Do I really need to wait for it to automatically back - up, and how do I know if it did?

Back Up App Data:

1. Open the apps drawer
2. Go to “Settings”
3. Scroll to “Personal” and tap “Backup & reset”
4. Turn on “Back up my data” to back up settings, account data, and Wi-Fi passwords on your Google account
5. Enable “Automatic Restore” to automatically restore app data upon reinstalling the apps

NOTE: App data backed up using this method will be automatically restored when you sign in with your Google backup account for the first time, or after a factory reset.

Back Up Contacts:

1. Launch “Settings”
2. Tap “Accounts” and select the account you want to sync contacts with
3. Tap “Menu” and select “Sync Now”

NOTE: Contacts that have been backed up following the steps above will be restored automatically when you sign in with your backup Google account on a phone for the first time, or after a factory reset.

Back Up Media Files on a Windows Computer:

1. Connect the OnePlus X to your computer via USB
2. Drag the “Notification” bar down and enable “Media sync (MTP)”
3. Launch an Explorer window on the PC and locate the media files on the handset
4. Copy the files and transfer them in the desired backup location on the computer
5. After the transfer is complete, eject the phone storage from the system tray, and disconnect the phone from the USB connector

Restore Media Files from a Windows Computer:

1. Connect the OnePlus X to your PC via USB
2. Swipe the “Notification” bar down and set the connection to “Media sync (MTP)”
3. Open an Explorer window on the computer and locate the media file backups
4. Copy the files and transfer them on your phone storage, preferably in the “Media” folder
5. After the transfer is complete, eject the phone storage from the system tray, and safely disconnect the phone from the PC