Learn how to backup and restore on your Sony Xperia Z2. Generally, you should not save photos, videos and other personal content solely on the internal memory of your device. If something should happen with the hardware, or if your device is lost or stolen, the data stored on its internal memory is gone forever.
- It is recommended to use the PC Companion or the Sony Bridge for Mac applications to make backups which save your data safely to a computer, that is, an external device.
- This method is especially recommended if you are updating your device software from one version to another.
- Once your data is safely backed up to a computer, you can also make a quick backup of basic settings and data to the SD card in your device or to an external USB storage device by using the Backup and restore application.
- This backup method is useful, for example, if you are doing a factory data reset and are not updating the software version.
Backing up data to a computer
Use the PC Companion application or the Sony Bridge for Mac application to back up data from your device to a PC or an Apple Mac computer. These backup applications let you back up the following types of data:
- Contacts and call logs
- Text messages
- Settings
- Media files
To back up your data using a computer
- Make sure that the PC Companion application is installed on a PC or the Sony Bridge for Mac application is installed on an Apple Mac computer.
- Connect your device to the computer using a USB cable.
- Computer: Open the PC Companion application or the Sony Bridge for Mac application. After a few moments, the computer detects your device.
- Computer: Click Back up & restore, then follow the on-screen instructions to back up data from your device.
To restore your data using a computer
- Connect your device to the computer using a USB cable.
- Computer: Open the PC Companion application or the Sony Bridge for Mac application. After a few moments, the computer detects your device.
- Computer: Click Back up & restore and select a backup file from the backup records, then follow the on-screen instructions to back up data from your device.
Backing up with the Backup and restore application
Note: You can only use this method to back up and restore content between the same Android software version. You cannot use it to restore content after a system upgrade.
- The Backup and restore application is recommended for backing up content before you do a factory data reset. With this application you can back up the following types
of data to an SD card or to an external USB storage device that you have connected by cable to your device:- Bookmarks
- Call logs
- Contacts
- Applications downloaded from Google Play
- Multimedia messages
- System settings (such as alarms, ringer volume, and language settings)
- Text messages
- You may incur additional data transmission charges when you restore applications from Google Play.
To back up content using the Backup and restore application
- If you are backing up content to a USB storage device, make sure the storage device is connected to your device using the appropriate cable. If you are backing up to an SD card, make sure the SD card is properly inserted in your device.
- From your Home screen, tap Apps icon.
- Find and tap Back up & restore.
- Tap Back up, then select a backup destination and the data types that you want to back up.
- Tap Back up now.
- Enter a password for the backup, then tap OK.
To restore content using the Backup and restore application
- If you are backing up content to a USB storage device, make sure the storage device is connected to your device using the appropriate cable. If you are backing up to an SD card, make sure the SD card is properly inserted in your device.
- From your Home screen, tap Apps icon.
- Find and tap Back up & restore.
- Tap Restore.
- Select the record that you want to restore from, then tap Restore now.
- Enter the password for the backup record, then tap OK.
Note: Remember that any changes you make to your data and settings after you create a backup will get deleted during a restore procedure.
