Set Your Android Phone to Backup to Google
Protect Your Contact Lists and Photos
Almost every day, I see someone post something to this effect on Facebook: "I got a new phone and lost all my numbers. Please message me yours." And I always reply "Just retrieve your contacts from your Google account." This is one of the most powerful features of Android: it backs almost everything up to Google, so long as you turn sync on.
I cannot tell you how many times an SD card has crapped out with all my mobile photos on it. I never worry though. I just log into my Google Photos account and there they are. And when I get a new phone, I just log in to my Google account on it, and I get all of my stuff back. Yes, my contacts, calendar, apps, etc. are all restored with a couple of taps.Now, in order to effectively use an android phone, you NEED to have a google account. They are free, and Google allows you to have more than one. And you may set up more than one Google account on an android device. (I have 2 on my phone.) If you already have a GMail account, you can just use that. If not, you will need to set one up. (And, yes, you can do this right on your smartphone.)
This post will walk you through setting up sync on a new android. If you already have an android phone, follow the steps to ensure you have things set up correctly. Things may be located in different places according to your version of Android. But fortunately, it is similar for all. You just may need to explore menus a little to find the appropriate submenu. This routine also applies to Android Tablets. (Most anything that is not an iPhone or iPad is Android based, with the exception of Fire Tablets.)
