1. Start with Android/Google backup

1. If Google services and backup are available, open Settings, then Google or Google services, All services and Backup, depending on the version.
2. Check the destination account and which data is actually included.
3. Use “Back up now” if that option is offered.
4. Check the backup status before continuing; Google says it can take up to 24 hours.

Google explains that not all apps necessarily back up all their data in the same way. Treat this backup as one layer, rather than your entire gaming backup.

2. List everything you do not want to lose

Make a list before copying. On an emulation handheld, look in particular for:

• Normal game saves created using the same saving mechanism as the original hardware.
• Save states created by emulators.
• Virtual memory cards for systems that use them.
• Configurations for emulators, cores, controls, shaders and your frontend, especially if they took time to set up.
• BIOS files that you are entitled to keep.
• ROMs or game images that you are entitled to use and that are stored internally.
• Screenshots, videos, downloads and personal documents.

Do not assume everything is on the microSD. Some apps may store data internally even when the games are elsewhere.

3. Distinguish normal saves from save states

In RetroArch, Save Files and Save States are separate directory settings whose actual paths you need to check. A normal save stores progress through the game’s own saving mechanism; a save state stores an emulation state to resume in a compatible environment.

Keep both normal saves and save states where both features exist. Libretro warns that updating a core can make its older states unusable. Record the RetroArch and core versions used when making the copy; do not treat states alone as guaranteed recovery.

4. Find the actual folders instead of guessing

Paths vary between applications and distributions. In RetroArch, open Settings > Directory to check locations including Save Files, Save States and System/BIOS.

For other emulators, consult their export feature and documentation. Since Android 11, storage restrictions can prevent a file manager from accessing another app’s private folders, including through the file picker. An invisible folder is therefore not necessarily empty. If important data is inaccessible, find the app’s export method before erasing anything.

5. Copy data to independent storage

1. Create a dated folder on your PC with the console model and subfolders for the data you want to keep.
2. Close the relevant games and apps normally, then copy accessible folders or use the export function they provide. Keep the originals.
3. For a USB copy, follow the file-transfer guide and wait for every operation to finish.
4. On Windows, eject the device if that command is available before unplugging it.
5. If a microSD is used as the console’s internal storage, do not assume it will be readable in a PC card reader; keep a copy accessible outside the console.

Android does not require this folder structure, but it can save you from a “backup_final_v2_correct” folder full of files you cannot identify three months later.

6. Check apps with their own export or cloud features

Some emulators, launchers and services have their own export, sync or backup function. Open the apps that matter to you and check their method before erasing the console.

• If the app shows a last-sync date, check that it is recent.
• If it has an Export button, make an additional copy alongside your manual backup where relevant.
• If you do not know what the cloud backup covers, assume important local files also deserve an independent copy.

7. Check your credentials before losing access to the console

• Google account email address and password.
• Android screen-lock PIN, pattern or password.
• Credentials for important apps.
• Two-factor authentication recovery codes if your access depends on them.

Check essential logins from another device where possible. If you recently reset your Google password, wait 24 hours before erasing the console, as Google advises. Keep recovery codes somewhere safe, separate from shared game files.

8. Check copies and whether they can be restored

A backup is not validated merely because the folder exists. Select several items and check them.

1. Wait for copying to finish and end the connection properly before unplugging.
2. Open several files from the independent storage device; also check the expected names, dates and sizes.
3. For essential game data, check the emulator’s supported import method and compatible versions.
4. When a restoration test is possible in a separate location or profile, use a copy and protect the original backup from being overwritten.
5. Record copied files, readable files and actually restored data separately. If an essential item remains uncertain, postpone erasing the console.

An existing folder, a plausible file size or a recognised archive does not prove that a game can be recovered. Restoration is verified only when the expected data is actually recovered in a compatible app. Do not test by replacing your only recent save.

Gaming checklist before a factory reset

• Google backup completed and its contents checked, if you use this feature.
• Normal saves, save states and virtual memory cards identified and copied as applicable.
• Important configurations, controls, screenshots and personal files preserved.
• BIOS files and content you are entitled to keep copied if they could be erased.
• App and core versions recorded; important data exported using the supported method.
• Independent copy readable; essential data restoration verified, or erasure postponed.
• Credentials accessible; 24-hour wait observed if the Google password was recently reset.

Once preparation is complete and essential data has been checked, consult the factory-reset guide to check power requirements and exactly what will be erased. If an important backup remains inaccessible or unverified, postpone this operation.