No, I’m not talking about the elusive Twitter client that has been pushed back since the beginning of time (I kid). I’m talking the new backup application created by renowned developer and Android god, Koushik Dutta. The app has been available for a while as a beta, but now it has been released on the Play Store as a full application, so I decided to give it a spin.


I bought the full version right away so I could fully check out the app, but if that isn't your style, the app has a free version also. With the free version, you can expect to be able to backup and restore to your SD card and you can backup and restore from your computer. You can also expect ads (naturally). The app is a bit more than most at $4.99, but I think you will find that it is more than worth it.

With the premium version, you get the following features:

• No ads
  
• Automatic Backup schedules
  
• Android to Android sync
  
• Cloud backup and restore
  
• Dropbox
  
• Box
  
• Google Drive

Now that you have been introduced to the app, we have to ask why? Why use this app? Why not Titanium Backup? I've been a user of Titanium backup for years (since my Droid X days) and I've never had a problem and I use it at least once a week. So why Carbon?

Well, Koush explained on Reddit that Carbon is not supposed to replace Titanium Backup or try to compete with it. Instead, it is trying to accomplishing something different. Koush says he wants “to bring iCloud to Android.” Titanium Backup does backup to the cloud, but it requires root. Carbon doesn't require root, and that’s where it is different.

Koush is trying to make Carbon the app that every day Android users can use to backup and store their data, and I think he is succeeding. The only reason Carbon asks for root access is so that you do not have to download the desktop client. With root, the app can create it’s own server to transfer apps.

So what other cool features do we have? Well, you can schedule your backups. This is something I might actually take advantage of. I’m thinking about setting Carbon to backup my apps while I’m asleep maybe once a week or something. That way, I don’t even have to back anything up if I flash a new build of a ROM. And of course, you can backup yours apps to Dropbox, Drive, Box, or your SD card.

However, something that I thought was very cool was the ability to restore an app on one device from another. Basically, I can get Carbon on both my Galaxy Nexus and my Nexus 7 and I can then download the app data for an app on my Galaxy Nexus to the same app on my Nexus 7. I just did this with Tasker, and now I have all of my Tasker profiles from my Galaxy Nexus on my Nexus 7. The best part: it took seconds. If you don’t have the app on the device you are trying to transfer to, Carbon will tell you and then take you to the Play Store to download it.

Carbon has a few features that are small, but also smart. You can tell Carbon to only backup the data from the app, which will allow for faster backups and it won’t eat up as much data if you aren't on WiFi. Another really smart feature that made me go “Oh...nice!” was the “Remember Group of Apps” feature. You can select certain apps from the list and then save that group for future backups. That’s a great idea.

So what are my thoughts on this app? Well I gave it a run through, and while each person has different preferences and expectations, I would say this is a solid app that you should definitely give a whirl. A full backup (47 apps) to my SD card took less than 15 minutes. Backing up to the cloud took a lot longer, but that can be expected. I backed up to Google Drive at about 1:00 PM and it was done around 2, then I wiped my phone and then tried to restore everything. It took a while to restore because I accidentally had "App Data Only" checked, which made me have to redownload every app. Most data was restored. Nova Launcher's settings were not restored and AOKP ROM Controls remained at their default settings, but the latter was expected. Everything else seemed to pick up right where it had left off.

Would I recommend this app? You bet. It is a well made app with a great concept created by a great developer, and I think it will only get better. It does exactly as advertised. It is not a root backup app like Titanium; it is an everyman's backup app. With just a few clicks, you've backed up your data securely and given yourself the ability to move everything - from your Twitter settings to your saved games - to a new devices or just flash the device in hand with confidence that you won't spend hours setting things back up just so.

If you are interested, grab the app, give it a run, and let us know what you think. I believe you'll find it to be a positive experience.

Carbon (Basic features, with ads) is available for free on the Google Play Store

Carbon Unlocker is available for $4.99 from the Google Play Store (Standard Carbon install required)