Windows 10 Mobile: How to backup, install, and rollback to previous version

Your complete guide to testing Windows 10 Mobile and returning to Windows Phone 8.1 without losing your data.

Windows 10 for phones

Although many Windows 10 Mobile enthusiasts will be getting new phones, like the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL to take advantage of all the new benefits the operating system for mobile device has to offers. Many other users may opt to keep their current supported Windows Phone 8.1 handsets.

However, until Microsoft actually releases the final version of Windows 10 Mobile, users are stuck testing the pre-release version of the operating system through the Windows Insider program, which is not a bad thing as users can get their hands on the latest features before the software become available to everyone.

Now, there are many people planning to try out the beta version of the mobile operating system. As such, the following three guides will help you step-by-step on everything you need to know to get the most of Windows 10 Mobile without losing your data, apps, and settings, and with the instructions to roll back to Windows Phone 8.1 as necessary:

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.