Samsung Galaxy Tabs For Dummies
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A backup is a safety copy of information. For your Samsung Galaxy tablet, the backup copy includes contact information, music, photos, video, and apps, plus any settings you’ve made to customize your tablet. Copying that information to another source is one way to keep the information safe in case anything happens to your Galaxy tablet.

Yes, a backup is a good thing. Lamentably, there’s no universal method of backing up the stuff on a Galaxy tablet.

Your Google account information is backed up automatically. That information includes the tablet’s address book, Gmail inbox, and calendar appointments. Because that information automatically syncs with the Internet, a backup is always present.

To confirm that your Google account information is being backed up, heed these steps:

  1. At the Home screen, touch the Apps icon.

  2. Open the Settings app.

  3. View your Google account information.

    If the Settings app features tabs along the top, touch the General tab, and then choose Accounts from the left side of the screen. Choose your Google account.

    If you don’t see tabs along the top of the Settings app, choose your Google account from the list of accounts on the left side of the screen.

  4. On the right side of the screen, select your Gmail address.

  5. Ensure that check marks appear by every item in the list.

    On your tablet, the list may include Calendar, Contacts, Gmail, Google Photos, Google Play Books, and Google Play Music.

    You’re not done yet!

  6. On the left side of the screen, select the Backup and Reset item.

  7. Ensure that both items shown on the right side of the screen have green check marks.

    There. Now you can rest easy.

Beyond your Google account, which is automatically backed up, the rest of the information can be manually backed up. You can synchronize information on the tablet with your computer by using an app such as Samsung Kies or Dropbox, or you can manually copy files from the tablet’s internal storage to the computer as a form of backup.

Manual backup isn’t an example of technology making your life easier.

A backup of the data stored on the tablet would include all data, including photos, videos, and music. Specifically, the folders you should copy are DCIM, Download, and Music. Additional folders to copy include folders named after apps you’ve downloaded, such as Kindle, Kobo, and Layar.

About This Article

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Dan Gookin combined his love of writing with his gizmo fascination nearly 30 years ago to produce more than 160 informative, entertaining books demystifying technology. Perhaps his most famous is DOS For Dummies, published in 1991, which became the world's fastest-selling computer book and launched the entire For Dummies franchise.

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