Mar 28, 2019

My phone won't back up to Google drive. The back up now button is greyed out. I've had the phone a w

I've deleted and then added my Google account again. This didn't help

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All Replies (21)

codesplice

Product Expert Alumni

runtimeterror.dev/how2ask

Mar 28, 2019

Hi Cath,

I believe that the backup will only happen while the phone is idle, charging, and connected to a Wi-Fi network with good Internet connectivity.

Have you made sure that these conditions are met?

Thanks,

John

Kpd

Jul 26, 2019

I also am experiencing this issue on an S10, same thing with only deactivating the lock allowing me to backup.

Chad L

Sep 4, 2019

SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION FOR ANDROID 9 AND 10

PERMANENT AND NOT DISABLING LOCK SCREEN.

There are now multiple threads about this and now I am trying to go down and reply my solution to all of them. Please read through.

ANDROID 9:

I see a few people have suggested that you don't need adb. I tried that work around and it does work but only until you turn lock screen security back on. I tried factory resetting, adding only one account, setting up as a fresh phone instead of restoring. None of those steps worked to permanently resolve the issue.

The adb solution suggested above by many from the XDA thread I confirmed it's not only a permanent fix but also does NOT require disabling screen security.

So if you want a work around yes disabling screen security works. If you want a fix try following the adb steps suggested in previous posts:

Reposting Resolution:

After digging up in the internet, the solution from forum xda worked.. go to this link

https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi-8/how-to/guide-google-backup-waiting-to-backup-t3895101

If you need ADB drivers, go to the link.. install ADB drivers first if u dont have it.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979

after doing the steps on first link, reboot and the Backup now button should be working.

ANDROID 10 testing and solution:

This happened to me again after the android 10 update and the Android 9 solution seems to not work anymore:

sargo:/ $ bmgr run

sargo:/ $ bmgr backupnow --all

Running incremental backup for all packages.

Backup finished with result: Transport error

sargo:/ $

After doing research on that transport error it seems the backup manager is unhappy with an existing backup on google drive for the phone you are trying to back up. I turned off the backup in settings, went to google drive and manually deleted the backup, turned the backup back on in settings and then the blue button came back and the backup started working without ADB commands required.

So if you have android 10 you may not need ADB but I had confirmed on 3 different devices of different brands on android 9 that the XDA solution is the only permanent solution.

EDIT for new finding (and putting solution in large letters at the top so nobody misses it):

Still about Android 10. I found that after the initial backup had completed that a few items were stuck in waiting to backup and the backup button was greyed out again. I rebooted but this did not help. When I went into google drive it looked as if the backup had completed but the button was still greyed out. I cleared the cache for google drive app. This immediately brought the blue button back and the items that were waiting to backup now had dates/times of the last successful backup.

Thanks again Mark Eumir Turingan for the original solution.

Brian Fitch

Sep 17, 2019

Had this issue earlier today. I'm on Android 10. I can confirm that Chad's solution more or less works.

Here is what I did, which worked for me:
Delete back-up service on phone. (toggle)
Delete back-up from Google Drive, if it still shows in drive (mine did not).
Disable PIN / Fingerprint service.
Re-enable PIN/Fingerprint.
Reboot phone.
Open Google Drive app on phone. Clear cache.

Re-enable drive back-up. Button is now Blue / available, and back-up works with PIN/Fingerprint enabled.

I did not have to use any ADB functions.

This is utter insanity that Google would brick their own embedded backup service and force this work-around. My *guess* is that there is some sort of encryption key mis-match if you have back-up service enabled before you add PIN/Fingerprint, and that the only way to make it work is to enable the PIN stuff first, kill the old back-up, clear the cache, then enable a new backup. That's just a guess.

Harry Redknapp

Sep 20, 2019

The clear PIN and Drive cache are working wonderfully for me.

Thank you Brian.

Last edited Sep 20, 2019

Teodor Jönsson

Oct 17, 2019

When I cleared the PIN my backup now button became blue

Saraneth

Oct 28, 2019

Worked for me too on my xiaomi redmi note 7.

This is really stupid. You have to disable password/pins to backup? WTF

Sebastiii

Nov 18, 2019

Hey, that didn't work for me :(

The only way is to disable security options.

All other method has not worked (ADB etc.).

It seems to start to happen after a factory reset on boot and not from the started android OS (9.1) for and before migrating to Android 10.

With the upgrade that didn't change anything too.

Really weird !!!!

EDIT :

After retry again with the explanation from here :

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/3189761?msgid=13560705

Just now the button is back to blue :)

It was needed to use adb too :

I have to do :

bmgr transport com.google.android.gms/.backup.migrate.service.D2dTransport

then

bmgr backupnow --all

then

bmgr transport com.google.android.gms/.backup.BackupTransportService

and twice

bmgr backupnow --all (here again error on transport)

bmgr backupnow --all

After I have done it from the above link.

I have also reboot multiple times.

So need to test more but this is the first time it worked again with security enabled.

So it seems there is a way to have it back.

Thanks

PS: I'm on Android 10.

Another Update :

This morning, I have started manual sync and it failed, it was needed to do like yesterday.

And ADB mode was needed.

I will try to note step by step what is needed because it's not 100% clear, for sure ADB / clear cache drive app/reboot is needed and doing this stuff, backup is cleared.

Last edited Nov 22, 2019

Anthony A. 762

Nov 22, 2019

Thank you so much Sebastiiii!!!

Your solution worked for me while the others did not.

Switching the transports in between backing up with 2 backups at the end resulted in a successful backup. That was the key and did the trick!

I rebooted after the successful backup and the 'Back up now' button is finally enabled!

Thanks again; much appreciated!

PS - This issue was on a brand new Pixel 4 XL with Android 10 out of the box!

Last edited Nov 22, 2019

Sebastiii

Nov 22, 2019

Hey :)

Happy Adam Anderson 6258 that is has worked for you too :)

Last edited Nov 22, 2019

KarstJan

Nov 26, 2019

Remove the pin code works for my MI 9SE. Thanks.

Todd Hudson

Dec 31, 2019

My google Drive will not back up I've done everything it's asked me to do that s*** still won't work I'm about to delete all of my Google accounts ever since Google and Google Drive done that separation ship they made it hard to backup everything

Sherman Rogers

Jan 29, 2020

its the security on the phone.

temporarily turn off security and the and the button should turn blue.

backup

then turn security back on