What Samsung Cloud Is and How to Find It
Samsung Cloud is Samsung's built-in backup and storage service that comes with most Samsung phones and tablets. It stores your photos, videos, contacts, calendar events, messages, and device settings so you can restore them if you get a new phone or if something happens to your current one. You access it through the Settings app on your device — there is no separate app to read.
The service is included with your Samsung account, which you create or sign into when you first set up your phone. If you have not yet created a Samsung account, you will need one before you can use Samsung Cloud. The account is free, though Samsung offers both free storage (usually 5 GB) and paid plans if you need more space.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung Cloud is accessed through Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud on most Samsung phones and tablets.
- You must have a Samsung account to use the service; you can create one during phone setup or later in Settings.
- The service automatically backs up photos, videos, contacts, calendar events, and device settings when you turn it on.
- You can restore backed-up data to a new Samsung device during setup or manually restore individual items later.
- Samsung Cloud offers 5 GB of free storage; additional storage requires a paid subscription through Samsung.
How to Turn On Samsung Cloud Backup
Open the Settings app on your Samsung phone or tablet. Scroll down and tap Accounts and backup (on some older models, this may be labeled Cloud and accounts or Backup and restore). Tap Samsung Cloud.
If you are not already signed into a Samsung account, you will see a sign-in screen. Enter the email address and password for your Samsung account. If you do not have one, tap the option to create a new account — you will need a valid email address and to set a password. Once you are signed in, you will see a list of items you can back up: Photos and videos, Contacts, Calendar, Messages, and Device settings.
Toggle on the items you want to back up. Each one you enable will automatically send new data to Samsung Cloud. The backup happens in the background when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in (or has enough battery). You can also tap Back up now to start a backup when ready without waiting.
Restoring Data From Samsung Cloud to a New Phone
When you set up a new Samsung phone, the setup wizard will ask if you want to restore from a backup. Choose Restore from Samsung Cloud and sign in with the same Samsung account you used on your old phone. The phone will show you what data is available to restore — photos, videos, contacts, calendar events, messages, and settings.
Select which items you want to restore and tap Restore. The process can take several minutes depending on how much data you have. Keep your phone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi during the restore. Once it finishes, your new phone will have the same photos, contacts, calendar events, and other data as your old one.
If you skip the restore during setup, you can restore later by going to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud, signing in, and tapping Restore next to the data type you want to recover.
Checking Your Storage and Managing Space
In Samsung Cloud settings, you will see a storage meter showing how much of your free 5 GB you are using. If you are running low on space, you have two options: delete old backups to free up room, or purchase additional storage through Samsung.
To delete a backup, open Samsung Cloud settings and tap the item type (such as Photos and videos). You will see a list of backup dates. Tap and hold an older backup, then tap Delete. This removes that backup from the cloud but does not delete the files from your phone.
To buy more storage, tap Storage or Upgrade storage in the Samsung Cloud settings screen. Samsung offers plans ranging from 50 GB to 2 TB per month. The cost varies depending on the plan you choose. You can cancel a paid plan at any time and return to the free 5 GB tier.
What Happens If You Stop Using Samsung Cloud
If you turn off Samsung Cloud backup, your phone will stop sending new data to the cloud, but your existing backups will remain stored for a set period (usually 90 days, though this can vary). You can turn backup back on at any time and resume backing up.
If you delete your Samsung account entirely, your cloud backups will be deleted as well after a grace period. Before you do this, restore any data you want to keep to your phone or another device. If you are switching to a non-Samsung phone, you can restore your Samsung Cloud data to your Samsung phone one last time, then transfer it to your new phone using that phone's own transfer method.
Troubleshooting Common Samsung Cloud Problems
If Samsung Cloud is not backing up, first check that you are signed into your Samsung account in Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud. Next, make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi and has at least 20 percent battery. Samsung Cloud only backs up automatically when both conditions are met. If you want to back up right now, tap Back up now in the Samsung Cloud settings.
If you see an error message, try signing out of your Samsung account and signing back in. Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Accounts, tap your Samsung account, tap the menu (three dots), and tap Remove account. Then go back to Samsung Cloud and sign in again. If the problem continues, restart your phone and try once more.
If you cannot restore data to a new phone, make sure you are signing in with the exact same Samsung account email address you used on your old phone. If you used a different email or created a new account, your old backups will not appear. Check that your new phone is connected to Wi-Fi during the restore process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access Samsung Cloud from a computer or web browser?
Yes. Go to samsung.com and sign into your Samsung account. You can view and manage your backed-up photos, contacts, and calendar events from there. However, you cannot restore data to your phone from the web — you must do that through your phone's Settings app.
Does Samsung Cloud back up my text messages and call history?
Samsung Cloud backs up text messages if you have the Messages toggle turned on in Samsung Cloud settings. It does not back up call history. If you need to save your call logs, you will need to use a separate app or method.
What if I have a Samsung tablet — can I use the same Samsung Cloud account as my phone?
Yes. Sign into the same Samsung account on your tablet, and both devices will share the same cloud backups. You can restore photos, contacts, and other data between your phone and tablet using the same account.
Is my data encrypted when it is stored in Samsung Cloud?
Samsung Cloud uses encryption to protect your data in transit and at rest. However, for the most sensitive information, you may want to use additional security measures or store backups locally on your computer as well.
Can I back up my apps and app data with Samsung Cloud?
Samsung Cloud does not back up apps themselves, but it does back up device settings and some app data through the Device settings option. To back up your apps, you can use Google Play on Android, which stores a record of which apps you have installed and can reinstall them on a new phone.