Backup & Reset: online backup - storage full?

[Michelasso]

After getting the XC (and finally getting a fiber connection!) I was very happy to see that with Marshmallow we had the option to do automatic online backups for apps as well. So I enabled the feature. It worked fine for some time, now I keep getting this message:

Actually in Italian it shows that the items too large are the "Apps". Not sure why in English it's now hidden... So I have two simple questions:

1. Why is this happening?

2. Where are the online backups actually stored.

In Google Drive I have 14GB available. So if it is storing the backups there, unless the backup is backing up the system apps it is plenty of space for everything. Any idea about how to fix this? I'm quite disappointed because (for once!!) the backup actually seemed to work fine!

PS: Yes, I know that I can do the backups on the computer or the SD card. But the first isn't automatic and with the SD card if (touch wood) I lose the phone, my backup has gone.

[MarlonUk1]

Since you are using the Xperia backup and restore app, I can guess that it is stored on Xperia servers, which I don't have information how much is the alloted storage.

try to perform again this time do not include the apps, (just uncheck it)

also try  Google Backup, just scroll down, back up my data > ON

[Michelasso]

No, looking better at it, the backup must be stored on Google servers. This because when we select the account for the online backup we get to choose between all Google accounts defined in the phone. Now I tried to remove the backup and making it again, the Apps backup still doesn't complete. I also tried using a different account, no changes.

I suppose it is using the same backup mechanism of Whatsapp. Which stores the backup on Google somewhere. The problem is that checking in Google Drive (no matter if from the app or the web) it doesn't show anything, it doesn't give out any information. While, at least with Whatsapp, it is possible to find out how much space the backup is using (from the web: google Drive/Settings > Manage Apps - scroll down to the bottom). Unless it goes under the very generic "Google" label, which doesn't report anything about the space used (and maybe has a disk quota). I don't know.

Anyway, just to complete the test I checked if the backup on SD card works, and it backs up just fine. So it really is something with the servers.

[DawnieM]

I'm having exactly the same problem, again backing up via my Google account. What's that all about, eh?

[reikar]

Any news about this problem?

[Steveonline85]

Same problem with my X compact, how is it possible? Any fix?

[Naks]

On my brand new XZ1 compact, there are two backup options: 1. Google Drive, and 2. Xperia Backup.

I take it these are two different backups, since I can see the the Google one on my Google Drive, so this means that the Xperia one is stored on a Sony-owned server somewhere?

thanks

[iBoss]

hi everyone,

the best way so far is to do backup using Xperia Transfer... to Online or to your SD-card...  my backup was near 8GB including apps... this is why it took forever and it didn't work properly... then you can restore from that bkp to the same Xperia or to a new one.

[Subrisi]

I had the same and it seems that Xperia Transfer is the better option. My screen stopped responding so have had to do it all with a usb mouse and OTG cable but needed to back up everything before sending away for repair. Anyway, I backed up as far as possible on the google cloud as above but not the apps (contacts/system settings etc.). Photos seperately through the google photos app menu and finally the whole phone through Xperia Transfer. Hopefully now all bases covered.

The only thing though is that Xperia Transfer says it holds the data for 30 days so only good for a repair or reset not as a back up in case a fault occurs!

[pseudonym]

Unless you have many side-loaded apps, the best way to backup your applications is to have Google simply reinstall them from the Google cloud backup by way of the Play store. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that local backups made by Xperia Companion do not have an expiration date, and in terms of size are only limited by the amount of space you have on your computer. So those are better suited to full backups of everything. That said, I do use both online Google backup and online Xperia backup through the System settings in the phone (WiFi only).