How to Use Titanium Backup [Guide]

Android is all about development being an open source operating system. There is a number of tweaks, mods and custom roms that you may install and enhance your Android smartphone and in some cases you have to go through data wipes / factory resets, this may just cause inconvenience installing apps / getting back your wiped data. This is alright if becomes a hitch actually, but unfortunately installing all the apps once again takes a long time, you also loose your app’s data.What we have for you here today will let you backup your system apps, user apps, apps data easily, and will simply let you restore in a few minutes whenever you want.

If you’ve guessed it, we’re talking about Titanium Backup. As the name suggests, it’s a backup app that helps you to backup and restore each and everything on your Android smartphone. You can also set schedules on your phone so that you don’t need to backup your data manually. Also, scheduling helps you to backup updated applications with their data. This app basically creates a folder on your phone’s internal storage and backups up the data in the form of .zip files. You can also change the backup folder location if you’ve an external SD card inserted in your phone, there’s a hefty list of actions you can perform using this amazing app.  A freeware of Titanium Backup is available in the Google Play Store, you can also purchase Titanium Backup Key in order to unlock all of it’s features.  Freeware will perform the basic functions only and obviously there is a hefty list of features that the pro version of Titanium Backup sports.

We have been posting custom ROMs since a long time now and you may have read about backing up all your important data, many of you might be wondering how to use this app so today in the following post we are going to have a look on how to use Titanium Backup. Before you head towards the guide, do keep in mind that this app requires a rooted Android phone. Let’s have a look on the description by the developer:

Titanium Backup is the most powerful backup tool on Android, and then some.

You can backup, restore, freeze (with Pro) your apps + data + Market links. This includes all protected apps & system apps, plus external data on your SD card. You can do 0-click batch & scheduled backups. Backups will operate without closing any apps (with Pro). You can move any app (or app data) to/from the SD card. You can browse any app’s data and even query the Market to see detailed information about the app.

Let’s move forward to the Titanium Backup guide.

How to Use Titanium Backup:

What this App can backup:

• User Apps.
• User Apps with data.
• System Apps.
• System Apps with data
• All user apps + system apps + data.
• Titanium cannot backup the obb files of your games. In order to save your obb files, you may copy the obb folder manually to your computer.

1. Your device must be rooted in order to install and run this application.
2. Download and Install Titanium Backup on your phone: Google Play Link
3. After installing Titanium Backup, open it from the app drawer.
4. In the main menu you will find Over View, Backup/Restore and Schedules.
5. Overview shows you all the preferences/stats/status of your phone.
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7. Tap Backup/Restore Option, it will show you a list of all installed / system apps. Tapping any application will show you all the available actions you can perform e.g Run app, Wipe Data, Backup, Restore, Freeze, Uninstall, Delete.
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9. Tapping Schedules will show you the scheduling panel. You can set the schedule when you want Titanium to automatically backup your data.
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11. Tap the small tick mark on the top right corner inside Titanium Backup, it will take you the “Batch Actions”. You can find and perform the following actions here.
12. All the actions are explained below, in case you only want to Backup / Restore your user apps + system apps, skip all others and have a look at Backup / Restore options below.
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Note: I’m using Titanium Backup Pro on my phone and all the options explained below are courtesy of Titanium Backup Pro. You may not find all these in case you’re using Titanium Backup freeware. Freeware comes with limited options, it will surely let you use Backup/Restore options at the least.

Verify Backups

• Let’s you verify whether you’ve backed up all your data properly or not. This takes a few seconds to run. Tapping the Run button may perform this.

Backup

• Backup all user apps: Backup all user installed apps. e.g Apps installed from the play store.
• Backup all system data: Backup all system apps e.g Apps installed in the OS by default. This also includes your system settings.
• Backup all user apps + system data: Backup user installed apps and system data altogether.
• Backup new uer apps: Let’s you backup if any app has been updated.
• Backup new user + system apps  & newer versions.

Tapping the RUN button will take you to the list of apps installed on your phone. You can select / unselect the apps you want to backup.

Restore

• Similar to backup. You can restore user apps, user apps with data, system apps, system apps with data or user apps with data + system data.

Tapping the RUN button will take you to the list of apps installed on your phone. You can select / unselect the apps you want to restore.

Move/Integrate:

• Let’s you integrate updates of system apps into your phone’s current OS / ROM

Freeze/Defrost:

• Freeze option helps you to freeze any apps that’s eating a lot of memory or causing any problem on your phone. This option is quiet handy specially when you want to enhance the performance of your phone and reduce the load. You can select the apps to be frozen from the list under this option.

Android Market :

• You can detach user and system apps from the Google Play store using this option.

Manipulate Data:

Another handy feature that let’s you:

• Clear cache for user & system apps.
• Wipe date for user & system apps.
• Remove orphan data.
• Conver DBs to Rollbac Journal mode.
• Convert DBs to WAL mode.

Recovery Mode:

• Using this option you can create an update.zip file, that can be flashed using a custom recovery. This option is quiet helpful and may take a few more minutes.

Un-install:

• Uninstall backed up user apps.
• Uninstall non backed up user apps.
• Uninstall all user apps.
• Uninstall all user apps & system data.

Delete Backups:

• Trim backups.
• Delete backups for uninstalled apps.
• Delete all backups.

Titanium Backup Settings:

• General:
  • Filters: You can filter between what apps you want to display in Titanium Backup options.
  • Batch Actions: All explained above.
  • Preferences: Enable cloud services, enable backup encryption, backup settings (backup folder location, external data etc.).

• Play Store: Automatic Updates, Update Helper, Market Links Manager.
• Storage: Clean Dalvik Cache, Overview of app storage use, Integrate and undo system dalvik integration.
• Import / Export: Send data, Import backup, Start Titanium Backup Web Server.
• Special Backup / Restore: Backup / Restore data to and from XML. Extract from Nandroid Backup, Extract from ADB Backup.
• Your Device: Reboot the device, Manager Android ID.
• Special Features: Create update.zip file, Reload application.
• Once backed up, Titanium will create a folder named “Titanium Backup” on the location you selected in preferences. You can copy this folder to your computer. Every time you flash a custom ROM and wipe your phone’s data, you restore each and everything in just one click using Titanium backup. All you need is root access and install the app from play store.
• Once installed, run Titanium Backup and in preferences tap Backup Folder Location. Search your device and it will automatically detect the backup folder whether you placed it on internal or external storage in order to restore your apps.

That’s All. In case you got any queries or face any difficulties regarding this guide, feel free to stop by the comment box below and drop us your message. We will surely get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks All.