# Android Phone Encryption and Backups **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-encryption-and-backups/784135 "2017-04-09T23:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-encryption-and-backups/784135/1 "2017-04-09T23:10:51Z")
My Android phone (Galaxy S5) does not encrypt its database by default but has the option to do so. I normally back up most of the phone and SD storage with a USB cable and a Windows PC by copying the apropriate files. If I decide to use encryption on the phone will I lose my backup plan? I guess what I don’t know is if the entire database is decrypted when the phone has been unlocked or if apps decrypt on the fly. I can’t just try it, because if everything is encrypted I end up hosed. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-encryption-and-backups/784135/2 "2017-04-12T23:10:55Z")
Bump. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-encryption-and-backups/784135/3 "2017-04-13T22:14:03Z")
I was careful to install my SD card as portable storage. So I have the option to read it and backup files. I like being able to use a USB reader. The other option is internal storage. I didn’t like the restrictions with this option. I’m not sure if encrypted files can be copied. You may be able to back them up to your Google drive. But they’ll still be encrypted. > **[How to Set Up a New SD Card in Android for Extra Storage](https://www.howtogeek.com/242937/how-to-set-up-a-new-sd-card-in-android-for-extra-storage/)** > > Is your Android device low on space? If your phone has a MicroSD card slot, you can use it to expand your space for music, movies or even apps, thanks to the improved SD card features in Android 6. > [@](#): > > Starting with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, though, some phones can use SD cards as internal storage as well. In this case, your Android device “adopts” the SD card as part of its internal pool. It’ll be treated as part of your internal storage, and Android can install apps to it and save app data to it. In fact, since it’s considered internal storage, any type of app can be installed to the SD card–including apps that provide widgets and background processes. Unlike older versions of Android, it doesn’t matter whether the developer has disabled the “move to SD card” permission or not. > > However, when you use an SD card as internal storage, Android formats the SD card in such a way that no other device can read it. Android also expects the adopted SD card to always be present, and won’t work quite right if you remove it. Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-encryption-and-backups/784135/4 "2017-04-13T22:23:22Z")
They updated FBE for Android 7. Lot of features to consider. I’d proceed cautiously implementing FBE. [https://source.android.com/security/encryption/file-based](https://source.android.com/security/encryption/file-based) ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/android-phone-encryption-and-backups/784135/5 "2017-04-14T17:57:20Z")
Ack. No alarms without credentials? Thanks for the information. I think I will hold off as I really don’t \* \* it.