How to Back Up Android to Google Drive 2026 — Complete Guide
📱 Smartphones & Tablets
How to Back Up Android
to Google Drive 2026
Photos, messages, contacts and apps backed up automatically. Complete guide to Android Google Drive backup 2026 so you never lose anything.
📅 February 2026 | ⏱ ~7 min | 👤 All levels
☁️ Complete Guide
Backup Android Google Drive 2026
Photos · Messages · Contacts · Apps
Automatic · Free ✅
📅 Feb 2026☁️ 15 GB free🔒 Encrypted
Google Drive Backup
78% complete
~2 min left 📸 Android Google Drive backup 2026 in progress: the green-blue bar shows 78% complete. Contacts and settings are already saved, photos and apps are processing.
Backup Android Google Drive 2026 — if you have an Android phone and haven’t set up automatic backup yet, you’re risking losing everything if it breaks, gets stolen or needs a factory reset. This complete guide to backup Android Google Drive 2026 shows you step by step how to enable it, what it includes, how much storage you need, and how to restore everything onto a new phone.📋 In this article:
- What Android Google Drive backup saves
- How to enable backup Android Google Drive 2026
- Photo backup with Google Photos
- How to run a manual backup right now
- Google Drive storage: free vs paid plans
- How to restore backup on a new Android
- Android backup vs iPhone backup: comparison
- Frequently asked questions
⚠️ Why backup Android Google Drive 2026 is essential: 15% of Android users lose data every year. Without a backup you lose contacts, SMS, photos and game saves. Google Drive backup is free up to 15 GB and fully automatic — there’s no reason not to enable it today.
1. What Android Google Drive Backup Saves
Backup Android Google Drive 2026 is split into two main parts: a system backup (data, apps, settings) and a photo backup via Google Photos. Here’s everything that gets protected.
9:41📶 🔋
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Google Backup
👤
Contacts
Synced with Google
✓
📅
Calendar & Reminders
Google Calendar
✓
💬
SMS & MMS
Google Messages (if used)
✓
📱
App data
Game saves, app settings
✓
⚙️
Phone settings
Wi-Fi, accessibility, language
✓
📷
Photos & videos
Via Google Photos (separate)
⚠
💬
WhatsApp chats
Separate backup inside WhatsApp
✗
Last backup: yesterday, 02:17 · 4.3 GB 📸 Simulated screenshot — Settings → Google → Backup: the list shows what’s saved (✓ green), what’s separate (⚠ yellow — Google Photos) and what’s not included (✗ red — WhatsApp, which has its own backup system).
| What gets saved | Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 👤 Contacts | ✅ Yes | Synced with Google in real time |
| 📅 Calendar & Reminders | ✅ Yes | Google Calendar — always synced |
| 💬 SMS (Google Messages) | ✅ Yes | Only if you use the Google Messages app |
| 📱 App data | ✅ Yes | Game saves, app preferences |
| ⚙️ Phone settings | ✅ Yes | Wi-Fi, display, accessibility |
| 📷 Photos & videos | ⚠️ Separate | Via Google Photos (see section 3) |
| 💬 WhatsApp chats | ⚠️ Separate | Independent backup inside WhatsApp |
| 🎵 Offline music | ⚠️ No | Re-downloadable from Spotify/YouTube Music |
⚠️ WhatsApp is NOT in the standard Google Drive backup: WhatsApp chats use a separate backup stored on Google Drive. Go to WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat Backup → “Back Up Now”. Also make sure the backup frequency is set to “Daily”. See the official WhatsApp backup guide.
2. How to Enable Backup Android Google Drive 2026
Enabling backup Android Google Drive 2026 takes less than 2 minutes and works on all Android devices: Samsung, Xiaomi, Google Pixel, OnePlus and others. Menu names may vary slightly between manufacturers.
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Backup & restore
Google Backup
☁️
Back up to Google Drive
Account: you@gmail.com
Last backup
Yesterday, 02:17 ✓
Backup size
4.3 GB / 15 GB
Back Up Now
Backup items
📱
App data
📞
Call history
💬
SMS messages
⚙️
Device settings 📸 Simulated screenshot — Settings → Google → Backup (or System → Backup). The blue toggle confirms automatic backup is on, with the last backup confirmed at 02:17 yesterday. The “Back Up Now” button triggers it immediately.
✅ How to enable backup Android Google Drive 2026 — Step by step
1
Open Settings → search for “Backup” in the search bar (fastest method).
2
Or navigate to Settings → Google → Backup (on Samsung: Settings → Accounts and backup → Backup data).
3
Toggle “Back up to Google Drive” on — it should turn blue.
4
Make sure the correct Google account is selected as the backup destination.
5
Tap “Back Up Now” to trigger the first manual backup straight away.
💡 Pro tip: On Samsung Galaxy phones there’s also a separate Samsung Cloud backup (via Samsung Account). You can use both for extra protection: Google Drive for the main backup and Samsung Cloud for Samsung-specific settings.
3. Photo Backup with Google Photos
Photos are not part of the system backup — they’re handled by Google Photos, which is the most important component of backup Android Google Drive 2026 because it protects your most precious content: memories you can never recreate.
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📷
Google Photos
✅ Backup on
☁️ Backup complete
1,247 photos synced · 8.4 GB
8.4 GB used15 GB free
☁️
Backup & sync
On
📶
Wi-Fi only
No mobile data used
🔋
Upload quality
Storage saver (free)
› 📸 Simulated screenshot — Google Photos → Backup settings: 1,247 photos synced (8.4 GB / 15 GB free). Backup happens automatically over Wi-Fi. “Storage saver” quality is free; “Original quality” counts against your 15 GB allowance.
How to enable Google Photos backup
- Open the Google Photos app (pre-installed on most Android phones).
- Tap your profile picture in the top right → Photos settings.
- Tap “Backup” and turn on “Backup & sync”.
- Choose quality: “Storage saver” (free, compressed to 16 MP/1080p) or “Original quality” (uses your 15 GB).
💡 Storage saver vs Original quality: “Storage saver” compresses photos slightly (capped at 16 MP, videos at 1080p) but is completely free and the difference is invisible on screen. “Original quality” keeps files exactly as shot but counts against your free 15 GB Google storage.
4. How to Run a Manual Backup Right Now
Before switching phones, performing a factory reset or updating Android, always run a manual backup Android Google Drive 2026 to make sure you have the most recent data saved.
Manual backup — 3 steps
- Go to Settings → Google → Backup.
- Tap “Back Up Now”.
- Wait for the notification confirming completion (usually 2–10 minutes on a fast Wi-Fi connection).
✅ When to always run a manual backup:
- Before a major Android update
- Before taking your phone in for repair
- Before buying a new Android smartphone
- After capturing important photos (holidays, events)
5. Google Drive Storage: Free vs Paid Plans
Google gives you 15 GB free shared between Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos — nearly three times iCloud’s free allowance. In most cases this is enough for a full backup Android Google Drive 2026.
☁️
15 GB
Free
🏆 Often enough
☁️
100 GB
£1.99/mo
✅ Recommended
☁️
200 GB
£2.99/mo
👨👩👧 Family sharing
☁️
2 TB
£9.99/mo
🎬 Pro 📸 Google One plans 2026 for Android Google Drive backup: the free 15 GB tier is enough for most users. The 100 GB plan can be shared with up to five family members.
💡 The 15 GB is shared between Gmail, Drive and Photos: To check how much you’re using visit one.google.com/storage. Gmail alone can use 5–8 GB. Delete emails with large attachments to free up space before your first backup.
6. How to Restore Backup on a New Android
Got a new Android or performed a factory reset? Your backup Android Google Drive 2026 lets you recover everything in minutes during the initial setup.
How to restore — step by step
- Turn on the new Android and start the setup wizard.
- When asked “Copy apps & data”, choose “From cloud backup”.
- Sign in with your Google account.
- Select the most recent backup from the list (you’ll also see which device it came from).
- Wait for the restore to complete — usually 10–30 minutes on fast Wi-Fi. Apps re-download automatically from the Play Store.
✅ What gets restored:
- Apps (automatically re-downloaded from the Play Store)
- Google contacts and calendar
- SMS (if you used Google Messages)
- Wi-Fi passwords, home screen layout, ringtones
- Photos (from Google Photos — already available in the app)
7. Android Backup (Google Drive) vs iPhone Backup (iCloud)
| Feature | Android Backup (Google Drive) | iPhone Backup (iCloud) |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | ✅ 15 GB | ⚠️ Only 5 GB |
| Entry paid plan | 100 GB at £1.99/month | 50 GB at £0.99/month |
| Photo backup | Google Photos (15 GB free) | iCloud Photos (5 GB shared) |
| Automatic | ✅ Yes (night, Wi-Fi) | ✅ Yes (night, Wi-Fi) |
| SMS in backup | Google Messages only | ✅ All SMS |
| Cross-device restore | Android only | iPhone only |
| End-to-end encryption | Partial | ✅ Yes (Advanced Data Protection) |
8. Frequently Asked Questions — Backup Android Google Drive 2026
Does backup Android Google Drive 2026 use mobile data?
By default, backup only runs over Wi-Fi. You can enable mobile data backups in Settings → Google → Backup, but it’s not recommended since the full backup can be many GB. Google Photos has a separate “Use mobile data” toggle so you can allow photo uploads on cellular independently.
Can I back up Android to Google Drive without Wi-Fi?
Yes, but you need to enable it manually. Go to Settings → Google → Backup → tap the three-dot menu → “Backup using mobile data”. Warning: the first full backup can consume 5–15 GB of your data allowance.
Why hasn’t my Android Google Drive backup updated for days?
Automatic backup needs Wi-Fi connected, sufficient battery (usually above 20%) and the screen locked. If any of these conditions is missing, backup is postponed. Try running a manual backup to check whether the issue is connectivity or account-related.
Are old Android backups on Google Drive deleted automatically?
Yes. Google automatically deletes backups from devices that haven’t backed up in more than 2 months. You can manage backups manually at drive.google.com/drive/backups and delete them to free up storage.
How do I know if my backup Android Google Drive 2026 has run?
Go to Settings → Google → Backup: you’ll see the date and time of the last successful backup. If it shows today or yesterday, everything is fine. You can also check directly at drive.google.com/drive/backups from any browser.
Conclusion
You now have everything you need to protect your Android with backup Android Google Drive 2026. Enable it today, set up Google Photos, and never worry again. The 15 GB free tier covers most users — for pricing on larger plans visit Google One. For the official Google guide see Android’s official backup support page.
📱 Got an iPhone in the family too?
Read our complete guide on how to use WhatsApp on both Android and iPhone.Read: How to Use WhatsApp 2026 →