My friend's mom is worried that her violent ex-boyfriend has hacked her phone. She wants to wipe her phone clean but my friend thinks it's smart to backup the data first since it might be useful in court. The problem is my friend isn't great with tech, and I'm not very experienced with Android either. Can anyone suggest the easiest method, with clear step-by-step instructions, to copy all the data from an Android phone to a Windows PC or USB drive? Thanks!
4 Answers
You can start by downloading the Android Platform Tools from the official site. Once you've got that, enable Developer Mode on the phone by tapping the Build Number in Settings seven times. After that, turn on USB debugging in the Developer Options. Connect the phone to your PC and open Command Prompt in the folder where you installed the tools. Run `adb devices` to check if your phone is recognized. If it is, use the command `adb pull /sdcard/0/ C:PathToBackup` to copy the data to your chosen location on the PC.
If you're considering using this data as evidence, it's best to consult a professional. DIY backups might affect how the court sees this information. But if you're just looking to wipe the phone for now, make sure backups are done safely. A pro will handle it better and ensure it stays admissible in court.
This seems less about tech and more about legal matters. A lawyer may be your best option, and purchasing a new phone might be prudent while keeping the old one safe for future reference.
Just plug the phone into your computer, set it to file transfer mode, and you can easily drag the folders to your desktop or USB drive. It’s really straightforward if you just need basic files.

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