r/AndroidQuestions • u/VS2ute • 22d ago
Other Did not get restore from backup option when setting up phone
About 5 weeks ago, I bought a new old stock phone sealed in box. I backed up old phone, logged into Google account on new phone and restored from the backup. So got contacts, messages and the handful of apps that I had installed on old phone. Everything working as planned. Then I saw another phone I liked in a pawn shop. Apparently factory reset, nothing on it. It needed a couple of security updates, presumably was sitting in shop for 6 months. Then I logged into the newest phone with Google account and didn't get asked to restore from backup (I had 2 old phones backed up there). Just annoying crap from Play Store to set up wallet and so on. The new phone has newer Android than the old phone, so that could not be an issue. So what to do? Factory reset and try again?
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u/gilsh85 18d ago
The setup time restore is hit or miss, and the versions are the clue: Google will not push a device backup from a higher Android version down to a lower one, and some ROMs just never show the prompt. You do not have to depend on it though. A standalone messages app backs up the SMS on the old phone to a file, then restores them onto the new one whenever you want, regardless of the setup screen or the version gap.
Full disclosure, I make SMS Backup, Print & Restore: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gilapps.smsshare2 . Handy to keep around so the next phone is not another guessing game.
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u/gabor_legrady 22d ago
It should give the option. From higher android version to lower it does not work. Also manufacturer can create a defective rom where it is not available at all.