Back up or restore data on your Pixel phone

Your backups are uploaded to Google and encrypted using your Google Account password. For some data, your device's screen lock PIN, pattern, or password is also used for encryption.

Any amount of data

• Google Calendar
• Google Contacts
• Photos and videos

Note: To find out how long your phone backs up unlimited photos and videos at full original quality, see the tech specs or learn about upload sizes.

Up to 25 MB of data per app

• Apps and app data
• Call history
• Device settings
• SMS text messages (not MMS)

Note: Not all apps back up automatically. To find out about an app, learn how to contact its developer.

To help protect your backed-up data, use a PIN, pattern, or password screen lock, instead of a swipe or Smart Lock.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap System  Advanced  Backup.
3. Turn Back up to Google Drive on or off.

Important: ​If you turn off automatic backup, you also delete the phone data and settings that you'd saved through automatic backup to this Google Account. This deletion includes app data, call history, device settings, and SMS messages. (Your backed-up photos and videos stay available in Google Photos. Your Google Contacts and Google Calendar still sync.)

Your backup account is the Google Account that holds your backed-up data. You can back up to any of your Google Accounts.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap System  Advanced  Backup.
3. Tap Account.
4. Tap the account you want to use for backups. If the account you want to use isn't there, tap Add account.

When you add your Google Account to a device, what you'd previously backed up for that Google Account gets put onto the device.

Important: You can't restore a backup from a higher Android version onto a phone running a lower Android version. Learn how to check and update your Android version.

To add another account to a set-up Pixel phone

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Users & accounts Add account.
3. Follow the on-screen steps.

To restore a previous device's account to a reset Pixel phone

You can restore a previous device's backup to a new Pixel if you remember your PIN, password, or pattern for your lock screen.

1. After resetting your Pixel phone, tap Start. Follow the on-screen steps.
2. Connect to a Wi-Fi or mobile network.
3. When you see "Copy apps & data," tap Next  Can't use old phone.
4. Under "Copy another way," tap OK  A backup from the cloud.
5. Sign in to the Google Account that has the backup of your data.
6. Follow the on-screen steps.

Note: Not all older apps can restore. Try downloading them from the Play Store again.

When you reinstall an app, you can restore app settings that you'd previously backed up to your Google Account.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap System  Advanced  Backup  App data.
3. Turn on Automatic restore.

Note: Not all apps back up automatically. To find out about an app, learn how to contact its developer.

If you've saved your contacts to your Google Account, they'll sync automatically.

If you have other contacts on a device or SIM card, learn how to restore those contacts yourself.

Your Google Account settings will show you what data is backed up.

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Accounts.
3. Tap the Google Account you used to back up your data.
4. Tap Account sync. 
5. Check that all the photos, data, and settings you want backed up is turned on to sync to your Google Account. If something is off, turn it on.