Does Samsung Kies Backup Android Application State?

[persistentone]

Samsung Kies is the Windows-based application that preceded "Smart Switch" and that is used for backup of older devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4. Does Kies backup application state? Looking at the UI, it looks like Kies only does a superficial backup of things that are usually already backed up in the cloud, such as contacts and music. In my case I have important applications running on my phone, such as Whatsapp and authentication applications, and I need to backup the state of those applications. Will Samsung Kies even make copies of that application data?

What I am trying to find is a way to backup the entire application state of a Samsung S4 so that it could be restored onto a new phone, and when that new phone is booted it would be running all the old applications, and would have access to all the old data.

 

[persistentone]

Some additional Kies questions:

1) I install 2.6.4.17113_1 to Windows and when I start it it wants to update. I go through the update process and the update program just disappears. No error appears. No update is done. How do I get the update to work?

2) It looks like one function of this application is to upgrade the firmware on a phone. Is that something I should be attempting to do to a Samsung Galaxy S4 that is locked to Verizon? I am trying to get that phone to boot, and currently, it started to hang at the Verizon logo.

3) During the initial install it asks you to install a "Unified Driver" but the description of that says it is not needed if you run Android. Should I be installing that?

 

[mikedt]

Some additional Kies questions:

1) I install 2.6.4.17113_1 to Windows and when I start it it wants to update. I go through the update process and the update program just disappears. No error appears. No update is done. How do I get the update to work?

Sounds like Kies is crashing. What version of Windows are you using? Kies is a rather old program, and so may not be compatible with Win 10 or 11, if that's what you're using.
https://www.samsung.com/in/support/kies/
System requirements: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8

I don't use Windows myself, but when I tried the Mac version of Kies recently on macOS Monterey, it just wouldn't install and run at all because it's 32-bit.

Last time I actually used Kies with a Samsung phone was 11 years ago, on an original Galaxy S. So can't really help you much more.

 

[persistentone]

Sounds like Kies is crashing. What version of Windows are you using? Kies is a rather old program, and so may not be compatible with Win 10 or 11, if that's what you're using.
https://www.samsung.com/in/support/kies/
System requirements: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8

Windows 8.1

 

[mikedt]

Windows 8.1

Kies should work. But it could be Win 8.1 has had updates, like Service Packs, that Kies is incompatible with, and that's why it's crashing possibly. Kies hasn't been updated by Samsung for a very long time now. Do you have a Windows XP system you could try Kies and the S4 on?

As I haven't used Kies in over a decade and I only use Macs now. I don't have any more ideas than that. And I presume Smart Switch, which superseded Kies, doesn't work with the S4?

 

[persistentone]

And I presume Smart Switch, which superseded Kies, doesn't work with the S4?

Can someone else clarify if Samsung Smart Switch works with the Samsung Galaxy S4?

Does Smart Switch do the same shallow sort of backup that Kies does, or is it backing up applications and application data?

 

[svim]

According to Samsung's Smart Switch site, it supports Galaxy S phones going back to a S2:
"Applicable Samsung devices: Galaxy S II and newer devices with Android 4.0 or better for wireless transfer and Android 4.3 and better for OTG cable transfers."
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/smart-switch

Uninstall Kies from your PC, it's really out-of-date and has been for several years now.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Add my two cents:
I did use Kies many years ago, when around I got my antique Razr, whenever I ran throughout the system ODIN and did a flip note, but still it was so troubled some..

 

[mikedt]

Can someone else clarify if Samsung Smart Switch works with the Samsung Galaxy S4?

Does Smart Switch do the same shallow sort of backup that Kies does, or is it backing up applications and application data?

I used Smart Switch to transfer data from a Huawei phone to a Galaxy Note20 Ultra, and that did include app data as well. But this was via WiFi direct phone to phone, I didn't use a computer. Some apps did need to be re-authenticated or re-login though, mainly the apps that have security and/or payments, because of the change of device.

 

[Milo Williamson]

I used Smart Switch to transfer data from a Huawei phone to a Galaxy Note20 Ultra, and that did include app data as well. But this was via WiFi direct phone to phone, I didn't use a computer. Some apps did need to be re-authenticated or re-login though, mainly the apps that have security and payments, because of the change of device.

mmhmm.

 

[mikedt]

Add my two cents:
I did use Kies many years ago, when around I got my antique Razr, whenever I ran throughout the system ODIN and did a flip note, but still it was so troubled some..

Ha! I used Odin as well. That was such a long time ago now. Back when I first joined AF, and had my Galaxy S phone.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Ha! I used Odin as well. That was such a long time ago now. Back when I first joined AF, and had my Galaxy S phone.

Hahaa! Same here man!!! LOL... I remember that full weekend of talking with a few friends of mine about it lol...... I think my hard drive quit after that, possibly I also got a new one due to Odin lol.

 

[mikedt]

Hahaa! Same here man!!! LOL... I remember that full weekend of talking with a few friends of mine about it lol...... I think my hard drive quit after that, possibly I also got a new one due to Odin lol.

I didn't kill anything with Odin. But within a few weeks of buying the Galaxy S, I did discover the joys of rooting, ClockworkMod, and CyanogenMod.

The Galaxy S4 reminds of a trip I took to Hong Kong in July 2013, where I bought an S4 at the Sincere House Tech Mall in Mong Kok for a friend, because it was the latest thing at the time, and wasn't available in mainland China.