Google Deletes Android Backup Data If You Don’t Use Device for Two Months

Google Deletes Android Backup Data If You Don't Use Device for Two Months

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Google reportedly doesn’t proactively inform users about deleting data
  • Users who are paying for Google Drive can’t recover data once deleted
  • Android allows users to backup app and settings data

If you have a habit of switching your daily driver from Android frequently, we have news for you. As it turns out, Google deletes the Android backup data for users if they don’t use an Android device for duration of just two months and doesn’t even provide any proactive notification to the users regarding the same.

As per a Reddit user named Tanglebrook, the search giant removed the user’s Android backup data after the device was not used for two months and the company reportedly didn’t proactively inform the user before doing the same. On contacting the Drive Support, Tanglebrook discovered that there is no option for recovery despite the fact that user was paying for the company’s service.

“There was no warning from Google. They just deleted my data. There’s apparently an expiration date that shows up under the backup if I had checked the Backup folder sooner, but there was no notification, no email, no proactive notice at all, and most importantly, no option to use the 100gb of my Drive storage to keep my f* backup,” Tanglebrook said in his post on Reddit.

While the backup functionality has been available for Android users for quite some time, with Android 6.0 Marshmallow the search giant improved the service and users can even have their backups stored in Google Drive folders. However, as can be seen from the above incident, users will lose the data if they don’t use an Android device for little over two months.

Notably, the company starts showing the warning about the expiration date of the account backup if users don’t use their device for two weeks itself, as can be seen from the company’s support page. Next time you are temporarily switching devices and platforms, do remember to use the account with an Android device again before its expiration data to avoid losing apps and backup data.
[“Source-gadgets.ndtv”]