Essential Information
- Google One device backups currently back up text message data but do not include SIM information.
- Future updates may introduce the ability to save SIM data, likely focusing on eSIMs.
- This enhancement could streamline the backup and restoration process for Android devices.
Reports indicate that Google could be working on integrating eSIM data into the backup process for Android phones, as revealed by code snippets uncovered by Android Authority. This code was found during an APK teardown of the beta version 25.16.33 of the Google Play Services app, marking “SIMs” as a potential data type for backups for the first time. However, this is not yet functional and its inclusion in updates remains uncertain.
The findings in the Google Play Services beta are not the only hints that Google is pursuing eSIM backups. The redesigned backup settings page in Android now describes “other device data,” which includes “contacts, call history, device settings, apps and app data, SMS and MMS messages, and SIMs to your Google Account.”
Although not directly mentioned, it can be inferred that this feature will support eSIMs, given that physical SIMs can be easily swapped between devices. Nonetheless, both Apple and Samsung offer software tools to convert physical SIMs into on-device eSIMs, indicating that Google’s upcoming feature might also accommodate physical SIM cards.
Here’s the specific code snippet that suggests future SIM backups:
<string name="backup_settings_devicedata_data_type_sims">SIMs</string>
It’s important to note that SIMs currently cannot be backed up. Should this feature be implemented in a future update, it could simplify restoring backups on Android, making it more intuitive than on iPhones.
This feature will be part of the Google One device backup service and would require a paid Google One subscription. The timeline for its public availability remains uncertain.