Titanium Backup and restore them and the new system is now somewhat buggy..I'm not sure if the restored backup is the reason for this or not....Maybe there are specific settings to be set..... I mean it's common sense for me not to backup and restore system data but maybe I am missing other important things to be set prior to a backup in Titanium Backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's hard to say, some apps might work improperly or refuse to terminate in the background due to a mismatch in the restored data. I only backup/restore game data nowadays, as Google Backup takes care of my contacts, SMS, settings, and customization. No problems encountered so far.
The only setting I change in TiBkp is the compression method, as the default (gzip, I think) produces somewhat large backups. I use bzip2.
If you really need to restore everything, it might help for you to wipe /data and restore apps in TiBkp one by one until you find the culprit.
aureljared said:
It's hard to say, some apps might work improperly or refuse to terminate in the background due to a mismatch in the restored data. I only backup/restore game data nowadays, as Google Backup takes care of my contacts, SMS, settings, and customization. No problems encountered so far.
The only setting I change in TiBkp is the compression method, as the default (gzip, I think) produces somewhat large backups. I use bzip2.
If you really need to restore everything, it might help for you to wipe /data and restore apps in TiBkp one by one until you find the culprit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trying the Google Way was also my thought, unfortunately it does not work for me. I posted this today in the rom I used until now:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=76022005#post76022005
The initial setup was quite some time ago and now I cannot recall what I may have done to insult the google sync service
Thanks for this.
Can I ask something?
If I'm on stock rom and have magisk and modules installed. To switch rom, do I need to uninstall those first?
or when using nandroid backup... is its okey to backup with magisk+module on it?
watatara.102 said:
Can I ask something?
If I'm on stock rom and have magisk and modules installed. To switch rom, do I need to uninstall those first?
or when using nandroid backup... is its okey to backup with magisk+module on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might want to uninstall your modules first to be safe, but if you're sure they're compatible with the ROM you're switching to, then you might be fine keeping them. As always, backup before trying anything dangerous. :good:
Nandroids are whole-device backups, so if you backup while Magisk is installed, Magisk and your modules will still be there when you restore the backup. If that's what you're aiming for, then go ahead and backup. Just make sure to backup the boot image too, since that's where Magisk is installed.
Sent from my starlte using XDA Labs
Can I install a nandroid backup of a totally different ROM to replace the current ROM I'm using with TWRP?

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