- Publisher
- Christopher Park |
- Date
- February 7, 2013
There are many Android backup apps available in the Google Play Store. The problem with these apps is that they either take a snapshot of the device, saving all the apps and settings, or only save individual apks and not the user files. A great backup alternative is Carbon. This Android app will backup individual app files like game saves and user information from installed apps.
You can backup locally (on the device), copy to a PC, or upload to a cloud storage service like Google Play. Cloud storage requires Carbon Premium, but it's a worthwhile investment because you can automate backup schedules and Android to Android sync.
Backing up your Android device is important because you don't want to lose any important files and with Carbon, you can be sure you've saved the most important ones.
Here is how to use Carbon.
Backup
Download Carbon on your Android device and download the Carbon Desktop Installer to your PC, Mac, or Linux machine. If you're using Windows, it's a good idea to download Android drivers for your phone, just in case, especially if you've never connected your device to a computer.
Install Carbon Desktop Installer and follow its instructions. Once it's installed, Carbon on Android will ask you to connect the Android device to the computer to enable Carbon on Android.
The free version of Carbon doesn't allow Google Drive backups, but it's worth paying for the premium version to get this support.
Your first backup should be a full backup unless you have a lot of apps you don't use anymore. Once you've finished selecting the apps, add a name, and tap "Backup."
Carbon will ask where you want to save the backup. Even though there are options for Google Drive and other cloud storage accounts, they are not activated. Choose "USB Storage" which will save it to your device locally. After you select the location, wait for Carbon to complete. The default option for Carbon is to only save the internal app files and not the apk so be aware you won't have the actual apk for any apps.
It'll notify you when the backup is completed. If you want to save the Android Carbon folder on your desktop, connect the Android device to the computer and copy the file.
Restore
Restoring files is as easy as backing up. Select "Restore and Sync" and choose where the file is saved. Most likely it will be in "USB Storage" if you don't have the paid version of Carbon. If you are restoring after wiping your device, you're going to have to install all the apks for your apps again. Carbon doesn't save the apk by default.
Select the app files and "Restore." If you have a lot of apps, it may take a little time for Carbon to completely restore all the files. After you finish, your other apps should have all the user data.
Carbon is a great app for backups because it saves the most important files that other backup apps seem to ignore. I recommend the full version because of the cloud storage support, but you can get around that by copying the carbon folder off your Android device to a computer and then uploading that to the cloud.
Commented
Hi there
Have a problem with doing my backup. Wondering if you might be able to shed some light. I have the Carbon Desktop Application installed on my Windows PC.
I've connected my phone to my laptop with a USB cable, I've activated USB debugging and PTP mode. However "USB Storage" does not appear as a backup destination.
Any idea what I could have missed out?
Thanks in advance!
I got the same problem that you have, i have "internal storage" but not USB storage and i can`t save it on my internal storage because my internal storage is full... I am using a Galaxy Nexus and a Nexus 7 and i have problem on both devices... I need help please !!! haha
He/She could still just click the 3 vertical dots and choose pc-download, which will provide him/her with a local ip adress from which (s)he can directly download to the pc.
I am a bit lost in the ability of the app to do the backup on the PC... I have installed the PC app, installed Carbon (basic version) on the Galaxy Note, and started the process. The option of saving the backup onto the PC doesn't even present itself. So, I am saving it onto the ext. SD card, but I would prefer the backup on the PC. This option made me interested in the app on the first place... So, what is the solution?
In addition to my earlier notes, I have the following observations:
1. Starting Carbon is a very slow process, and apart from the blank screen, nothing indicates that the application is "working". This issue should be addressed together with my other observations below.
2. I find the user interface quite inadequate. When clicking on the apps selection window (actually the accompanying text should say: "click below to list apps" - or something similar), there should be a symbol or note that the app is searching for the installed apps that are to be backed up. There is a considerable time elapses before anything at all shows on the screen, and seemingly nothing is happening.
3. Once the list of available apps is shown, it would be nice to have a "select all" button. In my case, there are over 170 apps. Am I supposed to tick them out one by one?
4. Even though I removed the "App Data Only" tick mark, each time Carbon is started the tick mark re-appears. Shouldn't it save my selection upon exit?
5. The MENU option brings up "PC Download" that is in itself a mystery what is it for, as it says only "Carbon Server is Running". What is it purpose and how one supposed to use it?
6. When filling in a name in the "Remember Group of Apps" selection, there is no SAVE or CONFIRM button, just the "Backup" command to continue the process. This is quite confusing... Worse is that when pressing on the "Backup" there is a new page is shown asking a further option with regard to the PC. BUT (!) this new page disappears in a second without giving the chance even to read it, never mind selecting whatever is available there.
As a final note, this application may be do a wonderful job, the problem however is that the procedure to arrive at the final result is flawed to the extreme... Please fix it!
I have spent many hours trying to backup/restore from one N4 to another N4 (warranty exchange). Ray, from Clockworldmod, has been very helpful in email exchanges. But the PC Download technology appears to be very unreliable -- it took several efforts to back up my data onto my computer -- including tries using different computers and networks. I still have not been able to restore the data to my new phone -- the web server screen shows "restoring", but my N4 eventually reports "Carbon Server Not Running" after about 10-15 minutes. I'm only dealing with about 200MB of data. I will gladly pay for the Premium edition if I can get reassurances that the cloud backup method works.
Note: as others have indicated, the free version requires choosing "PC Download" from the upper right hand corner three dot symbol. You're then prompted to log on with your PC to a web server, which may or may not connect when you type in the server number into your address bar. The above method presupposes you have successfully installed the Carbon App, appropriate Android drivers and then plugged in your phone and followed the instructions for setting the proper storage mode, USB debugging, and then unplugged from the USB port before attempting the backup. And if your phones been powered down, you'll need to plug back in to the USB cable from your computer to establish the connection -- and then unplug to backup/restore. I'm not sure its worth doing all this to save $5.00. My only question is whether or not the Premium edition actually works.
To Christopher: thanks for the info! The various advices as to how to implement Carbon saving to the PC is so unclear, that I was under the impression that it can be done simply by choosing the PC location from the Backup option. Of course, this option is not present at all, but confusing references are... Now, if all I have to do is to copy over the Backup files to the PC, them Carbon doesn't offer (in its free version) anything special at all. "My Backup", etc... can do the same, i.e. saving the files onto the SD card, which can also be copied onto the PC... Simple as that. Therefore, the "advertising" that Carbon can backup to PC is simply not so... Thanks again for pointing this fact to me.
To Christopher: I take it back... You can copy the Carbon backup directory from the SD card to the PC, but the sub-directories supposed to contain the actual files are EMPTY.... At least this is what happened in my case. I see no way out of this problem, just fed up with Carbon...
Guys,I have discovered why the carbon folder on an external backup seems empty??. When you first do a USB connection you need to select on the USB Debugging PTP to make the connection work with Carbon Copy. So when you check via windows explorer that folder in the external card all the of the sub folder seem to be empty but in actual fact they have all the relevant backed up files. Reason why you dont see them is because the system only display photos as it is in PTP mode. If you select on your phone the USB PC Connection as MTP then you will seem them all and you can safely copy the master Carbon folder anywhere on your PC. Hence, you have a copy of the backup on your PC too. Hope this helps everyone concerned