Android Data Missing After Restore? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• Apps that can’t back up or restore all their settings and data
• A new phone on an older Android version than the old one
• A backup erased after 57 days without using the device
• A backup deleted when backup was turned off

Step-by-Step Solutions

Work through the steps in order, starting with the quick checks at the top.

1. 1

   Step 1: Give the restore time to finish

   Restoring your backed-up data can take up to 24 hours to complete fully.

   After you restore a backup to your new or reset phone, the process can take up to 24 hours to complete fully.

   Good to know

   Restoring data varies by phone and Android version.

2. 2

   Step 2: Check what your backup includes

   You can check what data and which apps are included in your backup.

   Your phone’s backup to your Google Account includes apps and app data, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS and MMS messages.

   On your phone, open the Settings app and tap Google services, then Backup. Under “Backup details,” review what data is backed up on your device.

   On a computer, go to Google One. Scroll to “Backup” and click View. Click the device with a backup you want to check, then below it click See details.

   Good to know

   Your backed-up data, except photos and videos, is erased if you don’t use your device for 57 days. If you turn off backup on your device, your backups are deleted.

3. 3

   Step 3: Use the same Google Account

   You have the option to restore what you’d previously backed up for the Google Account you add to the phone.

   When you add your Google Account to a phone that’s been set up, you have the option to restore what you’d previously backed up for that Google Account onto the phone. Make sure your new phone is signed in to the account you used for the backup.

   Apps you bought on Google Play can be used on any compatible Android device without paying again, but each device must be signed in to the same Google Account. If you can’t find an app or are asked to buy it again, make sure you use the same Google account you bought it with.

4. 4

   Step 4: Reinstall apps you’ve bought from Google Play

   If you get a new device, you can reinstall any apps you’ve bought on another device.

   To reinstall an app on your phone from a computer, go to play.google.com and browse or search for the app you want. Select Install, Installed or Enable. You may need to sign in to your Google Account. Then select your device and select Install.

   You can also reinstall an app that you bought but deleted. To keep your apps in sync across your devices automatically, you can turn on App sync.

   Good to know

   Some content may not be available on all devices.

5. 5

   Step 5: Find your photos and videos in Google Photos

   Your photos and videos are already available in Google Photos.

   Pictures and videos are backed up when you use Google Photos, and they’re already available there. Open Google Photos to find them.

   If backup is turned off or your device isn’t used for 57 days, photos and videos you previously backed up remain saved in Google Photos.

6. 6

   Step 6: Check messages, contacts and call settings

   Some messages and call settings are backed up when you use specific Google apps, and contacts on a phone or SIM card need a manual restore.

   SMS and MMS messages, call history and contacts are part of your phone’s backup. Additional device data is backed up when you use specific Google apps:

   • RCS messages, when you use Google Messages
   • Phone call settings and blocked numbers, when you use Phone by Google

   Good to know

   If you’ve saved your Google Contacts to your Google Account, they sync automatically. Contacts that were on a phone or SIM card need to be restored manually.

7. 7

   Step 7: Ask the app’s developer about missing app data

   Not all apps can back up or restore all settings and data.

   If an app came back but its settings or data didn’t, the app may not back up or restore all of them. To find out about an app, contact its developer.

8. 8

   Step 8: Compare the Android versions of both phones

   A new phone on an older Android version than your previous phone may get an incomplete data transfer.

   Both devices must be on the same Android version, or your new device must be on a later Android version. You can’t restore a backup from a higher Android version onto a phone running a lower Android version.

   Check the Android version on both phones, and update your new phone if it’s on an older version.

9. 9

   Step 9: Restore again during setup

   You can restore your backed-up data while you set up your phone after a factory reset, but a reset erases everything on the phone.

   You can restore the data you backed up while you set up your phone for the first time or after a factory reset. At setup, follow the on-screen steps to restore your data.

   A factory reset erases everything on your phone. Back up first: after you back up, you can reset your device by erasing everything on it.

   Good to know

   To restore a backed-up account to a reset phone, follow the on-screen steps. For more help, get help from your device manufacturer.

Frequently Asked Questions

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