Not all data is equal. For example, when you use Google to create a backup for your Android device, you are throwing in all of the data in the backup, even data you don’t want or need. Some data comes from your device such as your call history, messages, settings, and more. Then there is app data. Android Authority, digging through beta version 25.44.32 of Google Play Services, discovered that Google is working to add individual toggles for each app leading to a more customized experience for backups.
While the individual toggles do not show up in the current version of Google Play Services, the report shows how Google could add more granular controls. Follow these directions: Tap on Settings > tap on your name > Manage backup > Other device data and you’ll see your current backup detailing the amount of data you’ve stored grouped together in sections like this:
- SMS & MMS messages
- Call history
- Device settings
- Apps & app data
Any app with a huge amount of data will probably stick out like a sore thumb. For example, on my Pixel 6 Pro, a phone I purchased in 2021, the 114 apps that support data backups have saved 153MB of data or an average of 1.3MB for each app. You should be able to quickly find any app that hoards data that you might not particularly want to include in a backup of your operating system.
This would be a useful feature if Google decides to implement it. Right now, the new feature is in the process of being developed by the Alphabet subsidiary and changes can be made before the new individual app data toggles see the light of day, if they ever do.
Obviously, this is an idea that should have been thought of years ago. Not all app data carries the same importance and as a result, you should be able to decide which data you want to include in your backup.
