Titanium Backup (TB) is the most important software any 'Flash Junkie' has ever needed. But it also still applies to anybody who's phone is rooted and wants to backup their apps and data just to be on the safe side in case something goes wrong with their device or even better if the phone gets lost! Take a look at the few screenshots I took from my Galaxy Nexus and that should help you figure out your first successful app and data backup.You tried TB in the past and ran into trouble? Give it a chance, once you know what you're doing, you'll keep coming back to this powerful app for all your backup/restore needs.
Once a upon a time, there was a little boy by the name of Sly that wanted to backup his HTC Hero and factory reset his device and flash a new ROM and kernel. He found an app called Titanium Backup. He had the bad idea of not taking the time to know what he was doing and ended up with an empty backup and restore that later failed because of his carelessness. If you fall in this category, keep reading.
The next thing to do is to forget about your next not so 'Happy Meal' from you know where and head to the Play Store instead and buy the $6.58 key to unlock a TON of awesomeness in TB.
Some of the extra features you will gain are:
1- Multiple backups per app (I usually only use 1 backup max per app)
2- 0-click batch restore
3- Backup apps without closing them!
4- Create your own update.zip containing apps+data! (Useful to re-install TB from your recovery)
5- Restore individual apps+data from CWM or TWRP backups!
6- Freeze/defrost/launch apps in a single click
7- Apps freezer (incl. batch support)
8- Unlimited schedules
9- Sync to/from Dropbox (manual/scheduled)
10- Sync to/from Box (manual/scheduled)
11- Sync to/from Google Drive (manual/scheduled)
12- TB Web Server: download/upload your backups as a single ZIP on your computer
13- Send backup (to e-mail/cloud) and import it in 1 click
BACKUP YOUR APPS AND DATA WITH TB (QUICK GUIDE)
1- Open TB. On your "Overview" screen, you have to see green checks next to: Root Access, HyperShell, Fast/Auto app install, SQLite, External storage and Backup Directory.
2- Go to the "Schedules" tab and run the "Backup new user apps and & newer versions" and "Redo backups for modified data" one after the other. If you don't see those two schedules, add them to your list using the "Add new schedule" button at the bottom right corner of that same tab.
3- Once the two schedules are done running, you will find your backup in the "Backup directory" you see under the "Overview" tab.
4- If you want to upload your backup online, "Edit" the "Redo backup for modified data" (now found under the "Schedules" tab) and scroll to the bottom where it says "When finished:" and select the online destination of your choice. Click "Save". You now have a third schedule named "Sync to Dropbox" (or Box or Google Drive). Run it. You'll be asked to enter your login info and you're all set. Give it time to upload. You're done!
Here's a few screenshots to help you visualize what's TB all about.
This is the tab where you can see all the apps you have installed on your phone. The white colored apps are the "user" ones and the red colored apps are the "system" ones. The apps that are crossed off are the ones that were once backed up but now uninstalled. They will remain 1-click away from being restored to their last state unless you delete them. On each app, you can long-press for more options.
One of the neat option about TB is that you can set it up to automatically start a backup on a set date and time. This way you'll never forget to make a backup. I always set my schedules to once a week. When I'm about to flash a new ROM, I always make sure to run them both prior to flashing. Also, once the automatic backup is done, you can have TB to automatically sync your backup to one of the 3 supported clouds (Dropbox, Box or Google Drive).
The first time you look under "Preferences", you will feel overwhelmed, but for now, just leave everything as is. Once you are more aware of what TB does and how it works (trust me it can take some time!), then you'll feel more comfortable playing with all those settings and make your own tweaks.
You can filter your long list of apps by entering the name of the app you want to deal with. Very useful when you try to find an app and just can't seem to find it in your long list....
The batch screen is full of options. You can verify, backup, restore, frost (disable an app), uninstall, manipulate your data, etc etc... Some of the options are risky so make sure you know what you're doing. At first, just to stay on the safe side, only play with the backup and restore options. I use the "Restore all apps with data" every time after I installed a new ROM and I'm ready to restore my apps and data.
When you run a batch backup/restore, you always have the choice to select which app(s) you want to backup/restore. This is usually when I decide which apps are making it back or not to my new setup :)
I hope you found this introduction to TB useful. Don't be shy, unleash the power of your Android and get in control of your data! If you have any basic questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
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