As a tech enthusiast or developer, efficiently managing your Android devices is crucial. As a tech advisor, I always recommend harnessing the power of the shell along with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which offers powerful tools for deep control over your device’s operations. In this tech blog post, we’ll guide you through a straightforward process to back up and restore your Android apps and data using ADB, ensuring you can seamlessly transfer everything from one device to another. ADB is an indispensable command-line tool that allows you to interact with your device, providing capabilities far beyond what the standard user interface can achieve.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the script and commands, let’s assume you have ADB installed on your Mac or Linux machine. If not, you can check out my previous tech blog post for installation instructions and necessary commands. Additionally, make sure to enable USB debugging on both your Android devices:

1. Open Settings.
2. Navigate to About phone.
3. Tap Build number seven times to enable Developer options.
4. Go back to the main Settings menu and select Developer options.
5. Enable USB debugging.

Backup and Restore Script

Here’s a simple shell script that will help you backup all apps and their data from one Android device and restore them to another:

#!/bin/bash

# Check if adb is installed
if ! command -v adb &> /dev/null; then
    echo "ADB is not installed. Please install ADB and try again."
    exit 1
fi

# List connected devices
echo "Checking connected devices..."
adb devices

# Ask for source and target device serial numbers
echo "Enter the serial number of the source device (the device you want to backup from):"
read source_device
echo "Enter the serial number of the target device (the device you want to restore to):"
read target_device

# Function to get list of installed packages
get_installed_packages() {
    adb -s "$1" shell pm list packages -3 | sed 's/package://'
}

# Backup APKs and data from source device
echo "Backing up APKs and data from the source device..."
mkdir -p ./backup
adb -s "$source_device" backup -apk -all -f ./backup/backup.ab

# Restore APKs and data to target device
echo "Restoring APKs and data to the target device..."
adb -s "$target_device" restore ./backup/backup.ab

# Cleanup
echo "Cleaning up..."
rm -rf ./backup

echo "Backup and restore process completed successfully."

Steps to Run the Script

1. Open Terminal on your Mac or Linux Terminal.
2. Create a new file named backup_restore.sh:

   touch backup_restore.sh

3. Open the file with a text editor and paste the script above.
4. Save the file.
5. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x backup_restore.sh

6. Run the script:

   ./backup_restore.sh

Detailed Explanation

• ADB Installation Check: The script first checks if ADB is installed. If not, it prompts you to install it.
• Device Connectivity: It lists connected devices and prompts you to enter the serial numbers of the source (backup from) and target (restore to) devices.
• Backup Process: The script uses adb backup to create a backup file that includes both APKs and app data from the source device.
• Restore Process: It then uses adb restore to transfer the backup to the target device.
• Cleanup: Finally, the script cleans up by removing the backup files from your computer.

Whether you’re a developer testing apps, a power user managing files, or a tech enthusiast exploring your device’s capabilities, ADB is essential. This script simplifies the process of backing up and restoring apps and data between Android devices. It is especially useful when you’re switching devices or ensuring your data is safe during device maintenance. ADB is a powerful tool that provides extensive control over your Android devices. By mastering these commands and scripts, you can streamline your workflow, troubleshoot issues, and fully leverage your device’s capabilities. Happy debugging!

#AskDushyant

#Android #ADB #DeveloperTools #CommandLine #MobileDevelopment #AppDevelopment #Debugging #Programming #Linux #Mac

Note: The scripts shared is been tested on our development machine but may required necessary changes as per shell terminal used.