In updating from Android 11 to Android 13, my system crashed so I had to do a factory reset. My google account was backed up so I thought I could just restore it after factory reset. But now there seems to be no way to restore it. I have my contacts, but all apps and messages are gone. Google says that I am using a nonstandard Android build so I have to check with the phone manufacturer. This may be incredibly simple but there doesn’t seem to be any way to restore data from Google backup. Thanks for any help.
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Welcome!
If you have a full Google Backup in the Cloud, all you need to do is sign into your Google Account, put in the PIN Code, and restore the backup.
Can you show exactly what error screen or setup screens you are seeing? You might need another device to take pictures of your phone screen at this stage in the Out-Of-Box setup.
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Thanks for your reply. I am signed into my google account. I haven’t been asked for a PIN. I’m not seeing an error screen. There is just no option that I can see to restore my data from the cloud. You say “and restore the backup”. What I’m stumped about is how to do that. Feeling like I must be missing something completely obvious.
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You can only import/restore the backup when the device is fully/freshly reset and you are working through the initial Out-Of-Box Experience. If you’ve already set up the phone, you can no longer do this step.
After choosing a network connection, it will briefly check for mandatory updates and then next ask you to restore a backup.
It will likely default to restore from another device, but on the bottom you can choose to restore from the cloud. That is where you must login to your Google Account and choose the saved Google Device backup (and input your old device’s PIN to decrypt the backup).
Ah, I see. At that point, yes, I put in my PIN. I think what went wrong is that it said it could not connect to wifi and I should continue without connecting. It connected after a few tries (though it kept telling me it was unable to). So… damn. Now google thinks all my data is on my ‘old’ phone but won’t let me import it to my ‘new’ phone. Does that mean it didn’t get mandatory updates either?
I’m inclined to factory reset again and hope I can import everything this time, but what a nuisance if it fails again.
Thanks for your help.
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I believe the only updates it fetches at that stage are for the Device to Device transfer and Cloud Data restore apps, so your phone should be just fine.
It will update them via the Play Store after setup as part of routine background app updates.
thanks again.
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