How to Create and Manage Backups for Windows 10 Mobile Phones
When you sign in with your Microsoft account on your Windows 10 Mobile phone, you can turn on a service that lets you automatically save your app data, Start layout, passwords, favorites, and other system settings to OneDrive so you'll have a backup if something happens to your phone.
Your phone will need a Wi-Fi connection to create a backup.
Starting with Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14385, Microsoft has changed the backup format for Windows 10 Mobile devices to reduce the size of the backup stored in OneDrive. As a result, if you do a backup on a device running the latest Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview builds and move back to the released version of Windows 10 Mobile (Build 10586) and restore from your backup – your Start screen layout won’t restore and remain the default Start layout. Your previous backup also gets overwritten. If you need to go back to Build 10586 temporarily, once you are on Build 10586 you should disable backup so it doesn’t overwrite the good backup from Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview builds.
Starting with Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14946, Microsoft has changed the frequency of scheduled backups for Mobile to once a week. Initiating a backup manually by clicking the “Back up now” button remains unchanged and works as expected. You can do this via Settings > Update & security > Backup and clicking the “More options” link at the bottom. As always, it’s good to do a backup of your device before updating to a new build.
This tutorial will show you how to change backup settings, create backups, and delete backups for your Windows 10 Mobile phone.
CONTENTS:
- Option One: To Turn On or Off Items on Phone to Include in OneDrive Backup
- Option Two: To Create a Backup of Phone to OneDrive
- Option Three: To Turn On or Off Automatic Daily Backups of Phone
- Option Four: To Delete Backups of Phone on OneDrive
OPTION ONE
To Turn On or Off Items on Phone to Include in OneDrive Backup
1. Open
Settings, and tap on
Update & security. (see screenshot below)
2. Tap on
Backup. (see screenshot below)
3. Turn on or off
Backup my app data to OneDrive and
Back up my Start layout, passwords, favorites, and other system settings to OneDrive for what you want included in backups.
4. When finished, you can return to
Start if you like. (see screenshot below)
OPTION TWO
To Create a Backup of Phone to OneDrive
1. Open
Settings, and tap on
Update & security. (see screenshot below)
2. Tap on
Backup. (see screenshot below)
3. Tap on the
Change OneDrive backup settings link. (see screenshot below)
4. Tap on
Back up now. (see screenshot below)
5. The backup of the items turned on from
Option One for you phone will now be saved to OneDrive. (see screenshots below)
Sometimes it may take a short moment before the backup starts.
6. When finished, you can return to
Start if you like. (see screenshot below)
OPTION THREE
To Turn On or Off Automatic Daily Backups of Phone
1. Open
Settings, and tap on
Update & security. (see screenshot below)
2. Tap on
Backup. (see screenshot below)
3. Tap on the
Change OneDrive backup settings link. (see screenshot below)
4. Turn on or off
Take a fresh backup every day for what you want. (see screenshot below)
5. When finished, you can return to
Start if you like. (see screenshot below)
OPTION FOUR
To Delete Backups of Phone on OneDrive
1. Do
step 2 (on PC) or
step 3 (on phone) below for what you would like to do.
2. To Delete OneDrive Backups of Phone Online from PC
3. To Delete OneDrive Backups of Phone Online from Phone
A) Open
Settings, and tap on
Update & security. (see screenshot below)
B) Tap on
Backup. (see screenshot below)
C) Tap on the
Change OneDrive backup settings link. (see screenshot below)
D) Tap on the
Manage my OneDrive backups online link, and go to
step 4 below. (see screenshot below)
4. Tap on the
Delete button for your phone (ex: Nokia (S-Lumia 1520)). (see screenshot below)
5. Tap on
Delete to confirm. (see screenshot below)
That's it,
Shawn