I've been using GOS for over a year now and so far have loved it. When I first installed GOS, I disabled automatic updates ( https://grapheneos.org/usage#updates-disabling ) because I wasn't sure if they would wipe out my apps/settings/notes/pictures/videos/audio files/contacts/messages/call logs/etc. But now I need to update the OS and I'm still not sure whether the aforementioned things will be wiped out.
I've done a lot of searching online, including many threads on this forum, for a reasonable way to do a full device backup (which I need to do anyway, regardless of OS update). By "reasonable" I mean being able to back up everything at once, without having to use each app's built-in backup mechanism, then another app to back up photos, then another app to back up contacts, then another app to back up [this list goes on for miles...].
According to what I've found thus far, the consensus is that (1) there simply is no reasonable way to do a full device backup without rooting, and (2) rooting GOS is the unforgivable sin that will doom my soul to burn for all eternity (and, yes, I do understand why).
I love GOS, but this lack of a reasonable backup solution makes it very difficult for me to stick with GOS. I normally advocate that people don't sacrifice security for convenience, but this backup issue feels like I've gained a little privacy while adopting a massive inconvenience. If my phone were to become lost/stolen/damaged and I had to buy a new phone (losing all my pics/notes/contacts/documents/etc. because it appears that no reasonable backup solution exists), then installing GOS again on my new phone would be a tough sell.
Can someone offer me some advice here?