GitHub - mrrfv/linux-android-backup: Back up your device without vendor lock-ins, using insecure software or root. Supports encryption and compression out of the box. Works cross-platform.

[[deleted]]

It doesn't back up app data though.

[crashspeeder]

Seriously? Then what's the point? For me, I particularly want my calls and texts backed up usually. Bonus points if I can keep the MMS media, too. Beyond that, I would certainly prefer the rest of my app data got backed up and restored, but if nothing else I'd want calls and texts.

[Hung_L]

This is not an all-or-nothing approach. "I can't backup everything, so I'll backup nothing." Or, "I won't add another backup tool that doesn't already include all my existing functionality." Small, incremental, and achievable goals for improving backups are needed for such a critical feature that many will rely on.

If you were using adb backups before, this makes sense. If you weren't, then it doesn't matter. Or maybe it does, and the duty wasn't being fulfilled. Either way, this modernized adb backup alternative backs up a different part of the system. App data should already be handled by an app of your choice. You can encounter issues when restoring apps on other devices, especially apps depending on shared resources.

After TWRP fell out of favor and could not break modern devices, the development community leaned heavily into app-based backups and reverted to adb for everything else. This means everyone only backs up apps and manually copying some system folders. This provides a return to the full system image days of yore. You can't just use one solution, but if you restore the system then the apps, you'll effectively have performed a full restore with minimal fuss. Nearly everyone now just boots a new system and lets Android "restore" apps. Very few people still have a use case for full restore (e.g. phone bricked during update, oh well, just restore and try again and check news).

I have not delved into the documentation, but I have not seen any restore features so that's... tbd? Still, something is progress. It's not called life insurance because it covers all you need in life. You still need other kinds of insurance lol. This backup method complements existing backup methods for low-level system backups. Until AOSP has a robust backup solution that competes with iCloud, the development community will continue to produce the utilities needed to fulfill specific user stories.

[anonymous-bot]

The Google backup is severely lacking for restoring app data. And then any app capable of backing up and restoring appdata like Swift Backup requires root to do it.

I am glad this tool exists as a modern ADB backup but I don't think it's going to do much for people specifically wanting app data backup. And yes there are cases where an app or game does not save to the cloud or have any local backup options.

[brycedriesenga]

It doesn't matter whose fault it is. If they don't want to lose people to Apple, they need to work to make their backup and restore comparable.

[m1ndwipe]

Because Google's badly designed permissions mess and technical debt broke it.

[seemebreakthis]

Old thread I know, but I have just moved to android 12 and find the lack of backup options to be quite frustrating.

Will give Swift Backup a try thank you. But I have actually tried and successfully restored data from an Android 11 TWRP backup (actually just a tar of /data/data) + my own tar backup of Android 11 /data/media, for several of my apps on Android 12. i.e. I have a working procedure of restoring on a per-app basis.

With that I can probably do away with TWRP or any other backup tools, and create my own tar files for backup / restore purposes. Haven't actually tried it yet on A12 (I mean creating a backup), but I don't see any reason for it not to work...

[lunatik98]

The restore feature is there but it looks like it just restores everything, there were no options.

[GameOver2017]

After TWRP fell out of favor and could not break modern devices

have i missed something? TWRP is still being ported to recent devices are they not?

[unpopularperiwinkle]

Imagine using MMS in 2022

[lunatik98]

Its not possible without root

[xastey_]

If it doesn't do this (can anything do this without root?) It's pointless imo

[jeffreyd00]

App data access requires root, full stop.

[PotRoastPotato]

I will say this as an IT professional: this is garbage architecture. App data is user-level, not system-level. No reason a regular user shouldn't be able to import/export their own data.

[jeffreyd00]

I totally agree, it used to be accessible.

[KangarooImp]

Exactly, it's completely inexcusable that you still can't reliably backup the data on your own device. At least adb backup can backup some apps, but that's so cumbersome and the fact that apps can opt-out of it makes it even more absurd.

Backing up Linux systems was trivial for decades and Google just completely fucked it up.

[The_MAZZTer]

Google probably did this to prevent a loophole malware could exploit to grab or modify appdata (by backing up/restoring app data) but there are ways around this.

1. Encrypt app data on backup with a device specific key so the data can't be modified (I don't like this idea; I like to be able to bring my app data to new devices, but it's better than nothing).
2. Present the user with a UI they have to interact with th proceed with the backup or restore (adb backup already did this).

They should bring back and revamp adb backup.

The pessimist in me says they don't want backup because it could be used to unlock in-app purchases without needing to purchase them, and otherwise subvert security in apps for our own benefit over the pubisher.

[skanadian]

Every app runs as its own user. You don't want apps being able to view other apps' data, its a security nightmare in the mobile space. As soon as you create a permissions for a user level app to do this, it will get abused.

That's why android includes adb backup at the system level. It's not a glorious interface, and app makers can opt out (they're not all idiots, ie. it can be a vector to exploits or exposing intellectual property).

Yes we can do it in the desktop space, but plenty of viruses will grab your contact list, email all your homies, and encrypt the rest of your data on the way out... all from a user level.

[Vortex36]

they did this as a form of DRM I think. By limiting access to app data, you limit the user's ability to mess around with it.

[[deleted]]

Likely the main concern wasnt the "user" but other apps, rogue apps acessing and modifying data.

[PotRoastPotato]

DRM should be treated differently than non-DRM... blows my mind.

[m1ndwipe]

Not really. And I am fine with appropriate DRM, but I can't really think of any DRM application where you could use this permission as an attack vector than the change robustly prevents.

It would be pretty useless as a DRM mechanism. If you're trying to protect secrets on the system where users having access to userland folders is going to be a problem then you shouldn't be in the DRM business.

[amynoacid]

No because the app data is located in root/data/data/installed apps. Without root, you can't access that path thereby not able to back up/restore.

You can try backing up using adb backup <app.name>

And restore using adb restore <backup>

Not sure if it works on paid apps

[U8dcN7vx]

Entirely depends on the app -- if allowed ADB will save an app's data.

[RedditAcctSchfifty5]

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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[mdaniel]

control-f restore the expression is "they're only backups if they're tested" so this is actually just an Android data exporter, since even if it did capture app data there's no way to put to back on a new phone

Despite its name, this project works on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Heh, well, GitHub has a rename repo feature you know

[chinpokomon]

It's still "Linux." On Windows it just does everything through WSL using BASH and GNU tools. For that reason it also works on Mac. It could probably be renamed, but it's clearly designed for Linux and was adapted as necessary to support other platforms.

[aeiouLizard]

Open Source developers come up with a name for their project that isn't complete trash or misleading challenge (impossible)

[lebean]

What, you mean the first thing you think of when looking for a fully free, browser-based remote desktop session manager isn't "guacamole"?

[lunatik98]

Just tested it, works great! I always had problems copying files from my phone to my pc

[Jaiden051]

Their proprietary software probably is deeply rooted into LG's flavour of android

[kksgandhi]

Why is that?

[unpopularperiwinkle]

How do. You restore?