Easiest way to backup your smartphone By Mark Jones, Komando.com

Our smartphones might be the most important gateway to our digital lives. We store so much important information on these handheld gadgets that the thought of losing them is frightening!

If you're like me, once you enter someone's phone number into your contacts list, it's out of your mind forever. It seems like it would be an impossible task to recover everyone's digits. How scary is that?

Obviously, smartphones aren't just contact directories. We also store precious pictures and videos on them as well as important files.

You never know when you're going to lose your phone, or even worse, have it stolen. That's why it's so critical to back up all of the essential data kept on these amazing gadgets.

With that in mind, we're going to tell you how to back up both Android and Apple phones.

Backing up an Android phone

File transfer app

There are different ways to back up your data from an Android phone. One way is to use a free file transfer app. We recommend using AirMore.

AirMore is a cross-platform tool that allows you to connect your mobile gadget to a PC wirelessly. It frees you from cables and client. The only thing you need to do is open the PC's web browser.
Here are some features you'll find on AirMore:

• File transfer - Easily transfer data, music, photos and videos between your Android gadget and PC.
• Manage contacts - You can manage all of your contacts on AirMore Web conveniently, including editing, deleting, transferring and making phone calls.
• Secure transfer - AirMore makes the transfer between mobile gadgets and the PC more private and secure, as your approval is required for successful connection.
• File management - You can delete, download and upload the files in your Android phone. Manage apps, documents, music, photos and videos easily.

Click here to see additional AirMore features and get the link to download the app.

Android backup service

You can also use Android Backup Service to back up data connected to one or more of your Google Accounts. If you have to replace your gadget or erase its data, you can restore your information from any Google Account that you backed up.

With Android Backup Service you can back up Google Calendar settings, Wi-Fi networks and passwords, home screen wallpapers, Gmail settings, apps installed through Google Play, display settings and more.

Before you begin, you'll need to add a backup account. Here is how to do that:

• Open your gadget's Settings app
• Under "Personal," tap Backup & reset
• Tap Backup account >> Add account
• Confirm your gadget's PIN, pattern or password
• Sign into the account that you want to add

Now you're ready to backup your data. Here are those steps:

• Open your gadget's Settings app
• Under "Personal," tap Backup and reset
• Tap Backup my data and switch it on

Once you use Android Backup Service to backup your phone, the information is available to be restored. All you need to do to get the backed up data onto your new phone is add the Google Account to it. When the Google Account is added to the phone, the backed up data is restored.

Backing up an iPhone

Airdrop

As we mentioned earlier, AirMore is a file transfer app for Android. Apple actually came up with this concept first and implemented it with AirDrop. This is one way to back up important data from your iPhone.

Apple AirDrop is a built-in app that lets you seamlessly move files back and forth between nearby desktop Macs and iOS gadgets like iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. This is a quick and convenient way to transfer files from an iOS gadget to a Mac using a Bluetooth connection.

To enable AirDrop on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, swipe up on the Home screen to access the Control Panel. From here, you can set AirDrop to receive from Contacts Only, Everyone, or turn it Off.

To use AirDrop from a Mac, it is available from the Finder, the Share menu, and in Open and Save windows. When you select AirDrop, your Mac looks for nearby devices that can also use AirDrop. This includes Mac computers with OS X Lion or later installed, and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices with iOS 7 or later.

Back up your data in iCloud

An easy way to back up important data from an iPhone is to use iCloud. Here are the steps for using iCloud:

• Connect to a Wi-Fi network
• Go to Settings >> iCloud >> Back up
• Turn on iCloud Backup
• Tap Back Up Now - After the back up is done, go to
• Settings >> iCloud >> Storage >> Manage Storage - Do this to make sure the backup was successful

Here are the steps to transfer data from iCloud to your phone:

• Turn on your new iPhone - A Hello screen should appear.
• Press the Home button - Follow steps until you see the Wi-Fi screen.
• Tap a Wi-Fi network to join - Follow steps until you see the Apps & Data screen.
• Tap Restore from iCloud >> Backup >> Next.
• Sign into iCloud with your Apple ID and password.
• When asked, choose a backup. Make sure it's the correct one by checking the date and size of each.
• If you purchased iTunes or App Store content using multiple Apple IDs, you'll be asked to sign in to each. If you forgot a password, you can skip this step by tapping "Don't have an Apple ID or forgot it."
• Stay connected and wait for the restore process to finish, then complete the rest of the onscreen setup steps. If possible, keep your gadget connected to Wi-Fi and plugged into power after setup. This allows content like your photos, music, and apps stored in iCloud to automatically download back to your gadget.

Back up your data to iTunes

To back up to iTunes on your computer, first, plug your phone into your computer. Then follow these steps:

• Open iTunes.
• Go to Files >> Devices >> Transfer Purchases - This will save any purchases you made directly on your phone.
• Then go to File >> Devices >> Backup.
• Select "This computer."
• Click "Back Up Now."

Here are the steps to transfer data from iTunes to your phone:

• Turn on your new iPhone - A Hello screen should appear.
• Press the Home button when you see the Hello screen and follow steps until you see the Apps & Data screen.
• Tap Restore from iTunes Backup >> Next.
• Connect your new phone to the computer that you used to back up your previous phone.
• Open iTunes on your computer and select your device.
• Select Restore Backup. Then choose a backup. Make sure it's the correct one by looking at the date and size of each.
• If you need to restore from an encrypted backup, enter your password when asked.
• Wait for the restore process to finish, then complete the rest of the setup steps on your iOS gadget. If possible, keep your device connected to Wi-Fi and plugged into power after setup. This allows content like your photos, music, and apps stored in iCloud to automatically download back to your gadget.

Posted in: Android,Digital Media,iPhone,Safety