Android Free, GSF free, ad free APK app backup & restore programs for already installed apps (including system apps)

[Arlen Holder]

Here are some free, GSF free, add free, APK Backup & Restore Programs
that I'm just starting to run testing on (do you know of any others?):

o My APKs - backup restgore share by Francesco Pellone
com.frankygoes.myapks version 4.2.29
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.frankygoes.myapks>

o APK Export (Backup & Share), by Area 51bis
com.ses.app.apkexport version 3.2.4.21
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ses.app.apkexport>

o App Backup Lite by Buggy_Apps
com.ruet_cse_1503050.ragib.appbackup.lite version 2.5.8
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ruet_cse_1503050.ragib.appbackup.lite>

o APK Extractor, by Eimon MIT
axp.tool.apkextractor version 1.4
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.tool.apkextractor/>

Do you kow of any others that fit the requirements of...
o App Backup of APKs (automatic, all versions, system apps also)
o Free, ad free, GSF free (this requirement is always a given0
o No unnecessary permissions (e.g., it needs access to the file system)

Do you know of other GSF free ad free APK backup solutions to test?

--
As most people know, I have turned off all but one of the Google Framework
related apps on my Nougat Android phone, where, perhaps as a result,
"some" apps have been crashing such as an older version of
"App Backup & Restore, by Mobi.Usage" (which does automatic backups):
o App Backup & Restore-mobi.usage.appbackup-32-v1.3.0.apk
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.usage.appbackup>
Unfortunately, the latest version seems to have gone over to the Dark Side
with advertisements and other shenanigans, much like ES File Explorer did
for Android (which was the same as what Super & CCleaner did on Windows -
where the lesson is always save the older versions, if they still work).

[Arlen Holder]

On Mon, 23 Sep 2019 05:38:00 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

> "App Backup & Restore, by Mobi.Usage" (which does automatic backups):
> o App Backup & Restore-mobi.usage.appbackup-32-v1.3.0.apk
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.usage.appbackup>
> Unfortunately, the latest version seems to have gone over to the Dark Side
> with advertisements and other shenanigans,

OK. I tested the four GSF-free ad free free APK extractors...
o And I FIXED the problem (sort of) with Mobi.Usage crashing!

What's interesting is that the latest and penultimate versions of App
Backup & Restore both crashed repeatedly on my Nougat phone (GSF disabled),
but the older version (v4.1.9, Apex Apps) seems to work fine, and, it has
no ads in that older version.

The newest and penultimate versions of App Backup & Restore:
o Crash all the time on a GSF-impaired phone, and, worse
o They have annoying ads

That's nice that version 4.1.9 of App Backup & Restore works on my
GSF-impaired phone because I'm not sure the four GSF independent apps I
downloaded this morning to test will do AUTOMATIC backups of all versions
upon installation, which is a nice feature of the old App Backup & Restore
app.

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.frankygoes.myapks>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ses.app.apkexport>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ruet_cse_1503050.ragib.appbackup.lite>
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/axp.tool.apkextractor/>

Upon only a quick preliminary inspection of each of the above,
MyApks - seems the most powerful - where here's my observations
o It gives you complete application information on each app
o And it generates various kinds of "reports" in various formats
o It has a restore feature, which I haven't tested yet
o And it can set the backup folder location on your sd card
o It nicely backs up everything when you manually press "backup"
o If you want, it will also handle system app backups
o Apps show up, by default, in alphabetical order
o It has a share button, which will bring up lots of share options
o I don't see yet an automatic backup upon installation though
o But it has a "sync backup" upon uninstall, which may be useful
o However, it takes too many 'back button" clicks though, to exit.
o And it does have something like an ad (they say it's ad free)

App Backup Lite
o It's the second best of the four, upon initial inspection
o It lists user-installed apps and system apps separately
o Apps show up, by default, in alphabetical order
o It gives you complete application information on each app
o It has a "select all" button with a confusing backup all button
o It easily backs up installed apps using a two-step manual selection
o It has a share button, which will bring up lots of share options
o I don't see an automatic backup setting but it seems to work
o So you have to back up each app by pressing it individually

APK Export
o Unlike the previous app, it's all manual.
o Like the others, it has a user, system, and all view
o But I don't see a "select all" option to backup all en masse.
o Who wants to press "backup" four hundred times!
o Otherwise it's similar to App Backup Lite above
o But with fewer options
o For example, it has a share button like the rest
o But it doesn't seem to be able to set the target folder
o And it crashes frequently (the others are stable)

APK Extractor
o This is the only one NOT on Google Play (it's F-Droid)
o It's the simplest, by far, of the set of four
o Apps show up, by default, in an order that is odd
o It will extract the APK from the app by a quick touch
o All the rest take a double tap to manually extract an app
o This takes a single tap, which is what it should be
o But that's ALL it does (nothing else).

In summary, there are four categories for the five apps:

1. The best is an OLDER version of App Backup & Restore.
o It will AUTOMATICALLY back up EVERY version you install.
o If it's the OLDER version, you don't get advertisements.
o But it's not GSF free.

2. The most powerful of the GSF-free ones is MyAPKs.
o It's slightly annoying when entering & leaving the app
o But otherwise, it has all the functionality you'd want
o I need to test the automatic backup which is the most important
(so there will be more information on that, later)

3. The medium powerful ones are the APK Backup Lite & APK Export
o They're ok but they seem to be a manual backup.
o It's not hard to double tap - but who wants to tap 400 apps.
o They don't seem to have automatic backup either
(but I need to test that further)

4. The simplest, by far, is APK Extractor.
o All it does, is extract apps to APKs when you touch them.
o If all you want is manual backup though - this is the app for you.

In summary, after only about a half hour of quick testing,
I think the older version of App Backup & Restore is best,
with it being a tossup between MyApks and App Backup Lite for second place
in functionality.

Time will tell...