I would feel completely naked if I ever lost my phone. Or worse, what if the kids drop my phone or spill their milk on it? While it would be a hassle to replace my damaged phone, I have apps that automatically back up my phone, without me thinking about it. I’ve had defective phones before and these apps make it easy to restore my contacts, photos, etc to my replacement smartphone.
My smartphone has become an extension of me. I know I’m not alone when I say that. I carry that small piece of plastic and metal everywhere I go. It keeps me connected, entertained, and sane, especially as a stay-at-home, work-at-home-mom. That’s why backing up my phone is so important.
Here are 3 free apps that I install on every one of my phones or tablet (including my husband’s phone):
Lookout Mobile Security (Android & iOS) is the first app I download on my new mobile devices. It will back up my contacts for me which is great because the only phone numbers I know by my heart is my husband’s and my mother’s. It scans your phone for malware plus it scans every app you download to make sure it’s safe. If you lose your phone, you can locate it by logging on to your account online. If you pay for the premium features, you can also back up your photos and call history. Premium users also have the option to lock down your phone in the event it’s stolen or lost. Free. Premium features start at $2.99 a month.
Dropbox (Android, iOS, Blackberry) is my all time favorite cloud service. Since I alternate working on my laptop and desktop, I keep a lot of my files synced in Dropbox. My favorite feature in the Dropbox app is that it automatically uploads the photos from my smartphone. You can set it to sync only on wifi if you’re worried about data usage, which is what I do. The free version gives you 2GB of space but you can buy more. If you don’t have Dropbox, sign up via my referral link and receive an extra 500 MB of storage! You’ll also earn free space for linking your phone to the app and setting up photo syncing. Free for up to 2GB.
Google+ (Android & iOS) If you don’t already have a G+ profile, I suggest setting up one. I use a lot of Google services (calendar, email, etc) and love that it syncs across my devices. I’m not very active on Google+ but I love the app because it backs up my photos for me to my G+ account. The photos are private until you decide to share them. I take a ton of photos of my kids so it never hurts to back up my photos in different places. Free but G+ account required.
For more options, check out backup apps specific to your mobile carrier. Most of them are free and will sync your contacts for you.
What apps do you use to back up your devices?