Apparently, Google will kill ADB backup and restore option
When it comes to backing up/restoring data, there is no match for the iPhone; you can get a new iOS device and it will just be old one's clone. Android has also come close to this experience, but in order to get complete backup, users have been using ADB backup and restore. Now, worryingly enough, that option appears to be going away. Here's why.
First up, what is ADB backup and restore?
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) backup and restore is a highly adaptable command-line based tool that comes as part of the Android SDK package. It's a developer capability that lets you create a complete backup of your Android phone, from private data to all installed applications, by connecting it with a computer. You can even use it to restore that backup on a new device.
However, this option could be going away soon
ADB backup and restore makes an ideal choice for backing up Android devices because it doesn't require the phone to be rooted. However, a recent commit spotted in the Android Open Source Project has suggested that the handy option could be removed in a future version of Android. If this happens, Android users could lose a very useful backup technique.
Commit spotted for 'deprecation warning'
The commit in question, first unearthed by XDA Developers, is titled, "Add deprecation warning to adb backup/restore." Now this implies that whenever users will try to use the latest ADB backup and restore utility, a warning message informing that the feature might not stick around for long will appear. It is not exactly known if Google would replace this utility with something else.
Timeline for removal is also not clear
As of now, the commit just indicates a warning for the feature's removal and there is no word on when it might go away. However, if Google actually removes this option without introducing any viable alternative, power users will not be happy. They will be forced to switch to other root-based options, like Titanium Backup, to get a full backup of their Android phone.
