Is using multiple profiles reliable?

densefox

I just installed GOS on my Pixel 8 but can't figure out how to set up my apps. I will be using my email, Banking app, Whatsapp, Signal and Telegram( for non-important tasks) also pixel camera and other normal browsing youtube etc. How should I go for it? I was thinking two profiles, admin with bank app, pixel camera and whatsapp/signal and other for normal browsing/music and stuff. How reliable this setup would be I read news about update messing up other user profiles and losing data was that only on stock OS or also on GOS?

Dumdum

densefox I read news about update messing up other user profiles and losing data was that only on stock OS or also on GOS?

If you're referring to this, this was fixed months ago.

Its perfectly fine to use user profiles. Many on GOS, myself included, have at least one secondary user profile with no issues. Just consider though, that the user profile has the benefit of being able to be "put at rest" in a fully encrypted state, which you can't do with the Owner unless you reboot the phone. Make sure to include that along with whatever threat model you have (if any), and then decide what profile setup you want.

densefox

Dumdum Thanks for the insight. If user profile are encrypted at rest but not owner, so I should put my banking and chat apps there but if google messes up again will I be able to recover data after the fix? Did users got their files back after the fix in the last case?

Dumdum

densefox If user profile are encrypted at rest but not owner, so I should put my banking and chat apps there

If you want the extra security, sure. Just remember to actually "End Session" when you're out and about and want to keep your sensitive stuff on the user profile safe.

will I be able to recover data after the fix? Did users got their files back after the fix in the last case?

Most likely you won't recover it if data is actually lost, and it seems to be mixed/random whether or not users got their files back (see this follow-up on the previous article I linked). Ideally the GOS team (@matchboxbananasynergy ) would need to step in for a more accurate response on this.

Ultimately, its a classic "you should be backing up anyway" situation. I can at least say that I've been using my user profile all throughout the storage issue and, since I was never affected, I would have been oblivious about it if it wasn't mentioned here (original thread). Plus I backup stuff so I wouldn't have lost anything if I was affected.

densefox

Dumdum Does backup functionality in GOS saves everything from apps to all files if that is the case i won't be worried at all? Thanks for linking the follow up article.

Dumdum

densefox Does backup functionality in GOS saves everything from apps to all files if that is the case i won't be worried at all?

I've never used the GOS backup service (Seedvault). Its designed to save everything, like any other phone backup service does, but there's many reports of Seedvault's unreliability. Sometimes it works completely, sometimes partially. GOS plans to create an entirely new, in-house backup service, but until then its up to the user if they want to use Seedvault or backup manually.

densefox

Dumdum Thanks for the heads up on backup.