If you do not know how this function is activated, we must go to Settings> Google> Manage account> Security> Verification in two steps (it will appear in the Login option). From there, we must follow the steps that appear on the mobile screen.
make a backup
This is the most important step before formatting the mobile. Backups allow you to save the data you want, such as Photos, contacts, documents Y Applicationsamong other options.
On the cloud
As a Google user, the easiest thing is to make the backup from the mobile settings. Surely on more than one occasion, WhatsApp has asked you to save the chats. All this and more, is saved in the cloud and, whenever you want, you can retrieve them at any time and on any other device. To back up to Drive, you need to follow these steps:
- On your phone go to Settings, Google and inside you will see the option back up (You can also find this function in the System section of your phone).
- Tap Create a backup now.
- When you sign the permissions and the copy is finished, all your data will be stored in Drive.
Keep in mind that if you had this option enabled, your smartphone has been making backup copies when it was connected to a Wi-Fi network and had been idle or charging for 2 hours.
If you prefer to do it another way, for the photos and videosyou can always use Google Photos, an unlimited storage service that all Android devices have. The process is practically identical to the previous one, in fact it gives you the option to save them here: go to the app > tap on your profile photo > Settings < Backup and sync. But keep in mind that you will have 15 GB free in total for your Android account.
The same goes for documents and files, since you can make the backup online (Drive) or offline (through the computer). In the case of contacts, we have the application of Google Contactswhich allows us to do it both ways.
- On your phone, go to the Contacts app.
- Once there, go to the app settings and press Export
- This action will generate a file with a .vcf extension.
- Now, choose a folder to save your contacts.
- Then go back to Contacts.
- In the settings, select Import and choose the file that you have previously saved.
- Click on your Google account and wait for them to be imported.
Once done, your contacts will have been uploaded to the cloud and, when you want to recover them on another device, they will do so automatically when you select your Google account. Although, if you go to your profile > Settings > Contacts synchronization > Manage > we will see the option to Create a copy and automatically synchronize the saved numbers of the device.
As for the Applications, Google saves all the ones you have previously downloaded. This is why, when you start the already restored mobile, the apps will be downloaded automatically when you enter your account data. This is quite a point in favor for Android users.
on a computer
Another more traditional way is copy the files to a computerconnecting your device through a USB and transferring the files, either from the phone’s internal memory or from the external memory (if you have a memory card). Here, the main problem is that we can only transfer multimedia files, documents, contacts, etc., but we will not have the option to save the apps.
In the case of contacts, the process is identical to the previous one. The only difference is that you must correctly remember where you saved the file on your mobile and, when you connect it to your PCSave it to a folder on your computer’s hard drive. After this, when you reconnect the mobile you just have to drag it back to a folder on the device, although if you made an online backup it will automatically ask you to transfer the contacts.
In addition, we must not forget that if the data is in the SD of the mobile, it will not be deleted at any time, so we can rest easy.
battery and connection
Many people decide to restore factory settings due to battery problems, either to calibrate it or to try to get it back to the capacity it had on day one. That said, everyone has their theory on this subject, but the truth is that if you want to reset the phone, you must have at least the mobile charged to fifty%. Some experts recommend going as far as 70%but the truth is that with half the battery it will be enough.
This is for a security issue, since if at any given moment the mobile is turned off, it is most likely that we will lose all the data and the mobile will not be able to recover it. We can also do it with lower percentages, but always with the charger plugged in. Although, the best option will be to do it with the phone as loaded as possible. So, the higher percentage you have, the better.
Nor can we forget to connect the phone to a Wi-Fi connection or, failing that, to a mobile network. And it is that, once the factory state has been restored, it will be more advisable to have an Internet connection through a wireless network to log in to your Google account and load the backup.
Save the passwords
Sure you have a lot of account with different usernames and passwords. Well, when the mobile is formatted, all data (including user data) is deleted. Therefore, it is convenient to save as many passwords as possible so as not to have to create a new one. On devices with the Google operating system, we find the tool known as Password Manager. This is responsible for memorizing the passwords and users that we use in the different accounts or apps. To access this feature, which is built into all devices with Android through our account, we must do the following.
- We access the Settings of our Android mobile.
- We look for the section called Google and access it.
- Click on the Manage your Google account button.
- We go to the tab called Security.
- Next, we go down to the option password manager at the end of the list.
From the same section where we access the passwords we will be able to carry out several actions. Among the options that we have available for each of the keys we have edit, delete, view or copy. That is, you can change your passwords whenever you want. To see or copy it we will have to use the security method that we have by default on our mobile. Whether it is the fingerprint reader, facial recognition or a pin, with the intention that no one can use them.