Common issues


My premium plan is not getting activated

Go to the premium purchase screen in the app and use the 'Restore purchases' option from the 3 dot menu. If this doesn't work, it means that Play Store isn't providing the order details to Swift Backup.

This Google Play Store bug is very common for users who have multiple accounts on the device or are using multiple devices.

Workaround 1: For users who have only 1 Google account on the device: This workaround refreshes your purchase data stored on the device by Google Play.

  1. Clear data of Google Play Store.
  2. Open and setup Google Play Store with the purchasing account.
  3. Open the app. Wait for about 10 seconds until the premium state is indicated on the home tab in the app.

Workaround 2: For users who have multiple Google accounts on the device: The solution is to make sure that Swift Backup gets associated only with the purchasing Google account on your device. Only then can Play Store share the order details with Swift Backup after which Swift Backup can activate premium:

  1. Uninstall Swift Backup.
  2. Open Swift Backup's page on Play Store website: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.swiftapps.swiftbackup
  3. Make sure you're logged in Play Store website with the purchasing account.
  4. Now install it from the Play Store website.

Note: 'Purchasing account' is the Google account with which you paid for the premium plan in Swift Backup. In case you're not sure which account it was, search all your emails for the order receipt that Google sent you after you purchased premium in the app.


Swift Backup is not able to connect with its Firebase server

Swift Backup uses Google's Firebase service as a backend/server. Because of some external factors, Swift Backup may not be able to connect with its server.

⚠️ Important
Do NOT use Swift Backup if it isn't able to connect with its server. Many core features like cloud backups, premium activation, syncing your Swift Backup Settings, Favorite apps, App labels, Custom backup & restore configs etc. depend on the app's connection with its Firebase server.

Server URL for reference:
https://swift-backup-31751.firebaseio.com

In case Swift Backup isn't able to connect with the server, you need to troubleshoot the problem on your own as this is not an app issue.

Some known factors to start troubleshooting:

  1. Are you using any ad-blockers, DNS changer apps? Anything that can affect internet access for Swift Backup? Try disabling them.
  2. Switch your WiFi/Mobile network to find if the issue is network specific.
  3. Try setting the Private DNS setting of your device to Google DNS.

🇨🇳 China based users: You have no option but to use a VPN.




Data restore doesn't work for some apps and games

Some apps have strong security checks at startup to detect a change in device variables to find if the device has changed or if a factory reset was performed. If the checks fail, the app may crash or ignore the restored data.

On the other hand, there are apps which won't restore even on the same device on the same ROM where the backup is taken. Such apps perform checks based on Android Keystore values which can change if the app is re-installed after being uninstalled.

As a last resort, you can try the below steps:

  1. Enable the 'Restore app SSAIDs' option under Settings > App backups
  2. Uninstall and Restore the app again
  3. Reboot to see if it works.

If it doesn't, there's nothing much that can be done.



Swift Backup can't see my local backups!?! Help!

This usually happens when users manually copy the backups or move the internal folders inside 'SwiftBackup' folder incorrectly or partially. Always make sure that you use this guide as a reference when moving your local 'SwiftBackup' folder to a PC or other media.


Magisk root access dialog/popup is not showing up

Sometimes, Magisk Manager's root access dialog may not show up on some ROMs like MIUI, Oxygen OS or any other ROM that has higher battery/background restrictions. Firstly, if your ROM has a permission to enable background popups for an app, enable it for Magisk Manager. Try below workarounds, if it is still failing.

Workaround 1: Make sure you are using the latest stable version of Magisk: https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases

Workaround 2: Enable root access for Swift Backup manually from Magisk Manager. If Swift Backup is not showing up in Magisk Manager, try the next workaround.

Workaround 3:

  1. Force stop both Magisk Manager and Swift Backup
  2. Open Magisk Manager and leave it open
  3. Now open Swift Backup and see if the root access prompt shows up
  4. Click on the retry icon located beside the root status if the prompt doesn't show up.


Why can't I batch restore my WiFi network backups on Android 10?

APIs for adding WiFi networks are not available for non-platform apps targeting Android 10+. This means that batch restoring (Restore all) button will not be shown in Swift Backup on Android 10. Instead, the user should click on the backed up WiFi item icon, and click 'Restore'. This will copy the password to clipboard and bring up the new WiFi selection popup introduced in Android 10. Select the WiFi network in this dialog and paste the password to connect with the network.

On which Android versions can I batch restore WiFi networks then?

  • Android 6 to 9: Possible without root access
  • Android 10: Not available
  • Android 11+: Possible with root access


Google Chrome APKs fail to restore

TLDR: Install Chrome from Play Store and restore only data with Swift Backup.

There is common webview library (Trichrome) that all Chrome variants are now dependent on. Starting with Android 10, this library is now an independent APK which is downloaded separately via Google Play Store from Google's servers. As a result, its best to download Chrome from Play Store and just restore data with Swift Backup.


I can't see restored messages in Google Messages app!!?

This is a Google Messages issue. For some reason it doesn't read the restored messages in Android's SMS database. To solve this: Clear cache/data of Google Messages or Reinstall Google Messages.


I can't connect my Synology NAS with Swift Backup

To connect your Synology NAS device with Swift Backup via WebDAV, you need to add the name of an existing folder in the 'path' field in the setup screen. For example, you can create a folder called 'mybackups' on your server and then add it to the 'path' field.


Battery optimization setting for an app was not restored properly

The battery optimization state for an app shown in Swift Backup will more up-to-date and accurate compared to what is shown in the app info screen in your system settings. The app info screen doesn't keep the value tracked on a real-time basis. You need to restart the Settings app so it can show the updated value.


Anti-piracy measures

Swift Backup will either get uninstalled or may simply crash if there is another external process injecting code in its runtime or if it has been manipulated. This includes patches, use of xposed hooks, spoofing Google Play in-app purchases data, Play Billing hijacking, modded apks, etc.

Xposed users: Avoid using legacy xposed manager and move to using the more modern Lsposed/EdXposed whichever is available for your device/ROM. Perform below steps to make sure Swift Backup works well for you:

  • Lsposed: In Lsposed manager, click on each module and make sure Swift Backup is unchecked.
  • EdXposed: In EdXposed manager, put Swift Backup under blacklist.


Developer error

Modded/Patched Swift Backup APKs will corrupt your Google Play Store and Google Play services data in such a way that you will have issues even if you later install official versions of Swift Backup. Stop using pirated APKs.

Possible fix for the issue: Clear data of Google Play services & Google Play Store and then Reinstall Swift Backup.