Android finally catches up to iOS’s seamless app backup and restore

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Credit: Damien Wilde / Android Authority

• Android’s Credential Manager API is getting a new Restore Credentials feature that backs up and restores app login states as part of the Android system’s backup and restore process.
• Developers can do some background work to further enable seamless and silent login restoration, restoring the app state and logins without even needing to open the app.
• This will bring Android apps to parity with iOS, which offers seamless app restores, letting users switch phones without making them feel like they switched phones.

One of the most annoying parts about moving to a new Android flagship is the data restoration process. When you transfer your data to a new Android phone, you carry over apps and some app data, but not all of it. Apps drop out your login credentials, essentially resetting themselves and forcing you to log into practically every app all over again to start receiving notifications. This is one of the reasons why iOS feels seamless: you can switch phones without ever feeling like you switched phones. Google is now working on reducing this friction with the new Restore Credentials feature, which will keep you logged in to apps when you switch devices.

Google has announced Restore Credentials as a new feature within Android’s Credential Manager API. Thanks to this, users can seamlessly log back into the app whenever they switch devices and restore their data. If app developers choose to do a little work in the background, then they can also allow users to silently log back into the app as soon as the restore is completed, allowing them to even get notifications without needing to open the app on the new device.




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