Protection from Theft
Smartphones and other similar devices are stolen on a very regular basis. In fact, the FCC says that more than one million devices are swiped every single year. Losing your device is bad enough, but losing all your personal and work-related data on it as well can be devastating. Periodically backup your device in order to save yourself the time, hassle, and heartbreak of losing sentimental photos, phone numbers for important clients, and work-related projects you worked hard to complete.

Read More: Top Apps for Transferring Files Wirelessly From Your Phone

Protection from Upgrades
Upgrading a device is a good idea; however, be aware that it can also cause you to lose important data. It is not uncommon for all personal data to be completely erased after the OS update. This is especially true for Android devices, but even iPhone device owners are advised to backup data before enabling an upgrade.

Protection from Yourself
It’s not just other people and programs you need to worry about. Many smartphone owners have lost or permanently damaged a device by dropping it in water, accidentally leaving it in a pants pocket and then throwing the pants in the washing machine, dropping the device on a hard surface, or leaving it in a child’s reach. While in some cases you can retrieve some of your personal data even if the device no longer works, this is not always the case. It is always better to be safe than sorry, so backup your device to make sure you can get ahold of your files while your phone is being repaired or replaced.

Those who want to protect important files will find that PSafe Total is perfect for the job. Backup your information, and then, in the event that your phone gets lost or stolen, use PSafe’s anti-theft feature to wipe all of your data from your phone remotely. This will prevent thieves from accessing your information. PSafe Total also offers Applock, a system that allows you to add second passwords to important apps, adding extra protection if your phone is lost or stolen.

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Using DropSpace:

1. First create a Dropbox account. In Dropbox, create a new folder where you can store all of your phone’s backed-up content.
2. Download the free DropSpace app.
3. Open DropSpace and log into using your Dropbox account credentials.
4. In the app’s main menu, there will be an icon that says “Add directories” and then “files to sync list.” In the “files to sync list,” add the folders you want Dropbox to back up.
5. Choose the Dropbox folder you made before to store this content. This will be the folder where all of your phone’s backed-up material is stored.
6. Make sure you’ve also clicked the “Sync back files if server has new one” button on DropSpace so the app will continue to sync if you change a file on your computer.
7. You want DropSpace to regularly backup your files and folders. To make sure that your content is regularly synced, navigate back to the app’s main menu. Here, click on “Run as service.” From there, you can click how often you want you content backed up to Dropbox. You can choose anywhere from every hour to every 168 hours.
8. You also want to only have your phone and computer sync when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi so you don’t wear out your phone’s battery too quickly. To do this, navigate back to main menu and click the button next to the “Sync only wifi” icon.
9. You can also sync your content on DropSpace manually by navigating back to the main menu and clicking the “Sync Now” button.

If you want DropSpace to back up your phone’s files, make sure you aren’t wasting space by transferring unnecessary files. Instead of transferring junk, download PSafe Total. PSafe’s Junk Cleanup and Quick Cleanup features get rid of junk files, temporary files, background apps, and cache files, which, in turn, frees up your memory and SD card.

Luckily, backing up your texts and call logs is simple. Most backup apps available in the Google Play store work to this end, but if you want frequent backups you can rely on it’s best to automate the process. Here are two ways to do it.

Read More: How to Reduce Mobile Data Usage in 5 Easy Steps

Backup Texts to Gmail with SMS Backup+

SMS Backup+ syncs your SMS, MMS, and call logs to a Gmail account of your choice. It offers several settings to fine-tune your backup experience.

Download the app from Google Play and follow the simple prompts on the screen to set up your backup. By default, SMS Backup+ saves your data every two hours and within three minutes of receiving a new message. You can choose to sync existing data or only the texts and calls you receive from this point forward.

Save Your Data to Google Drive Spreadsheets with IFTTT

IFTTT—short for If This, Then That — uses third-party apps to create automated recipes that respond to triggers you define. It’s a powerful productivity tool with a desktop and mobile app version that makes automation simple and straightforward.

This method sends all future data to a Google Spreadsheet for easy searching and sorting. Note that it does not make backups of older data. For that you will need to use a third party app that can export your data to a CSV file.

To create full backups of your data, you’ll need to create several recipes.

Recipe 1 – Outbound Calls Log

Under the channel for “If This,” find “Android Phone Call” and select the trigger for “Any Phone Call Placed.” For your “Then,” choose “Google Drive” and the option to “Add Row to Spreadsheet.”

From here, you can define the spreadsheet and add the location you’d like the information to go to, or let IFTTT automatically create one. By default, it will save the date, time, and duration of the call as well as the recipient’s name and number. This can be changed in the “Formatted Row” field of your recipe.

Recipe 2 – Inbound Calls Log

Using the steps outlined above, create your “If This” with the trigger “Any Phone Call Answered.” Again, choose the Google Drive option and let IFTTT do its thing.

Recipe 3 – Missed Calls Log

Follow the recipe a third time, changing your Android call trigger to “Any Phone Call Missed.” Customize it to your liking, then create the recipe. Now you should have a spreadsheet for each type of call action.

Recipe 4 – Saving Your SMS Messages

Select “Android SMS” as your “If This.” Set your trigger to “Any New SMS Received.” For your “Then,” scroll down, select “Google Drive” and then “Add Row to Spreadsheet.” You can configure the spreadsheet options if you wish. Repeat this process to create another recipe for “any new SMS sent.” Keep in mind that these recipes do not work on MMS messages.