How to Back Up and Transfer Your Shadow Fight 2 Save (All Methods)

Nothing stings like losing your Shadow Fight 2 progress. Weeks of grinding coins, beating demons, upgrading enchantments, and then a new phone or a fresh install wipes it all. The worst part is that Shadow Fight 2 never explains how its save system works. There is no obvious “export save” button anywhere in the menus.

The good news is that NEKKI built two real ways to protect your progress: Google Play cloud sync and manual save file backup. In this guide, I will walk you through every method step by step, show you how to move your save to a new phone, and answer the questions players actually ask about this topic.

Why You Should Back Up Your SF2 Progress Today

Your Shadow Fight 2 save is only as safe as your phone. Here is what can erase it:

• New phone: installing the game fresh does not carry your old progress with it unless you synced.
• Reinstalling: clearing the app or deleting it wipes local data.
• Storage issues: a factory reset or a damaged phone ends the run instantly.
• Internet hiccups: NEKKI’s own help center warns that the save system needs a stable internet connection. If the connection drops at the wrong moment, progress may not be saved.

If you are anywhere past Act 1, take five minutes and back up your save now. The steps below are ordered from easiest to most technical.

Method 1: Google Play Cloud Save (Easiest and Official)

This is the method NEKKI officially supports. It is also the simplest, because it needs no file manager and no computer. One warning up front: cloud saving in Shadow Fight 2 only works through Google Play. Syncing with Facebook will not save your progress. NEKKI’s help center says this directly, so do not rely on Facebook for backups.

Step 1: Turn On Sync

When you launch Shadow Fight 2 for the first time, the game asks you to synchronize your Google Play account. Tap your account, and you are synced.

Missed that prompt? No problem. Finish the tutorial first, then open Settings (the gear icon in the drop-down menu). If the Google Play icon there is crossed out, your game is not synced. Tap it, pick your Google account, and the cross disappears. Now your progress can be saved and restored.

Tip: write down the account you used. You will need the same account when restoring, and players forget which one it was all the time.

Step 2: Manually Save Your Progress to the Cloud

Syncing is not the same as saving. Once synced, open Settings and look at the bottom right corner for a green button labeled “Game progress.” Tap it and a window opens where you can choose to save or load.

Press Save and your progress is uploaded to the Google Play cloud. You can see your game version and level in the window, so you know exactly which save you are uploading. Press this button after every major milestone: beating a boss, finishing an act, or unlocking good gear.

How to Restore on a New Phone

1. On your new phone, log into the same Google account you synced on the old phone.
2. Install Shadow Fight 2 and launch it with a stable internet connection.
3. The sync window appears on first launch. Choose your account.
4. The game restarts, a window pops up showing your saved progress. Choose “Restore” and confirm.
5. Your progress loads exactly where you left it.

Checklist Before Switching Phones

• Same Google account on both phones.
• You pressed the manual Save button at least once on the old phone.
• Stable internet on both devices.
• Do not delete the game from the old phone until the new phone shows your progress.

Method 2: Copy Your Save Files Manually (No Root Needed)

The cloud method is easiest, but file backup is the most reliable. Your actual save lives in a file called users.xml, and you can copy it yourself.

Where the Save Files Live

Shadow Fight 2 stores its data here on Android:

Android/data/com.nekki.shadowfight/files/users.xml

The game’s data and OBB files live in:

Android/data/com.nekki.shadowfight/ and Android/obb/com.nekki.shadowfight/

One heads-up: on Android 11 and newer, the system limits direct access to the Android/data folder. Your regular file manager may refuse to open it. The reliable workaround is connecting the phone to a PC over USB and browsing the files from the computer.

Backing Up Step by Step

1. Connect your old phone to a PC with a USB cable (or use a file manager that can reach Android/data).
2. Open Android/data/ and copy the entire com.nekki.shadowfight folder to your PC or cloud storage.
3. If you see com.nekki.shadowfight under Android/obb/, copy that too.
4. Keep this copy safe. If you want to be extra careful, copy just users.xml after every act, so you always have a recent backup.

Restoring on the New Phone

1. Install Shadow Fight 2 on the new phone, open it once, then close it completely.
2. Connect the new phone to your PC over USB.
3. Copy your backed-up com.nekki.shadowfight folder into Android/data/ on the new phone (and the OBB folder if you had one).
4. Open the game. Your progress should be back.

This method works for both Play Store and mod versions, since it does not depend on any account sync.

Method 3: Backup Apps on Rooted Phones

If your phone is rooted, the community’s long-standing answer is Titanium Backup. Back up Shadow Fight 2 with app plus data, then restore that backup on the new phone. Root is needed on both devices, and this method is only realistic for players who already root their phones. For everyone else, Method 1 or 2 is enough.

Can You Transfer Progress Between Android and iOS?

This is one of the most asked questions, and the honest answer is no. NEKKI’s custom-save help article states plainly that saving to the cloud is only possible in Google Play. A Google Play cloud save cannot be read by the iOS version, and there is no official cross-platform transfer for Shadow Fight 2. Within iOS, the standard device backup tied to the same Apple ID is your safety net.

A Note for Mod APK Players

Most readers of this site play the mod version, so let us be straight about it.

• Google Play sync works the same way on the mod as on the Play Store version, if you linked an account. Many players link it without issues.
• Manual users.xml backup is the most dependable method for mod players, because it never depends on how a particular mod build handles account linking.
• Honest note: mod builds are not identical, so I cannot promise every build behaves the same. Always confirm your backup restored on the new phone before wiping the old one.
• Never download someone else’s users.xml from the internet and drop it into your game unless you fully trust the source. A bad or mismatched file can corrupt your save. Your own backed-up file is always the safest option.

Lost Your Progress Already? Try This

1. Check your internet connection. You need to be online.
2. Check the account. Open Settings, then Google, then Google Play Games, and confirm you are signed into the same account you synced before losing progress. NEKKI cannot restore progress that was never synced to Google Play.
3. Reinstall and launch. The sync window should appear at first launch. Pick your account, choose Restore, confirm.
4. If it was never synced, the save only existed on the device, and it is gone. All you can do is start fresh. Our beginner guide will get you back through the early acts faster the second time.

FAQ: Real Questions Players Ask

How do I get old progress back in Shadow Fight 2?

Log into the same Google Play account you synced before, reinstall the game, and choose Restore when the sync window appears. If you never synced, check for a manual users.xml backup you made before.

Does Shadow Fight 2 have cloud save?

Yes, but only through Google Play on Android. Sync in Settings, then press the green “Game progress” button to save manually. Facebook sync does not back up SF2 progress.

How do I transfer Shadow Fight 2 data to another device?

Either restore from Google Play cloud save on the new device (same account), or copy the com.nekki.shadowfight folder from Android/data/ and Android/obb/ on the old phone to the same location on the new one.

Do I need to disconnect Google Play on the old phone before connecting on the new one?

No. Just make sure you did a manual Save on the old phone first, then sign into the same Google account on the new phone. The game will detect the saved progress.

Where is the Shadow Fight 2 save file on Android?

Android/data/com.nekki.shadowfight/files/users.xml. On Android 11 and newer you may need a PC over USB to reach the Android/data folder.

How do I reset my progress in Shadow Fight 2?

Reinstall the game and do not restore from your cloud save or backup. A fresh install starts a new game. Note that in the paid Special Edition, there is a Reset Progress option in settings.

Final Tips

• Press the manual Save button after every boss and every act. It takes five seconds.
• Keep one manual users.xml copy on your PC or Drive, updated monthly.
• Note your UserID from Settings. NEKKI’s help center recommends keeping it, and it is useful if you ever need support.
• If you play on more than one device, always save on the old one before loading on the new one, so the cloud never holds a stale save.

For the main game download and everything else SF2, start at our homepage. And if you are working through the Eclipse grind with your recovered save, our Eclipse Mode guide picks up right where this guide leaves off.

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Shadow Fight 2 vs Shadow Fight 3: Which One Should You Play? (Full Comparison) Shadow Fight 2 Eclipse Mode: Unlock Guide and How to Beat May (2026) Best Emulator for Shadow Fight 2 on PC (2026 Guide)