The Nokia Lumia range makes it particularly easy to keep all your personal information safe, even if you lose your phone or upgrade to a new one.
The backup feature stores app details, messages and even photographs to your SkyDrive account, and reinstalling everything on another Lumia, old or new, couldn’t be easier.
Installing a backup on a new Lumia
Before you switch over to a new Nokia Lumia, make sure the backup feature on your old handset is turned on. Go to Settings, click ‘Backup’, and check the features you want to save are selected. The backup will be saved to the SkyDrive and Microsoft account you used when you first set up your Nokia Lumia – remember which account it is, as you’ll need to use it again to reinstall the backup.
Follow the instructions onscreen the first time you turn the phone on – accept the terms and conditions, and set up the correct time and date. You’ll then come to a screen titled ‘Keep your life in sync’. Click ‘Sign in’, and then enter your Microsoft details.
You’ll be prompted to ‘Restore your phone’. Select the backup you want (if you’ve had more than one Lumia in the past there may be several options), click ‘Next’, and then ‘Next’ again. Your phone will then start to download and restore your phone’s settings. Once it gets to 100 per cent, click ‘Next’.
Your social network and email accounts will be restored automatically, but for security you’ll need to enter the passwords again. Then click ‘Next’ once again, and you’ll be taken to a terms and conditions page. After you’ve accepted, you’ll be back to the familiar Windows Phone Start Screen.
If possible, it’s then worth connecting to a Wi-Fi network, as there will be a lot of things your Lumia needs to download. Your emails and messages will automatically be restored, and your apps will also be downloaded again. If you swipe to the right to view apps, you’ll see ‘Pending’ against most of them – once again give your Lumia time to download and install everything.
Resetting and installing a backup
It’s also easy to install a backup on your existing Nokia Lumia. The process is the same as above, but you’ll need to reset your phone first. To do so, click on Settings, ‘About’, and then press ‘Reset your phone’. You’ll be asked if you’re sure – click ‘Yes’.
Resetting can take some time, depending on the phone and what’s on it. Your Lumia could reset in a couple of minutes, or it could take a lot longer. So plug it in, make sure the battery doesn’t die, and leave the phone to do its stuff. When it turns on again, your Lumia will be as it left the factory, and ready for your backup.