Backing up your phone to Google Drive takes about five minutes to set up, and it protects you from the moment nobody plans for: a dropped, stolen or dead phone with years of photos and messages on it. On Android, the backup is built into Settings, via Backup by Google One. On iPhone, you use the Google Drive app, which backs up your photos, contacts and calendar — but not the whole device.
Before you start
You need a Google account, a Wi-Fi connection and enough free storage. Every Google account comes with 15 GB of free storage, shared across Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos — it is not 15 GB per service, so a full Gmail inbox eats into it. Check your space in your Google account storage settings; if you need more, Google One sells extra storage as a subscription, starting at 100 GB. Plug your phone in for the first backup: Google says a large one can take up to 24 hours.
How to back up an Android phone to Google Drive
On Android, the backup is handled by Backup by Google One, built into the system — nothing extra to install.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Google, then All services. On some phones the path is Google services > All services, or simply Google > Backup.
- Tap Backup. If this is your first time, follow the on-screen instructions to turn it on.
- Make sure Backup by Google One is switched on, and check the Google account shown at the top is the one you want to use.
- Choose what to back up: Photos & videos, Device data, or both. Device data covers apps, call history, text messages, contacts and settings such as Wi-Fi passwords.
- Tap Back up now to start a backup straight away instead of waiting for the automatic one.
Once switched on, your phone backs itself up automatically when it is on Wi-Fi, charging and idle — usually overnight. On a Samsung phone, the same setting also lives under Settings > Accounts and backup > Back up data.
Photos and videos
Photos are usually the biggest part of a backup. In the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture, go to Photos settings > Backup and switch Backup on. Choose Storage saver over Original quality unless you need full-resolution copies — it uses far less of your 15 GB.
How to back up an iPhone to Google Drive
One important difference on iPhone: Google Drive cannot back up your entire device the way iCloud can. It backs up photos and videos, contacts, calendar events and files you upload. App data, device settings and messages stay with iCloud or a computer backup.
- Download Google Drive from the App Store and sign in with your Google account.
- Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top left, then tap Settings and Backup.
- Tap Contacts and switch on Back up to Google Contacts. Go back and do the same for Calendar events (back up to Google Calendar) and Photos & videos (back up to Google Photos).
- Tap Start backup.
Keep the app open and the phone on Wi-Fi while the first backup runs. Each new backup overwrites the previous one — Google Drive only keeps the latest copy of your contacts and calendar backup.
Photos automatically, files manually
For photos, the Google Photos app is the better tool: install it, sign in, tap your profile picture, go to Photos settings > Backup and switch it on. For individual documents, open Google Drive, tap the + button, choose Upload and pick the files.
What exactly gets backed up?
On Android, Backup by Google One saves apps and app data (for apps that support it), call history, contacts, text messages, device settings including Wi-Fi networks, and photos and videos if you switch them on. On iPhone, Google Drive saves photos and videos, contacts and calendar events, plus files you upload by hand — not app data, device settings or iMessages.
One Android quirk: if you stop using a device for 57 days, Google deletes its backup (photos already in Google Photos are unaffected).
How to check your backup worked
A backup you have never checked is barely a backup at all. On Android, go back to Settings > Google > Backup and look at the date under each category — it should be recent, with the word “On” next to the data types you selected. If a category shows “Off” or an old date, tap Back up now and check again.
On iPhone, open Google Photos to check your pictures are there, and Google Contacts for your contacts. If a backup keeps failing, the usual causes are not enough free storage, weak Wi-Fi, or the phone not being left idle and charging long enough. Deleting large videos or clearing old Gmail attachments fixes the storage problem in most cases.
How to restore your backup on a new phone
On Android, restoring is mostly automatic. Switch on the new phone, sign in with the same Google account, and you are offered the option to restore during setup: apps, contacts, messages and settings come back, and photos are already waiting in Google Photos. One limitation: you cannot restore a backup made on a newer version of Android onto a phone running an older version, so update the new phone first.
On iPhone, restoring is piecemeal. Add your Google account under Settings > Contacts > Accounts > Add Account and switch on Contacts and Calendars. Photos are in the Google Photos app, and files you uploaded manually are in Google Drive.
Frequently asked questions
Is backing up to Google Drive free?
Yes, up to 15 GB per Google account, shared across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. If your backup is bigger than that, you need a paid Google One plan or you need to free up space.
Does Google Drive back up WhatsApp messages?
Not as part of the phone backup. WhatsApp has its own setting: on Android, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup in WhatsApp and choose your Google account. On iPhone, WhatsApp backs up to iCloud, not Google Drive.
Can I back up my iPhone fully to Google Drive?
No. Google cannot back up an entire iPhone — only photos, videos, contacts, calendar events and files you upload yourself. For a full iPhone backup, including app data and settings, use iCloud Backup or back up to a computer.
How often should I back up my phone?
Leave automatic backup switched on and it takes care of itself. Still check the backup date once a month, and run a manual backup before a software update, a repair or selling the phone.
Is my phone backup private?
Your backup is tied to your Google account, so use a strong password and switch on two-step verification. Google says some backed-up data is end-to-end encrypted using your phone’s screen lock PIN, pattern or password, so set a screen lock rather than leaving the phone unlocked by swipe alone. See Google’s help page on how to back up or restore data on Android.