How do I back up or transfer data using a computer?

Topics covered in this article

• How do I transfer data between two phones using a computer?
• How do I transfer data from my phone to a computer?
• How do I transfer data from my old phone to a new phone using a computer?
• How do I back up data using a computer?

Valid for

• Computers running Windows® 7 or higher

Solution

It is recommended to back up your data to a computer when you have large volumes of media files, such as photos, videos or music files. You can also transfer your data from an old phone to your new phone by connecting both phones to the computer at the same time.

To back up files to your computer

1. ​Unlock the screen of the phone and connect it to a computer with a USB cable.
2. On your phone: if prompted to allow access, tap ALLOW.
3. On your phone: drag down the status bar, then tap Android system next to (USB icon) →Tap for more options → File transfer. This will allow the computer to detect your phone.
4. On your computer: open File Explorer and find and select which files to back up from your phone.
5. On your computer: copy/paste or drag and drop the files to a location on your computer.

To transfer files between two phones using a computer

1. ​Unlock the screens of the phones and connect them to a computer with USB cables.
2. On each phone: if prompted to allow access, tap ALLOW.
3. On each phone: drag down the status bar, then tap Android system next to (USB icon) → Tap for more options → File transfer. This will allow the computer to detect your phones.
4. On your computer: open File Explorer and find and select which files to transfer from your old phone.
5. On your computer: copy/paste or drag and drop the files to a location on your new device. Make sure that the folder names are the same on both devices.

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