How to Back Up Your Phone Before a Repair
How to Back Up Your Phone Before a Repair
How to Back Up Your Phone Before a Repair
Before you bring your phone in for any repair, there’s one thing you should do first: back it up. Your photos, messages, contacts, and apps are irreplaceable. The repair itself is safe – we take every precaution with your data – but a backup gives you complete peace of mind.
Here’s exactly how to do it, whether you’re on iPhone or Android.
How to Back Up an iPhone
Option 1: iCloud Backup (Easiest)
This is the quickest way and you can do it from your phone right now. Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi, then:
- Open Settings
- Tap your name at the top of the screen
- Tap iCloud
- Tap iCloud Backup
- Tap Back Up Now
The backup will run in the background. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how much data you have and your internet speed. Keep your phone connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in until it finishes.
One thing to check: make sure you have enough iCloud storage. Apple gives you 5GB free, which fills up fast. If you need more space temporarily, you can upgrade to 50GB for £0.99 per month and cancel after.
Option 2: Back Up to Your Computer
If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, connect your iPhone with a cable and open Finder. Your phone will appear in the sidebar. Click it, then click Back Up Now. On older Macs or Windows PCs, use iTunes instead.
Computer backups are more comprehensive than iCloud – they can include Health data, saved passwords, and Wi-Fi settings if you tick “Encrypt local backup.”
How to Back Up a Samsung or Android Phone
Option 1: Google Backup
Most Android phones back up automatically to Google, but it’s worth checking and running a manual backup before your repair:
- Open Settings
- Tap Google
- Tap Backup (or search “backup” in Settings)
- Tap Back up now
This saves your apps, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS messages to your Google account. It doesn’t back up everything though – more on that below.
Option 2: Samsung Cloud (Samsung Phones Only)
Samsung offers its own backup service as well. Go to Settings, then Accounts and backup, then Samsung Cloud. This can back up things that Google Backup might miss, like your Samsung-specific settings, home screen layout, and Samsung app data.
Using both Google Backup and Samsung Cloud gives you the most complete coverage.
What Gets Backed Up – and What Doesn’t
This is the part most people don’t realise until it’s too late. Standard backups don’t cover everything:
- WhatsApp – has its own separate backup system. On iPhone, go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Back Up Now (backs up to iCloud). On Android, it backs up to Google Drive via the same menu.
- Authenticator apps – Google Authenticator historically didn’t sync to the cloud, meaning if your phone was wiped, you’d lose all your 2FA codes. Newer versions now offer account syncing – make sure it’s enabled. Microsoft Authenticator also has cloud backup in its settings.
- Banking apps – most banking apps require you to set them up fresh on a new or wiped device. This is normal and is a security feature. You’ll just need to log in again.
- Some game progress – games that save progress locally (not to a server) might not be backed up. If you’re deep into a game, check if it has a cloud save option.
Make Sure Your Photos Are Syncing
Photos are usually the thing people care about most. Check that your photos are actually uploading to the cloud:
- iPhone – go to Settings > your name > iCloud > Photos and make sure iCloud Photos is turned on. If it says “Uploading X items,” wait for it to finish before bringing your phone in.
- Android – open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture, and check if it says “Backup complete.” If it says “Waiting for Wi-Fi” or shows items pending, connect to Wi-Fi and let it finish.
Check Your Contacts
Your contacts should sync automatically if you’re signed into iCloud (iPhone) or Google (Android). To double-check, open contacts on another device or in a web browser – go to icloud.com/contacts or contacts.google.com and make sure your contacts are all there.
What if Your Screen Is Too Broken to Back Up?
This is a common situation. Your screen is so cracked you can’t see anything, or the touch isn’t responding, so you can’t navigate to the backup settings. A few options:
- If the screen still displays but touch doesn’t work – on some phones, you can connect a USB mouse via an OTG adapter and navigate that way
- If automatic backups were already enabled – check your iCloud or Google account from another device. Your most recent automatic backup might be only a day or two old
- Bring it to us – we can help with data recovery. In many cases, we can repair the screen first (even temporarily) to allow a backup before doing any further work
What if Your Phone Won’t Turn On?
Don’t assume your data is gone. Even if your phone won’t power up, the data is almost always still sitting on the storage chip inside. The storage is separate from the battery, screen, and other components.
Whether it’s water damage, a dead battery, or a failed charging port, the data itself is usually recoverable. Bring it in and we’ll assess the situation.
A Quick Backup Checklist Before Your Repair
- Run a full iCloud or Google backup
- Check that photos have finished syncing
- Back up WhatsApp separately
- Verify contacts are synced (check on another device)
- Note down any authenticator app codes or enable cloud sync
- Charge your phone to at least 50% so the backup completes
This whole process takes 15 to 30 minutes and could save you a lot of stress. It’s worth doing even if you’re coming in for a simple screen repair – because good habits protect your data in every situation, not just repairs.
Bring Your Phone In – Backed Up and Ready
Once you’ve backed up, bring your phone in and we’ll take care of the rest. And if you’re stuck at any point in the backup process, just give us a call – we’re happy to walk you through it.
Repair St Andrews, 1 City Rd, St Andrews, KY16 9XQ. Call 01334 478866 or walk in. Open Monday to Friday 09:30-17:30, Saturday 10:00-17:00.
