Hudl 2 Repairs: Data and Backups

Hudl 2 Repairs: Data and Backups

We’re frequently asked if data will be lost during Hudl2 repairs. In order to explain this in detail we need to look at how the Hudl 2 works. Firstly, if you save images, videos and documents to a removable Micro SD card, then these are not encrypted. This means you can remove the SD card, and connect it to another device and copy the files that you need.

If you are running the latest Lollipop firmware, then any files stored locally on the device are encrypted and live on the RAM chips on the motherboard. What this means is that if your motherboard fails and needs to be replaced, you will lose all of your data, photos and videos unless you’ve backed them up.

If the screen is broken on your Hudl 2, as we effectively move all of the components over from the broken screen to the new screen, any data stored on your motherboard will be remain intact and accessible once your Hudl 2 is repaired.

Back up. Back up. Back up!

However, in this brave new world of cloud storage, there is no reason to lose any data at all. If you haven’t already done this on your Hudl 2, do it now. Go to settings->Backup & reset and make sure the Back up my data is active. Next locate the Google Photos app (assuming you have upgraded to Android Lollipop Firmware). The Icon is shown below:

google-photos

Select the hamburger icon (the three horizontal lines) on the top left (that is somewhat counter intuitively part of the search bar):

search-bar

 

 

Select Settings->Backup & Sync and make sure this is enabled.

Once this is applied, you Hudl2 will automatically upload any photos and videos you take on your Hudl2 to your Google account as long as it has an active internet connection.  You can access these online from any internet connected device, by going to Google Drive. Here’s an example of me accessing my own Google drive account. At the time of writing Google give you 15GB of storage space free of charge (I have a little bit extra). You can upgrade this for a small monthly payment. However, you can store a lot of Hudl 2 photos with 15GB of space. 

Here’s an example from my own Google Drive account:

google-drive-photos

If you enable backups on your Hudl2, you’ll be able to access your Google Photos from any device that allows you to sign into your google account.

In terms of the Apps you have installed, the Google Play Store already keeps a detailed history of all of the items you have ever downloaded. If you have been using Android devices for several years, it can be a slightly surreal experience scrolling back through the history of your downloads. It’s also very useful if you can’t remember the name of the app you once installed that you now have a use for.