HTC Restore accesses your content backup – if you have Android Marshmallow
HTC has said in recent days that quick and fast security updates are “unrealistic,” but the company doesn’t hold this same view when it comes to Android updates. The Taiwanese manufacturer has already said that it intends to bring Android Marshmallow to the HTC One M8 GPE by the end of this month, though HTC has stopped giving 90-day promises as it did with Android Lollipop.
Now, however, there is evidence that HTC intends to bring Android Marshmallow to its devices soon. A new app in the Google Play Store called HTC Restore attempts to do more than Google’s own backup service: not only will the HTC Restore back up your apps, but it will also back up your phone settings, bookmarks, and even Wi-Fi networks. While its reach beyond Google’s basic backup services is commendable, the HTC Restore app access comes with two caveats: first, you have to restore content from another HTC phone, so HTC One M9 buyers can quickly transfer content from their HTC One M8. If you own another device, say, a Samsung Galaxy S5, you’ll have to rely on Google’s basic backup service for your data transfer.
HTC does provide screenshots of the app with the HTC One M8 utilizing the app. This isn’t surprising, since the One M8 is last year’s device and is guaranteed to get Android Marshmallow.
Last but not least, Android Marshmallow is the key to the HTC Restore. You must have a device that has Android Marshmallow for the OS before you can take advantage of HTC’s new backup service. As of this point, HTC doesn’t have any device on Android Marshmallow (although we keep hearing about the HTC One A9, a device that is said to come preloaded with Android Marshmallow). However, we’ve seen Motorola mention the Droid Maxx 2 in its Moto Email app at the Play Store before we even got confirmation of the name from a Motorola promo, so perhaps HTC will announce the A9 and HTC Restore at the same time.