Question Pixel 5a Full/Image Backup Options - Google Pixel 5a

Hey all. I've been getting bothered by my Pixel 5a to upgrade to Android 13 for a while now and am getting sick of it. I understand it's for security and bugs, but i know from experience that updates always cause phones to run slower, if not cause more problems with apps or features.
I'm willing to try to upgrade to it, but i'd like to make a full/complete backup with a service/application that can preferably take a full image backup that can be restored if needed.
I'm looking for something similar to Clonezilla for laptops/desktops that can take a full image backup that can be restored fully as if nothing changed.
Does anybody know any options for full android image backups, or at least the next closest thing to that to restore the phone from a backup?

I'd be curious to know what the best backup options are for an UNROOTED + LOCKED Pixel 5a with STOCK Android. I don't want to use the cloud backup, given the data is not E2E encrypted. (EDIT: is that correct? Reading some articles online that claim that Google DOES encrypt backups E2E.)
Doesn't have to be a full/image backup, guess that won't even work without root?

Related

[Q] VZW OS Upgrade, nandroid questions, and other issues

OK so here's my situation:
I got the official Verizon upgrade from 2.3 to 4.0 back in August. Since then, my phone has been giving me major issues. I won't get into them, because I know I just need to do a factory reset and it should fix everything.
I have some experience with bootstraps and custom roms on the Droid 1 and Droid 2, but it's been so long. I've done some research, but could still use some guidance.
The phone was rooted on 2.3 but the 4.0 update took that off.
My questions are:
- Can I make a nandroid (or similar) image of the system in its current state, before it's re-rooted with custom roms?
- Is CM9 in any kind of final stage?
- What's the best SMS backup utility that will PRESERVE THE MESSAGE TIMESTAMPS upon restore?
Thanks in advance!!!
kman13 said:
OK so here's my situation:
I got the official Verizon upgrade from 2.3 to 4.0 back in August. Since then, my phone has been giving me major issues. I won't get into them, because I know I just need to do a factory reset and it should fix everything.
I have some experience with bootstraps and custom roms on the Droid 1 and Droid 2, but it's been so long. I've done some research, but could still use some guidance.
The phone was rooted on 2.3 but the 4.0 update took that off.
My questions are:
- Can I make a nandroid (or similar) image of the system in its current state, before it's re-rooted with custom roms?
- Is CM9 in any kind of final stage?
- What's the best SMS backup utility that will PRESERVE THE MESSAGE TIMESTAMPS upon restore?
Thanks in advance!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- You cannot make a nandroid backup without root. To make a nandroid backup you'll need a custom recovery (SafeStrap in the case of the D4) and you cannot install SafeStrap without root. Once rooted and with SafeStrap installed you can then make a nandroid of your stock system.
- I believe CM9 has been abandoned in favor of CM10 on the D4. CM10 (and other JB ROMS) run PRETTY well with a few caveats. Main bugs include bluetooth not working correctly, screen re-size when switching between landscape and portrait is a little janky, and the camera flash does not work. Personally, I don't even really notice the screen re-size thing anymore. The bluetooth issue is irritating but not a deal breaker for me. On the rare occasions when I want the camera flash I switch back to stock, which is quite easy and fast with SafeStrap 3.05. If you need something a little less buggy try out Eclipse. Pretty sure it's bug free.
Edit: Forgot one other CM10/JB ROM issue. You'll need a workaround to get MMS to work You can turn off auto-retrieve in the original app. You can flash an inverted gapps package. Or you can use a third party text app like GoSMS (that's what I'm currently doing).
- I use SMS Backup and & Restore. It preserves the timestamps so everything is in the correct order when you restore your messages. It's free on the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...mNvbS5yaXRlc2hzYWh1LlNNU0JhY2t1cFJlc3RvcmUiXQ..
I also use Call Logs Backup & Restore by the same dev. Also free and on the Play Store.
You probably had issues after the update because you need to do a factory data reset.
As far as all the info kwyt said, he is correct.

About to wipe and 're-build' N6. Couple of Q.

Couple of quick (probably stupid) questions about wiping and rebuilding the phone:
I haven't done a "flash-all.bat" in quite a few iterations of Android updates. I keep hearing from different people how smooth and how fast and bug free their phone is after doing a "Flash-all.bat" on it.
Is this true or do you all think it's just a placebo effect?
I've already done a Titanium Backup of my apps. Do you all recommend doing it that way or, re-installing the apps and re-set everything up from the Play Store all over again?
I've backed up my "userdata" folder to my PC. Is there a way, after wiping the phone to completely erase the SD card and/or check for errors? Or, not necessary?
I've seen some discussion that people are no longer using Chainfire's SU any more and have moved on to something else (the other SU name escapes me at the moment)?
An unlocked Bootloader now trips SafetyNet? So there is no real reason to try and install "SUHide" and the like in order to get Android Pay working? I've not messed around
with trying to bypass the SafetyNet and just resigned myself to never being able to use A.P. Should I even mess with all of that?
Anything else you all might recommend on a "restart" of a device, I'd be eager to hear!
Thanks all!
1. FlashAll is way too drastic. It deletes every single file you had on your emmc. Doing factory reset from TWRP only deletes the apps and settings and leaves all your photos, documents, downloads, etc.
2. I let Google install my apps after a new setup and then let TB restore the data for those that Google couldn't. Since MM even Google manages to restore some data too.
3. Unless you want to sell it, there's no need to wipe it completely.
4. PHH's superuser is completely open source and more and more people use it.
5. Yep, you need a custom kernel for SafetyNet if your bootloader is open. There is one already for 7.0 too
Sent from my Nexus 6P running Nougat DP 7.1 using Tapatalk
istperson said:
1. FlashAll is way too drastic. It deletes every single file you had on your emmc. Doing factory reset from TWRP only deletes the apps and settings and leaves all your photos, documents, downloads, etc.
2. I let Google install my apps after a new setup and then let TB restore the data for those that Google couldn't. Since MM even Google manages to restore some data too.
3. Unless you want to sell it, there's no need to wipe it completely.
4. PHH's superuser is completely open source and more and more people use it.
5. Yep, you need a custom kernel for SafetyNet if your bootloader is open. There is one already for 7.0 too
Sent from my Nexus 6P running Nougat DP 7.1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Ok, so I will just do a "factory reset" in TWRP then.
2) I will have to take a look at the TB Backup, I've only done "Backup all user apps". I'll check if there is just a setting for "Data for user apps" then.
3) Ok. Point taken. Just thought wiping the internal storage might get rid of any "ghosts in the system" so to speak.
4) Thank you for refreshing my memory. Forgot the name of the other SU.
5) I'll check to see if Franco Kernel has that, or plans on implementing it. I've been using F.K. forever so hopefully he will get around to releasing one.
** Unrelated note: Your 6p, in hindsight, was it worth the upgrade from the 6? Since the new Pixels are out, I'm assuming the 6P are going to start dropping in price at this point **
Thanks again for the suggestions / help
usafle said:
** Unrelated note: Your 6p, in hindsight, was it worth the upgrade from the 6? Since the new Pixels are out, I'm assuming the 6P are going to start dropping in price at this point **
Thanks again for the suggestions / help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was indeed worth it, it was a store display model activated for a couple of months, I got it for half price.
But I needed a daily device while I develop Nougat for my N6. Then switch them and develop it for the 6P.
But as a device I'm very pleased with it, it's faster, the camera is better, and the 7.1 DP is already better than the official 7.0.
Sent from my Nexus 6P running Nougat DP 7.1 using Tapatalk

Question Regarding Changing ROM

Hello everyone. I asked this in another thread for a specific ROM, but I figured it'd be better to have my own thread about this. I have not had a custom ROM in many years. This is mostly due to living in the U.S. and having a locked bootloader since (I believe) the Samsung Galaxy S6. I finally purchased an Exynos device and have the true root with TWRP that I have been missing for so long. There used to be no way to keep apps and app data when changing ROMs. If I were to use this ROM is there a way to keep existing apps and the app-data associated with them? Or is a clean install followed by re-downloading everything and then setting it all back up again the only option when changing ROMs still?
P.S. I like the idea of a full wipe still. That just gets rid of everything, and I like the clean start for the most part. I just didn't know with the way these backups work now (it used to be just a single backup of the entire ROM, but now it is broken into sections) if possibly one could restore apps and app data after the full wipe and loading the new ROM. Then everything would be a clean install (fresh start) with the exception of the apps.

Data recovery after factory reset

I need to recover data (pdf, photos,videos.................. everything) after I had done factory on my POCO M2, reset due to device freezed on MIUI logo. All softwares I am getting require root, Since my device is under warranty, I do not want to root, but I want all data. Backup has restored data only till 2018.
How do we resolve it.
Your request is impossible to achieve, at least not by you. The thing with modern phones is that, they come encrypted.
Means, the data you'll restore will be encrypted, and you'll have to decrypt it for them to be usable.
To decrypt files, you need to restore the chunks successfully, this operation cannot be done without root, unfortunately.
Knowing that your online backup restored files only till 2018, means you've used the phone a lot. The old data will be overwritten by new ones, That will decrease data restoration to near unusable files.
I personally don't have any hope for your data restoration using simple methods. However, if you want to see for yourself, there's an app that requires root, Disk DiskDigger Pro.

Question Question About Backing Up

Hi all, this forum has been great for providing answers, so ive got 1 last question before i do anything to my phone.
Obliviously installing a custom recovery like TWRP requires bootloader unlocking which wipes data. I want to perform a backup of my phone, a complete backup, system, apps the works so if anything is wrong i can restore the backup, no when i say backup i mean almost like a Nandroid backup you can perform with a custom recovery, is this possible?, or ate very least is there any 3rd party apps that will perform a backup of everything inc Apps and App data, so for instance, passwords etc are backed up as well for each app which saves a ton of time having to reinstall them and remember all the passwords. Nandroid backup were easy on previous phones because on some bootloader unlock wasnt required just to install TWRP. Can anyone help with this issue, id really like to have a full backup for peace of mind. Many thanks in advance.
Swift backup is the closest I have come across
gazza35 said:
Hi all, this forum has been great for providing answers, so ive got 1 last question before i do anything to my phone.
Obliviously installing a custom recovery like TWRP requires bootloader unlocking which wipes data. I want to perform a backup of my phone, a complete backup, system, apps the works so if anything is wrong i can restore the backup, no when i say backup i mean almost like a Nandroid backup you can perform with a custom recovery, is this possible?, or ate very least is there any 3rd party apps that will perform a backup of everything inc Apps and App data, so for instance, passwords etc are backed up as well for each app which saves a ton of time having to reinstall them and remember all the passwords. Nandroid backup were easy on previous phones because on some bootloader unlock wasnt required just to install TWRP. Can anyone help with this issue, id really like to have a full backup for peace of mind. Many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately with a lock bootloader, you can't really create a full backup of data of apps. You can only back the APK file and some data. Even if you somehow did, restoring backups is also a problem as some backups aren't compatible with a different rom. Nandroid backups aren't an option too as restoring those from a different rom will cause issue due to incompatibly (someone tried before and caused destroyed system).
What I did in my preparation before is backed up important files through drive or cloud storages. I also rely on password managers for log-ins. I also created a separate Google Account solely for storage for my backup too. If you have, I highly advise backing up using SD Cards. They're quite an essential especially for phone modding and backup restores. Also before unlocking, make sure to have a plan on what to do after, do you stay on MIUI or try some mods or custom roms etc... So that you can switch afterwards before restoring your backup.
Lastly, if anything goes wrong, you can always reflash the stock MIUI ROM using MiFlash.
BigChungus321 said:
Unfortunately with a lock bootloader, you can't really create a full backup of data of apps. You can only back the APK file and some data. Even if you somehow did, restoring backups is also a problem as some backups aren't compatible with a different rom. Nandroid backups aren't an option too as restoring those from a different rom will cause issue due to incompatibly (someone tried before and caused destroyed system).
What I did in my preparation before is backed up important files through drive or cloud storages. I also rely on password managers for log-ins. I also created a separate Google Account solely for storage for my backup too. If you have, I highly advise backing up using SD Cards. They're quite an essential especially for phone modding and backup restores. Also before unlocking, make sure to have a plan on what to do after, do you stay on MIUI or try some mods or custom roms etc... So that you can switch afterwards before restoring your backup.
Lastly, if anything goes wrong, you can always reflash the stock MIUI ROM using MiFlash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all that useful info. I do have a 128gb sd card in the phone as well as the inbuilt 128gb, so plenty storage. Im just so used to other phones where backups where simple of bl unlock wasnt required to flash twrp etc, i did try the phones inbuilt backup system to backup the apps, it seemed to backup some info but not the apps which is odd, google backup ive never used so im unsure. ill try and look for a password manager and see if i can find a way to backup passwords at least. From what ive read everything with this phone seems impossible without first unlocking the BL, i just wish i didnt have to wait 7 days or wipe the phone to do it lol. My main aim is to downgrade back to Android 11 stock Miui, im not convinced custom roms available for this device are at a daily driver stage yet, as for mods, i may end up rooting at some point and get magisk, i think most mods i used would be mainly aesthetic, like changing splash screens etc etc, simple stuff. Anyway i have drivers installed, i have Miflash unlock installed. i shall start getting my passwords and some apps saved off etc and go from there. As always, thankyou once again for the detailed reply, youve been great help
Found Wondershare MobileTrans. Thankfully it backs up most stuff inc apps, havent found any other way as yet. Thanks again.
gazza35 said:
Thanks for all that useful info. I do have a 128gb sd card in the phone as well as the inbuilt 128gb, so plenty storage. Im just so used to other phones where backups where simple of bl unlock wasnt required to flash twrp etc, i did try the phones inbuilt backup system to backup the apps, it seemed to backup some info but not the apps which is odd, google backup ive never used so im unsure. ill try and look for a password manager and see if i can find a way to backup passwords at least. From what ive read everything with this phone seems impossible without first unlocking the BL, i just wish i didnt have to wait 7 days or wipe the phone to do it lol. My main aim is to downgrade back to Android 11 stock Miui, im not convinced custom roms available for this device are at a daily driver stage yet, as for mods, i may end up rooting at some point and get magisk, i think most mods i used would be mainly aesthetic, like changing splash screens etc etc, simple stuff. Anyway i have drivers installed, i have Miflash unlock installed. i shall start getting my passwords and some apps saved off etc and go from there. As always, thankyou once again for the detailed reply, youve been great help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright. Also some points that I would like to add, since like you said, you're staying at A11 Miui which for the most part is now forgotten (or at least have the minority using it), you'll have to use the official twrp instead of the newer unofficial ones due to compatibility and it's the only recovery in a11 which can decrypt the storage (newer ones can only decrypt a12-a13, not a11...weird). Also, this is just a suggestion but obviously unlocking bootloader results in failing integrity API test (formerly safety net) so you'll have to really root and spoof the device to pass integrity API test and use banking apps etc... Good luck though and yeah you can't skip that 7 day wait, it's a good time to backup and prepare.
BigChungus321 said:
Alright. Also some points that I would like to add, since like you said, you're staying at A11 Miui which for the most part is now forgotten (or at least have the minority using it), you'll have to use the official twrp instead of the newer unofficial ones due to compatibility and it's the only recovery in a11 which can decrypt the storage (newer ones can only decrypt a12-a13, not a11...weird). Also, this is just a suggestion but obviously unlocking bootloader results in failing integrity API test (formerly safety net) so you'll have to really root and spoof the device to pass integrity API test and use banking apps etc... Good luck though and yeah you can't skip that 7 day wait, it's a good time to backup and prepare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, sounds like a lot of Work, Another question for you, if i stay on A12, 12.0.3.0 which worked amazing until it upgraded, will i have to do the whole same spoofing thing?, i did forget about my banking apps. And where can i find Disable Dmverity and will that sort out the banking apps, i know itll let me keep cust recovery, I see reference to it but i cant find it anywhere, is there like a certain website or something where people download their mods and stuff.
gazza35 said:
Ok, sounds like a lot of Work, Another question for you, if i stay on A12, 12.0.3.0 which worked amazing until it upgraded, will i have to do the whole same spoofing thing?, i did forget about my banking apps. And where can i find Disable Dmverity and will that sort out the banking apps, i know itll let me keep cust recovery, I see reference to it but i cant find it anywhere, is there like a certain website or something where people download their mods and stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, unlocking your bootloader will cause you to fail integrity test so you'll have no choice but to root and spoof if you're going to use banking apps. I can help you with this process if you want.
You can get the DM Verity file I used here:
https://zackptg5.com/android.php , it also includes some of my favorite mods like JamesDSP. You'll probably get something like DisableDMverity_forceencrypt zip or something like that so be sure to rename the zip file only to "Disable_Dm-Verity" zip (it's one of those zips where it uses the name of the zip to select what it's patching, it is recommended to keep force encryption enabled as to avoid data theft when you lose your phone). You flash the disable dm verity right after TWRP so you can boot to your rom afterwards. And yes dmverity won't help you pass integrity API.
As for themes/mods and such, I mostly get them here from XDA, Telegram groups, or Github. Mostly telegram tbh. But be sure to check whether it's safe to use as some bundles their modules (or once the app gets root access) will cause damage to your phone.
BigChungus321 said:
Yes, unlocking your bootloader will cause you to fail integrity test so you'll have no choice but to root and spoof if you're going to use banking apps. I can help you with this process if you want.
You can get the DM Verity file I used here:
https://zackptg5.com/android.php , it also includes some of my favorite mods like JamesDSP. You'll probably get something like DisableDMverity_forceencrypt zip or something like that so be sure to rename the zip file only to "Disable_Dm-Verity" zip (it's one of those zips where it uses the name of the zip to select what it's patching, it is recommended to keep force encryption enabled as to avoid data theft when you lose your phone). You flash the disable dm verity right after TWRP so you can boot to your rom afterwards. And yes dmverity won't help you pass integrity API.
As for themes/mods and such, I mostly get them here from XDA, Telegram groups, or Github. Mostly telegram tbh. But be sure to check whether it's safe to use as some bundles their modules (or once the app gets root access) will cause damage to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thankyou i think i have everything i need, ive backed up My 3rd party apps, all my Passwords, calendar, contacts etc etc, so, im ready to move forward and just wait for phone to be unlocked now. Youve been a great help, thankyou very much indeed.
RAMBO29 said:
Swift backup is the closest I have come across
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if the file get large size about 6-8 gb it was hard to transfer it to pd or sd card and something it shows error while transferring

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