The more we use our phones, as cameras, social tools, personal
assistants or even as business management hubs, the more important it
becomes that we protect the information, images and data stored on them.
Knowing how to quickly and easily back up your phone to somewhere less
easy to lose or break such as a PC, is one of the first things any new
user should learn. Forget downloading the latest games or checking your
Facebook page, understanding how to back up your Windows phone is
something every new user should prioritize.
Automatic Cloud Backup
All cell phones which use the Windows Phone 8 operating system give users the ability to automatically back up a range of data to the cloud.
This option can either be activated when you first set up your device,
or at any point afterwards. In both cases, you will need to sign in to a
Microsoft account before automatic backup can happen. With automatic
backup, you have complete control over exactly what is backed up and
what isn't.
App List and Settings
Being able to back up a list of apps
and important phone settings is useful not only if you have to recover
the same handset, but also useful if you upgrade to another Windows 8
device. Even if switching handset manufacturers, the majority of
settings can be saved and easily transferred on to a phone. Data that
backed up when this option is selected include:
- A list of apps installed on the phone
- Your current call history
- Theme customisations such as colour
- Microsoft and other accounts set up on the phone
- Browser bookmarks and favourites
- Settings for individual apps such as photo, text, email, maps and location apps
The
phone will wait for a Wi-Fi connection before the apps list and
settings are backed up. If not Wi-Fi connection is detected for a week,
your phone will attempt to use a data connection if available. Backing
up apps lists and settings will not use very much of your data
allowance.
2. SMS/MMS Messages
It is not unusual for
smartphone users to have SMS conversations on their phone which go back
months or years. Losing a conversation with a loved one could be as
upsetting as losing a special photo of them. This option allows you to
automatically back up SMS, MMS, Chat and Facebook Chat messages. You can choose which, if any, of these types of messages to save.
3. Photos and Videos
With
the amount of storage available, it is not uncommon for phones to
contain hundreds of photos, from your last night out with friends to the
birth of your first child. Why wouldn't you want to protect these
memories? When this option is selected, you have the choice of how these
potentially large files are uploaded: Only over Wi-Fi or using a mobile
data connection. The trade off is that your photos and videos will be
saved at a lower quality if you choose to allow mobile data to be used.
Unfortunately, even if you choose Best Quality uploads, images over 10MB
will not be backed up. If you choose not to allow automatic backup of
photos, you can choose to backup individual photos to OneDrive or SkyDrive, or by using File Explorer.
Backing up to an SD Card
Most,
if not all, Windows 8 phones will have an expandable memory slot, into
which you can insert a MicroSD card. This not only gives you additional
storage space, but also provides a reasonably safe place to backup
images, music and videos without having to worry about syncing them with
SkyDrive or other cloud storage service. As long as the SD card is not
encrypted, any files stored on it can easily be transferred onto a new
phone in the event that the device malfunctions.
To check if your
phone has an MicroSD card slot, look at either the SIM card tray if your
phone does not have a removable battery cover, or underneath the
battery cover if your phone has one. Some devices may have the SD card
slot under a flush-fitting cover located along the edge of the handset.
