Technology has made our lives infinitely easier. We no longer have to rely on our memory to store important information such as phone numbers, just enter the digits onto your phone, hit save and it’s there at the press of a button. There are two downsides to this though as we have come to rely on the phone to store our numbers and when it dies, we stand the chance of losing all our contacts. However, if you have an Android device, this can be avoided.
Here are four things you can do to ensure your numbers aren’t lost when/if your Android device stops working, or you switch to a new device.
Sync with Google Contacts
One way to backup your contacts is to sync them with your Google account. You can do this by accessingSettings on your phone and selecting/scrolling to Accounts and selecting Google. Press on the Google account you’d like to sync and ensure Contacts has a checkmark beside it. To force a sync, deselect it, then tap it again. When you add this account to any new Android, your contacts should automatically show up. You can also view and edit them here.
Export from phone to computer
An alternative to syncing your contacts with Google is to export them in .vcf format. This is the contact format that’s the standard for electronic business cards. You can attach .vcf files to emails, add them to various contact books and they are recognized by nearly all mobile OSs.
To export them from your device, open the contacts app, (it’s normally in the bottom menu of your phone), press Settings (three vertical squares) and select Export to Storage. This will export your contacts to a file on your phone’s internal storage. After this, connect your phone to your computer using the USB cable and find the file labeled People, (you shouldn’t have to open any folders in your phone). Drag this file from the window onto your desktop or to the folder you’d like to store your contacts in. If you drag the People folder onto your phone, and press Import from Storage on the phone’s People app, it will import all your contacts.
Write them down
It’s worked for almost 100 years, so why stop now? Some professionals don’t even bother to store phone numbers on their phone, preferring to carry a traditional contact book around with them instead, or certainly as well.
Remember them
Growing up the vast majority of us had at least five numbers memorized: grandparents, pizza delivery, home, parent’s office and our best friends. Why not summon your inner child and remember your important numbers. This is a surefire way to never have any numbers stolen or lost.
Do you use these methods to back up your numbers? Do you use another method? If so, let us know. If you’d like to know more useful tips about the Android OS, please contact us.
Published on 20th September 2012 by Jeanne DeWitt.
