saving all info to do a factory reset

[hereticalhermit]

Hopefully, this post is in the right category, and please don't think I'm nuts for asking this!
Having extreme issues with my phone, and need to store ALL info in order to do a factory reset. This includes texts, side-loaded apps, etc. I do not like google playstore or google in general (and understand that side-loaded apps would not be able to be restored from the playstore or google), will not use "the cloud" or onedrive, and would prefer to not use a third-party app (it "shouldn't" be necessary to do that if an sd card or computer is available, right?) so am limited to directly hooking the phone up to my linux pc or using the sd card. My understanding, right or wrong, is that what I am trying to do is not normally done or is possibly not able to be done. Please advise me as to how to do this safely, or what third party apps I will have to use if that becomes necessary. Thank you!
android version 11, motorola tracfone model b140DL

 

[Sajo]

Welcome to the forum. What you want to do might be tricky given the parameters you mentioned. As you stated the apps that don't come with the phone will have to be manually re-installed using apk files like you did originally. Files, pictures, music, etc will need to be copied to a SD card, computer, etc and then manually put back on the phone after the reset. As far as texts there are apps like SMS Backup and Restore that work great to backup all text messages and then restore onto a new phone or reset phone. I have not used it in years (I start clean with new texts after each reset) but it used to have an option to save the backup file to an SD card, however I think they removed that option and now you have to backup to your Google Drive cloud storage. Since you don't use the Play Store you'll have to try and find an apk for any text backup and restore app. As far as call history, call logs, etc ....same as texts, you'll have to try and find an app apk file that can backup that data and then restore on a reset / new phone. For contacts your Contacts app should have an export feature in the app Settings menu that will save a copy to the SD Card (or phone storage and then move to a computer). And then an Import feature to restore contacts on a new / reset phone.

Good luck, hope it goes well.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[hereticalhermit]

I followed all of the instructions properly, using sms backup and saving the text messages to the phone and then moved them to the sd card manually via the computer. It still lost all of my texts and phone logs. I will forever recommend that the programmers of that particular app be lined up against a wall and shot publicly. Same with the contacts, lost them all, even though I followed the instructions properly.

 

[Sajo]

You backed up your texts, factory reset the phone and tried to import your backup file all within a few minutes?

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[hereticalhermit]

yes. Nowhere did anyone say it should take hours or anything.

 

[Sajo]

True. I've done dozens of factory reset and just have never seen one complete in 20 minutes.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[ggrant3876]

I followed all of the instructions properly, using sms backup and saving the text messages to the phone and then moved them to the sd card manually via the computer. It still lost all of my texts and phone logs. I will forever recommend that the programmers of that particular app be lined up against a wall and shot publicly. Same with the contacts, lost them all, even though I followed the instructions properly.

If your phone doesn't have a separate sdcard apart from your internal storage, common among most phones today you should have copied the backup file from your phone to your PC then you could have copied it back to the phone after the FDR. When you do a FDR with a phone that doesn't have a separate sdcard everything is wiped. You might have accidentally saved it to internal storage instead of the sdcard, just saying. My wife always wants hers saved too and after I save them to her phone then I copy then to the PC and after the FDR I put them back with backup and restore from the play store. Did this several weeks ago and worked like a charm.