Smart Switch! Transfer your content to your new Note 4!

[The_Chief]

THANK YOU SAMSUNG!

Just in time for the Next Big Thing (Note 4 on September 3)! Samsung introduces Smart Switch, a transfer method to get all YOUR stuff off your retiring device and onto the Note 4! (Or other Galaxy phone)

Samsung Smart Switch? | Samsung

Sounds good to me!

 

[rushmore]

This seems like a piggy back app to the Google account back up process. Be nice if more than that though.

 

[chong67]

Google got one and HTC got one too.

I never use any backup except only my contacts, calendar and my SMS. What about you?

I don't use backup bc I don't believe it can be clean. I am curious if it back up the directory with unwanted files too. Its not that hard to install app.

 

[bonerp]

I don't find the google back up very useful and whenever I need to do a full factory reset at least a thrid of my apps aren't automatically recovered and reinstalled....I need to go into play and remember what I had before!

Due to this I find my back up pro useful and nova back up to rebuild my home pages.

Its not very complete process though, using google, back up pro and nova....I do not find android very good at rebuilding from a back up - it should be possible from one application and on phones that aren't rooted!

 

[chong67]

I use Titanium Backup on certain app that needs alot of configuration.

I just install my app from a folder on my phone storage after a factory reset. Anything I cant find, I just ftp the files from my home computer.

Backup sms is built into android now. So that take care of things.

 

[Teegunn]

There is still no complete backup service for Android I am happy with. I need root because I use titanium for backup of apps AND their data. To me it is such a major downer to move to a different device and lose your app data - a total fail. I also use titanium for freezing apps too, but that has nothing to do with backup. I actually have a paid wondershare on my PC now so I am hoping the backup ability via that software is the best I have found. Either way you slice it, moving to a new/different device is a PITA.

 

[AnonGuy]

Smart Switch has existed for like 2 years or so. A very long time now

The web site seems redesigned, though. It looks nice

 

[chong67]

But you only have to do this once only when you move to a new device.

Can my sms be transfer from my old phone to the N4? I think its xml format. If not, then I would be sad.

 

[thirstypirate]

I am going to use this method when I pick up my Note 4 next month. For whatever reason I also have trouble with the Google Backup service leaving out about 30% of my installed apps. I have only used it about once a year which isn't often enough to notice a trend or figure out why it doesn't work as intended.

 

[bonerp]

I am going to use this method when I pick up my Note 4 next month. For whatever reason I also have trouble with the Google Backup service leaving out about 30% of my installed apps. I have only used it about once a year which isn't often enough to notice a trend or figure out why it doesn't work as intended.

google back up and restore is a bit pants. Like you say it doesn't restore all apps for some reason. Hence I use my back up pro.

 

[ewingr]

It's a shame that in order to backup data you must be rooted. And the need for root for so many nice apps. It takes a balance between possibly losing warranty (and needing to have the support/capability of installing ROOT) and having full functionality of the phone.

I'm pretty much ready to stop with custom ROMS...but need root, for backup if nothing else (although several of my apps really need or work better with root).

 

[Teegunn]

It's a shame that in order to backup data you must be rooted. And the need for root for so many nice apps. It takes a balance between possibly losing warranty (and needing to have the support/capability of installing ROOT) and having full functionality of the phone.

I'm pretty much ready to stop with custom ROMS...but need root, for backup if nothing else (although several of my apps really need or work better with root).

I agree completely - Google should make it mandatory that any manufacturer and/or carrier can have an easy root and unlock method if the OWNER of the phone so desires. Go ahead and even make the disclaimer that if you root you lose warranty - but make rooting an easy option. I am sure they will never do this as security features are being even more heavily built into phones ROM's and bootloaders now, but damn it would be nice to just have an easy root method on EVERY android device. It is really necessary for proper app/data backup and like mentioned many very useful apps actually need root to work. I am typing on an HP Slatebook 14 android laptop that I bought a month ago - very nice device for a little under $400, but I have yet to find a root method that will work. It is on the last version of 4.3 and is locked down - every 4.3 root method fails. Since this android laptop only has 16 gb internal memory, I really need to have root so I can properly use my 64gb micro sd to install and run apps from, amongst other things. I am hoping HP updates this unit to 4.4 soon as 4.4 is much more easily rooted than the last 4.3 version which patched all the exploits.

 

[AnonGuy]

I agree completely - Google should make it mandatory that any manufacturer and/or carrier can have an easy root and unlock method if the OWNER of the phone so desires. Go ahead and even make the disclaimer that if you root you lose warranty - but make rooting an easy option. I am sure they will never do this as security features are being even more heavily built into phones ROM's and bootloaders now, but damn it would be nice to just have an easy root method on EVERY android device. It is really necessary for proper app/data backup and like mentioned many very useful apps actually need root to work. I am typing on an HP Slatebook 14 android laptop that I bought a month ago - very nice device for a little under $400, but I have yet to find a root method that will work. It is on the last version of 4.3 and is locked down - every 4.3 root method fails. Since this android laptop only has 16 gb internal memory, I really need to have root so I can properly use my 64gb micro sd to install and run apps from, amongst other things. I am hoping HP updates this unit to 4.4 soon as 4.4 is much more easily rooted than the last 4.3 version which patched all the exploits.

Lol. Would kill the platform for enterprise use.

 

[mikedt]

I should imagine carriers don't particularly want easily rootable phones, because that would mean subscribers could easily remove their bloat from their subsidised and customised phones, things like sports affiliate stuff, e.g. NFL and NASCAR.

Thing is when you have a subsidised phone, you might be the "owner" of the physical phone itself, but the carrier still has some control over it. Like they can IMEI blacklist it if you default on your two year contract, rendering it useless as a phone for you.

 

[GatoL0c0]

The Google backup is fine for me for my contacts and list of apps. Except for when I'm flashing ROMs. For that, I'll use a custom recovery like TWRP or Philz Touch Recovery. Do a backup to my external, flash the ROM, if something fails I have my backup. When I get my Note 4 I will not worry about transferring all my old stuff to the new phone. I would prefer to do fresh installs and access any additional data from my SD card or cloud account.

 

[ewingr]

The Google backup is fine for me for my contacts and list of apps...

The Google backup does not backup your data. The data is the real problem.

The good news is that some apps are coming with backup processes that will backup the data to Dropbox, or SD card. But not all do that by any means.

 

[GatoL0c0]

The Google backup does not backup your data. The data is the real problem.

The good news is that some apps are coming with backup processes that will backup the data to Dropbox, or SD card. But not all do that by any means.

I'm aware that Google backup does not save data. As I indicated in my post I only care about my contacts and LIST of apps.
Any data that I need I keep in the cloud, perform a backup with TWRP, Philz or Titanium which I believe supports backup to Dropbox.

 

[ewingr]

I'm aware that Google backup does not save data. As I indicated in my post I only care about my contacts and LIST of apps.
Any data that I need I keep in the cloud, perform a backup with TWRP, Philz or Titanium which I believe supports backup to Dropbox.

I backup the same way, but the topic is how to backup and restore everything, including DATA, without ROOT.

Some apps, but not all by any means, are providing utilities within the app to backup to Dropbox (or other similar service) and restore.

Shouldn't be necessary to have root to backup and restore.