One of the positive aspects of having an Android smartphone or tablet is the ability to customize the device by installing custom ROMs or launchers with new themes. However, if you’re not so sure what you’re doing while installing a ROM or making continuous changes, or you like to fiddle, you can risk compromising some system files.
The consequence is that the device can be affected by slowdowns or applications that do not work. In this case, it would be useful to have made an Android backup of the device and then restore it when needed. Nothing irreparable if you have any foresight, there is a way to restore the entire system using the Nandroid Backup procedure.
In this article we will talk about this, how to backup Nandroid on Android devices that can solve many problems, even when the device is soft-bricked. With a few clicks, the whole system is restored and the device is fully functional again as if nothing had happened. In this guide, I will show you the easy steps to back up Nandroid easily and keep your device and data safe and secure. I’ll also show you how you can transfer your backup to your computer to save space on your Android device.
How to make a Nandroid Backup
1. Prerequisites
To be able to do a Nandroid Backup on your Android device, it must have root permissions and needs a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP Recovery). If the device does not have root permissions, do not worry, on our site you will find the guide that allows you to make backups without root permissions.
2. Go to recovery mode
To enter recovery mode on your Android device, you need to turn off the device and restart it in the bootloader. With many devices, this can be done by turning the device on by holding down the Volume Down + Power Button. However, it may be that your device also uses another combination of keys.
3. Run the Nandroid Backup
Once you’re in recovery mode, the rest is a breeze. In order to proceed you need to have a modified recovery installed on your smartphone. The best are ClockworkMod or TWRP. Below we see the two different ways, which are very similar:
Nandroid Backup TWRP:
- Go to “Backup”
- Choose the partitions you want to back up. If you’re not sure what to choose, you need to leave the default settings.
- Back up by scrolling down to the right.
- The device should now run the backup process, once done you can restart the device.
Nandroid Backup CWM:
- Go to “Backup and restore”
- Choose “Backup”.
- The device must now back up.
- After completion, select “return” and choose “reboot system now” to restart the device.
4. Transfer Nandroid Backup to the PC
Now, depending on the number of applications and files installed, the backup may take away some space on the device. To avoid this, you can transfer the entire Nandroid Backup to your computer and delete the one on your device. In case you need to restore your device, simply transfer the backup file to your phone again. Read on to find out how to do the two options.
TWRP:
Connect the device to your computer and go to the TWRP folder on your device, you will find a folder containing the backup. If you have several backups saved on your device, they will be separated so that you can choose the backup folder you need. After successfully copying the folder, you can delete the folder on the device.
CWM:
The approach is the same as above. The location of CWM backups is typically found in / data / media / clockworkmod/backups. This means that the data folder is in the root folder, not in the sdcard directory. Many people have reported that they were unable to “see” the backup files and, therefore, not able to copy them. One approach would be to use your favorite Android file explorer application and copy the backup folder to another one, as in the “DCIM” camera folder. Now, check this folder using your computer to see if the backup is visible.
5. Restore the device using the Nandroid backup
Simply start the device in recovery, select “Backup” or “Backup and restore” in CWM and choose the restore option. Now you can choose the backup you want to use and restore the device. Once finished, restart the device and you’re done!
I hope these steps can help you secure your smartphone data and solve the problems you can go through. If you have questions, you can ask them in the comments.