Android backups have a big problem, but Google could fix it

Summary

• Android backups may soon let you pick what to save, avoiding all-or-nothing backups.
• The feature appears in the latest Google Play Services beta, but rollout could take a while.
• Should stop wasted Google One space and let you back up only what matters.

Google is finally addressing one of the biggest issues I've had with Android backups for years. While Google's cloud backup system has become increasingly comprehensive, it's also become increasingly bloated, often backing up far more data than many of us actually need.

Finally, some control over what we want to back up

Stop eating all my Google One storage already

Android's backup system has traditionally been an all-or-nothing affair. If you wanted the convenience of cloud backups, then you had to accept that Google would store everything it deemed important, whether you wanted those files backed up or not.

That can quickly become a problem when you're working with limited cloud storage, especially if you don't want to shell out your hard-earned cash for a larger Google One subscription, even though I recommend using Google One if you can, just for the extra space.

Thankfully, that might not be such an issue anymore, as an APK teardown of the latest versions of the Google Play Services hints at a new backup system that would allow you to check off different items you wanted to be backed up, ranging from the expected items such as your device settings, your call history, and data from your apps. (via Android Authority)

This is just a teaser of what could come

It could still be a while before these features hit your phone

The unfortunate news here, of course, is that we could still be waiting a while for this feature to drop. While it is currently being seen in the latest beta update for Google Play Services, that doesn't mean Google will actually enable it anytime soon. However, it does fix one of the biggest annoyances that I've had with Android backups, as not being able to turn off things like call history and even messaging history backups has been annoying. It makes sense why you might want to back these things up, but I just don't personally have a need for it, and I'm sure there are others out there that feel the same. Considering Google only gives you a limited amount of space in Google Drive for free, being able to make the most of that space is important.

As always, the thing you want to remember with backups is that you should always follow some kind of method, such as the 3, 2, 1 rule backup strategy. You don't want to back up your data the wrong way, and rules like the 3, 2, 1 method can help avoid this. This rule basically says you should keep your data stored in three different places, on two different devices, and that one should always bee "off site." This is obviously a bit more difficult to do with your phone backup, which is why you want to ensure you don't risk running out of storage space in Google by backing up a bunch of nonsense you might not need.

Hopefully, we do see this feature arrive soon, as I'd love to have more control over how my phone's backups are handled going forward.