Android users now have another option when it comes to backing up their devices. Though, before everyone gets super excited, we should warn you right up front that this app is still in beta and at the moment — it requires root. The app is called Carbon, and the nice part here, the final version will not require root.
Now that we have your attention, the Carbon app has has been released by Koushik Dutta (of ClockworkMod) and is available for download by way of his Google+ page. The Carbon app will allow you to backup and sync your apps and data locally, to the cloud and between devices. You can backup to an SD card, Dropbox or Google Drive and as you can see from the above screen capture — the app will prompt you to use Google Drive at first launch. There will also be support for Box.net, however that is not available in this beta release.
The app, as it is still available only in beta form, does come as an APK file that will need to be side loaded. The other catch here — at the moment you will need a rooted device and this version is set to stop working after one week. Otherwise, Carbon will work for devices with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or later. So far we have yet to see any expected time for a non-beta release, however the developer is asking for feedback as well as bug reports.
In terms of backing the apps, the nice part here is that Carbon will backup the complete app — including the app data. And while Carbon should be convenient for those who regularly switch between devices, it should make a nice option for those who simply want to back everything up just in case the unthinkable happens. That all being said, we would also suggest that most wait until the final non-beta release before getting started.
[via Google+]
