You may be hesitant to commit to some of your favorite Android games, knowing that you’re about to switch from a budget Android phone to a device that’s better equipped for gaming. However, if you’re a regular user of the Google Play Store, you will notice most game saves get automatically tied to your Google account. Unfortunately, it becomes too difficult to determine if your game data gets uploaded to the Play Games cloud, so to avoid losing your progress, we will show you a more sure way to back up your game data.

How to back up game save data on Android

You can manually back up game data on any Android device (without root). Below, we will show you the steps. In this example, we will use a Samsung Galaxy S23, but any Android phone or tablet will function similarly.

How to back up Google Play Store game data

Most game saves will automatically upload to the Google Play Games cloud, but there isn’t an ability to check which game saves are being uploaded to your account. If a game is entirely offline, or you’re not using the correct account tied to Google Play Games, you may lose your progress after changing devices. But to ensure your game saves carryover, we recommend backing up your Play Games data with Google Takeout (you may have used this service previously to export game saves from Google Stadia). Check the steps below.

1. Open the Google Play Store app and ensure you’re signed into the correct account.
2. Tap on your profile icon at the top-right.
3. Tap Google Account.

4. Tap Data & privacy.
5. Scroll down to Apps and services and tap Google Play.

6. Tap Download your data.
7. Select Google Play Store, scroll to the bottom, and tap Next step.

8. On this next page, you can select the export frequency (you can keep generating backups at set intervals), the destination where you will receive it, and the file type. If you’re downloading a zip folder, remember you will need a way to extract your file. Once ready, tap Create export.

Always log into the correct account when using Google services to maintain your future game data. Signing back into the Play Store app with the same Google account will usually carry over your saved data by default.

Back up game data on a third-party app

Some third-party apps may automate this process for you. Apps like Super Backup & Restore will also have a built-in restore tool. Remember that you still have to select the location where you back up your data, so if you plan to back it up on a cloud service like Google Drive, or even on an external SD card, you must ensure you have enough space.

And, of course, trusting a third-party app to perform these operations correctly without compromising your data might be a tough ask. So you can always look into safer, more trusted options, such as Google One, to perform a general backup on your Android phone.

What about backing up Netflix game saves?

If you’ve already been playing Netflix Games, you may realize that Netflix is notorious for how it handles your data. Game saves become stored in the Netflix Games cloud, and you can only check if the game supports cloud saves by reviewing the title listing on Netflix Games. And if you delete your Netflix account profile, you will lose your data permanently.

It is possible to complete a Netflix profile transfer, but there are restrictions. But outside of this, you cannot manually back up your Netflix Games.

Recover deleted apps and games

You may have pulled the trigger too early and removed some of your favorite apps and games before transferring your data. But thankfully, those situations can sometimes be reversible. You can recover deleted apps and games from the Google Play Store, and all it takes is a few minutes to navigate the manage section on your primary (linked) Google account.