Is using SeedVault recommended?

enduring78

Hello!

I will soon need to let my Pixel 8 be repaired because of a issue with the selfie cam that is covered under warranty.

Therefore, I also need to need to migrate all my data (a bunch of apps on main + 6 profiles). For this, I have updated and reset my old phone, a Pixel 6 Pro, to use for the time being.

My question is: would it be advisable or recommended to use SeedVault, or would you say it is better to migrate everything manually?

I already know and read on this forum that SeedVault cannot migrate everything, but this is okay for me. I really only need it to restore my saved WiFi data + homescreen layout. I can do everything else (apps + photos/files) manually. Off course, if SeedVault can migrate apps as well, that would be great!

When I select 'Device settings' and 'System apps' these things are restored, but during progress I'm seeing it also does changes to a bunch of other apps. Will these changes not have any impact on general usage of the device, both short term and long term?

Your insights and help is greatly appreciated!

basedFOSS

enduring78 Switched back to GrapheneOS after trying a less secure OS early this year.

My experience:

media/documents/specifically selected folders all have been transfered
That's it

=> [Contacts] Backup Contacts manually via export or sync them with Tuta(nota)
=> [Apps] Use "AppListBackup", it creates a list of your apps with links to fdroid or play store or if you used Obtainium before, export your Obtainium Backup
=> [Messenger] export Signal file or save WhatsApp backup folder
=> ...

Do it manually if you value your data

GolemSnow

I read the same thing bout seedvault but all posts are old about it and not sure if the backup option on settings is seedvault. I read that they where working on an new method. I posted something similar a few hours ago but no answer. I do backup apps manually (the ones that can be done). But re-configuring everything would take me at least a month if I lost my phone and being worried about border device search when traveling being able to just backup the whole user profile with settings and app data would be perfect but I think it is not possible for now. Maybe posting in reddit would get more exposure for help

enduring78

GolemSnow

I do not have a Reddit account. Do you have one? Most posts are pretty old indeed, not sure if all that info is still relevant..

GolemSnow

I don't but I may create one just for this as I need to find help to solve my issue.

crazysally

Ever since my P6P bricked itself last fall ... I manually backup up once a week. Here's how I do it (takes about 10 minutes):

Copy all my docs, downloads, photos, calendar, etc to my PC via USB cable (the PC gets backed up hourly),
Then backup SMS/MMS messages, contacts/call logs using SMS Import/Export (github tmo1 sms-ie) and copy that to the PC, and finally
I manually keep a list of installed Apps and any special Graphene and/or App settings in a document on my PC.

When my former P6P bricked itself last fall i was backing up with SeedVault. That recovery worked ))except(( it didn't recover SMS/MMS messages and that really sucked. So now I do it all manually because SeedVault is a weak and failure-prone backup utility. I also purchased a spare P7P in case of another bricking incident, theft or loss. But I actually use the P7P as a WiFi-only Graphene Ggle device. It has Google Framework/Play on it so I can use Waze, Maps, etc without having a SIM card in it. I don't log onto G I just use Aurora to get apps from G. That's what works for me.

enduring78

Thank you for the comments everyone!

crazysally When your P6P bricked, how was the restore experience? Did it install most of the stuff? I personally to not usw SMS/MMS at all so if that isn't backed up that isn't a big deal.

basedFOSS I am indeed using Obtainium for most of my apps. While I am lucky in that I can migrate on my own time, with both phones next to each other, this has got me thinking about my phone being lost or stolen. I am using Syncthing for my photos (which is most important for me) but I think I'll start using the AppListBackup app you recommended. Thanks!

Open_Source_Enjoyer Do you still recall the error you got? I can do a test restore before having to rely on it since I can have my old (still functioning) phone next to my new one, so I can do a clear app cache etc if some app isn't properly restoring.

In general: assuming SeedVault works, is it even recommended to use it? I have heard from someone before (can't recall where) that when restoring with Android backup tools (not specifically SeedVault) it also restores some junk and unnecessary stuff to my new phone. Is that true? If yes, does it get cleaned at all or does this just keep adding up?

Open_Source_Enjoyer

I have tried SeedVault when I was switching to my current phone, but after it loaded very long and then failed I decided to settup everything manually

Open_Source_Enjoyer

enduring78 In general: assuming SeedVault works, is it even recommended to use it? I have heard from someone before (can't recall where) that when restoring with Android backup tools (not specifically SeedVault) it also restores some junk and unnecessary stuff to my new phone. Is that true? If yes, does it get cleaned at all or does this just keep adding up?

I think the problem with SeedVault is more that it doesn't backup enough, and not that it backups to mutch

looped_around

I just tried to use it to transfer p6a to p9p. I had to factory reset.
I think it would be ideal if taken after the basics were setup without logging in or data and you could deselect messages and contacts.

Homescreen won't be setup if apps aren't preinstalled.
Half my SMS were gone or out of order and any conversation with MMS was missing.
It doesn't take the contact labels and I didn't check if the rest of the data was accurate because at this point I was going to wipe it.
Half of the settings copied, none of the scopes that I spot checked.
Most of the app settings were missing also.
It didn't take anything from Vanadium, I just discovered you can't export bookmarks either.
It did bring over all the all which was nice.

Its a memory hog and a physical space hog. It ran about 20 minutes for approx 30G of profile data and took 19G of space. As noted if you try it, first save to local disk to avoid corruption and set for airplane mode. It kept crashing things if not and not completing correctly, but also p6a.

I saw another post that after a restore, the auditor remote test went bad.

GolemSnow

I see everyone do it actually manually. What I have been doing for years is use syncthing folders to back up data to my pc and is automatically for some apps and for some i ust need to create a backup to a folder and then it is synced to my pc (you can make it so it backup only on lan when you are in your home wifi). so it is partially manual but it takes seconds I just open my backup checklist and I start per app (only the manual onces). For example I made a syncthing folder directlly on the whatsapp folder so it automatically backs up. The issue for me was more for backing up everything including installed apps and setting of everything. Because configuring my phone in case I lost it would take weeks.

GolemSnow

GolemSnow yes there is the issue that the data will stay on your pc unencrypted if that app does not encrypt backups there is a zero knowledge option on syncthing but it is still in beta for like 5 years... (should not be used for now).

GolemSnow

GolemSnow maybe you could use a veracrypt mount on your pc to recieve the files but you would have to be pausing the folder on syncthing and when you need to backup you open the vault and unpause the syncthing folder so it start syncing.

looped_around

I had an epiphany.
With the new secondary profiles having a private space each, I'm considering the setup separand suggests with owner profile having everything installed and disabled and it farmed out.

The one thing seedvault did well was apk backup and basic settings. Then in user profiles the basics.

Useless for you during transfer, but maybe the new device gets a different setup.