this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
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We are digital librarians. Among us are represented the various reasons to keep data -- legal requirements, competitive requirements, uncertainty of permanence of cloud services, distaste for transmitting your data externally (e.g. government or corporate espionage), cultural and familial archivists, internet collapse preppers, and people who do it themselves so they're sure it's done right. Everyone has their reasons for curating the data they have decided to keep (either forever or For A Damn Long Time (tm) ). Along the way we have sought out like-minded individuals to exchange strategies, war stories, and cautionary tales of failures.

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Seeking Advice on Preserving an Old Android Phone with Sentimental Value (alien.top)
submitted 9 months ago by 1252947840@alien.top to c/datahoarder@selfhosted.forum
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Recently, a beloved family member of mine passed away, and they left behind an Android phone that's approximately 4-5 years old. This device holds significant sentimental value to me, and I'm concerned about its longevity, fearing it may stop functioning in the future.

Currently, the phone operates on a prepaid plan, and I have been regularly topping up its balance. Additionally, I have access to the phone's PIN, allowing me to unlock and use it.

My main question is: Is there a way to effectively preserve this phone, including all its data, in a virtual environment? Essentially, I'm looking for a method to create a virtual replica of the phone that retains all its contents. I'm open to the idea of not using the physical SIM card if this facilitates the preservation process.

Any advice, tools, or methods that could assist in this endeavor would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.

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[–] 1252947840@alien.top 1 points 9 months ago

My primary objective is to find a way to preserve this phone in its current state, exactly as it is now, in a virtual environment. I want to capture everything - SMS, WhatsApp messages, call records, photos - exactly as they were at this moment in time. While I understand that apps like WhatsApp and photos can be backed up and restored to other devices, my goal is different. I wish to maintain the phone's current state, preserving this snapshot in time, out of concern that the physical device might one day break beyond repair since it's a old model.