android-backup

Backs up your Android phones and tablets to your server over ADB. No root and no app on the device. Plug a device in and it's backed up, or give it the device's Wi-Fi address.

Any authorised device that's connected gets one backup every BACKUP_INTERVAL_HOURS (default 24), so a drawer full of old phones only needs plugging in one at a time.

What you get

<backups>/<model>-<serial>/

• files/ never deletes. A file deleted on the phone stays in the backup, so the folder only grows. A file changed on the phone overwrites the old copy.
• The last KEEP_SNAPSHOTS days of snapshots are kept (default 30).
• A file is copied again if its size or modification time has changed. Unplugging mid-run is safe, and the next run picks up where it left off.

What it can't do

Private app data can't be backed up without root. That means logins, app databases and chat histories kept inside apps. adb backup doesn't help: Android 12 and later exclude almost every app from it. After a restore, apps come back but start logged out. Apps that keep their own exports in shared storage are covered by files/.

MMS messages and contact photos aren't included. The backups aren't encrypted, so keep them on a private share. snapshots/ holds your messages and contacts in plain text.

Run

docker run -d --name android-backup --restart unless-stopped -p 9872:9872 \
  --device-cgroup-rule='c 189:* rmw' -v /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb \
  -v /srv/android-backups:/backups \
  -v /srv/android-backup/config:/config \
  -e TZ=Europe/London \
  louij2/android-backup:latest

The device-cgroup rule and the /dev/bus/usb mount let devices be plugged in at any time without --privileged.

Add a device over USB

1. On the device, open Settings > About and tap Build number seven times.
2. In Developer options, turn on USB debugging.
3. Also turn on Disable adb authorization timeout, if it's there. Otherwise Android forgets the server after 7 days without a connection and asks again.
4. Plug it in and tap Allow with "Always allow" ticked. The status page shows when a device is waiting for this.

Check it worked with docker exec android-backup android-backup adb devices -l.

Add a device over Wi-Fi

Authorise it over USB first, then:

docker exec android-backup android-backup adb -s <serial> tcpip 5555

Add <device ip>:5555 to ADB_TARGETS. Android forgets tcpip 5555 when it reboots, so repeat that command after a reboot. Anyone on the network can then reach the device's ADB port, but they still can't use it unless the device has authorised their key.

Settings

Status and metrics

• http://server:9872/: status page with a "Back up now" button per device
• /metrics: Prometheus, including android_backup_last_success_timestamp_seconds, android_backup_last_ok, android_backup_files_failed and android_backup_safe_to_unplug
• POST /api/backup?serial=<serial>: start a backup; leave out serial for every connected device

Command line

docker exec android-backup android-backup backup [serial...]
docker exec android-backup android-backup status
docker exec android-backup android-backup adb devices -l

License

MIT