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My device is rooted and I use NeoBackup to backup apps with all their data (including what the app developer marked as "should not be backed up", often data tha

My device is rooted and I use NeoBackup to backup apps with all their data (including what the app developer marked as "should not be backed up", often data that they would like you to backup on their own cloud instead). Syncthing synchronises these backups to my home server automatically, as well as the phone's user data (photos, mainly). The photos are additionally sent to Photoprism. I avoid Google's cloud as much as I can.

beagle3 2y ago
Would you trust a restore of those “do not back up” data you have a copy of? Or is this for inspection only?
- seszett 2y ago
  I just restored my backups a few weeks ago when I bought a new phone. It doesn't work for all apps (I knew it, it's far from the first time I do that) but I am satisfied with the results. It does help sometimes for retrieving some data manually by digging through the backup files (used it recently for retrieving all invoices from a service that were otherwise only available one by one through a painfully complicated process).
  - beagle3 2y ago
    My use case would be to get my WhatsApp database…. Anyone knows if it restores properly? (Useful even if not … WhatsApp search is abysmal, the db file is much more useful)
    - seszett 2y ago
      Not sure if it restores well because I don't use WhatsApp anymore, but I checked in an old backup and somewhere in the files there's an SQLite3 database "msgstore.db" with a "messages" tables that contains messages.
sriacha 2y ago
also use NeoBackup, and it works pretty well for the most part.
- esperent 2y ago
  Since your phone is rooted, how do you manage banking apps and other things that don't like working on a rooted device? How much work is involved in getting those to work?
  - kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 2y ago
    I don't use banking apps, but you usually can get around this with Magisk's DenyList.
  - seszett 2y ago
    For my part I use Magisk, and a specific module for one bank. The French and Belgian identity apps (France Identité and itsme) don't work though. When I really need them (which is rare) I have to use an old phone that's not rooted.
    - Semaphor 2y ago
      I was positively surprised that the German passport app worked rooted without denylist.
  - Wicher 2y ago
    I'm running LineageOS, rooted, with MicroG' Safetynet emulation (of sorts?). So a build signed with userdebug keys. Some banking apps just work - two with warning on first launch, and one just doesn't care at all. Two refuse to run and I have an old unrooted phone for them. Resulting in me being a good customer of those three banks that are not fussy. So try and see, perhaps things just work!
mgbmtl 2y ago
My device is not rooted, but I use Syncthing as well. I mainly sync my photos and my TOTP tokens (Aegis). The rest I don't care about. I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable.
- zx8080 2y ago
  > I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable. What was wrong about nextcloud sync? I'm just about to set it up for myself.
  - mgbmtl 2y ago
    The sync would stall and I'd have to go retry, or it would fail with no error clear message. In the end, I had no idea what had really synched correctly. The app was unhappy if I deleted a photo too quickly. With Syncthing, I sync to a directory that my Nextcloud user can access (a read-only mount), so I can still easily share photos using Nextcloud, for example. (although it's unfortunate that the Android syncthing app is being retired. h/t for the heads up and the recommended alternatives)
- Azerty9999 2y ago
  Synchthing on Android is End of life, alas https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-android/23002 https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-androi...
  - drio 2y ago
    Yes, very sad. Two alternatives exist: 1. Syncthing-Fork (https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android) - Works just like the official app. Install from F-Droid or GitHub. Single developer but active. 2. Syncthing in Termux - Run the actual Syncthing program in Termux. Takes more setup but uses the standard version. The fork is easier to use, while Termux needs more setup but gives you the standard Syncthing experience.
    - 2y ago
ur-whale 2y ago
> My device is rooted A problem in and of itself: brittle when upgrading, won't work with you banking app, etc...
- seszett 2y ago
  It's true that it makes some things more complicated, but it's a trade-off that I'm willing to make for the convenience and security of hosting my own backups.
- grakker 2y ago
  Just install a couple Magisk modules and your banking app should work fine. At least mine does.
  - exabrial 2y ago
    Sorry for a dumb question, what are those
    - ashenke 2y ago
      Magisk is a way to handle root on Android, it allows to insert system modules to change some things deep in Android. There used to be a feature called Magisk Hide that could make apps unable to detect you were rooted. Now you have to install other modules to circumvent safety net and other checks. It's an arms race : google changes the way it detects things, and modules developers update their circumvention techniques. Try to search "magisk hide 2024" and you should find more information
    - Zak 2y ago
      To add to the existing comment, the solution I use, and I think the most popular solution right now is called Play Integrity Fix: https://github.com/chiteroman/PlayIntegrityFix/ https://github.com/chiteroman/PlayIntegrityFix/ I haven't had to touch it in about a year, but some apps may try harder to keep people from having control of their own devices.
      - 2y ago

beagle3 2y ago

Would you trust a restore of those “do not back up” data you have a copy of? Or is this for inspection only?

seszett 2y ago
I just restored my backups a few weeks ago when I bought a new phone. It doesn't work for all apps (I knew it, it's far from the first time I do that) but I am satisfied with the results. It does help sometimes for retrieving some data manually by digging through the backup files (used it recently for retrieving all invoices from a service that were otherwise only available one by one through a painfully complicated process).
- beagle3 2y ago
  My use case would be to get my WhatsApp database…. Anyone knows if it restores properly? (Useful even if not … WhatsApp search is abysmal, the db file is much more useful)
  - seszett 2y ago
    Not sure if it restores well because I don't use WhatsApp anymore, but I checked in an old backup and somewhere in the files there's an SQLite3 database "msgstore.db" with a "messages" tables that contains messages.

sriacha 2y ago

also use NeoBackup, and it works pretty well for the most part.

esperent 2y ago
Since your phone is rooted, how do you manage banking apps and other things that don't like working on a rooted device? How much work is involved in getting those to work?
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 2y ago
  I don't use banking apps, but you usually can get around this with Magisk's DenyList.
- seszett 2y ago
  For my part I use Magisk, and a specific module for one bank. The French and Belgian identity apps (France Identité and itsme) don't work though. When I really need them (which is rare) I have to use an old phone that's not rooted.
  - Semaphor 2y ago
    I was positively surprised that the German passport app worked rooted without denylist.
- Wicher 2y ago
  I'm running LineageOS, rooted, with MicroG' Safetynet emulation (of sorts?). So a build signed with userdebug keys. Some banking apps just work - two with warning on first launch, and one just doesn't care at all. Two refuse to run and I have an old unrooted phone for them. Resulting in me being a good customer of those three banks that are not fussy. So try and see, perhaps things just work!

mgbmtl 2y ago

My device is not rooted, but I use Syncthing as well. I mainly sync my photos and my TOTP tokens (Aegis). The rest I don't care about. I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable.

zx8080 2y ago
> I used Nextcloud sync in the past, but found it unreliable. What was wrong about nextcloud sync? I'm just about to set it up for myself.
- mgbmtl 2y ago
  The sync would stall and I'd have to go retry, or it would fail with no error clear message. In the end, I had no idea what had really synched correctly. The app was unhappy if I deleted a photo too quickly. With Syncthing, I sync to a directory that my Nextcloud user can access (a read-only mount), so I can still easily share photos using Nextcloud, for example. (although it's unfortunate that the Android syncthing app is being retired. h/t for the heads up and the recommended alternatives)
Azerty9999 2y ago
Synchthing on Android is End of life, alas https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-android/23002 https://forum.syncthing.net/t/discontinuing-syncthing-androi...
- drio 2y ago
  Yes, very sad. Two alternatives exist: 1. Syncthing-Fork (https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android https://github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android) - Works just like the official app. Install from F-Droid or GitHub. Single developer but active. 2. Syncthing in Termux - Run the actual Syncthing program in Termux. Takes more setup but uses the standard version. The fork is easier to use, while Termux needs more setup but gives you the standard Syncthing experience.
  - 2y ago

ur-whale 2y ago

> My device is rooted A problem in and of itself: brittle when upgrading, won't work with you banking app, etc...

seszett 2y ago
It's true that it makes some things more complicated, but it's a trade-off that I'm willing to make for the convenience and security of hosting my own backups.
grakker 2y ago
Just install a couple Magisk modules and your banking app should work fine. At least mine does.
- exabrial 2y ago
  Sorry for a dumb question, what are those
  - ashenke 2y ago
    Magisk is a way to handle root on Android, it allows to insert system modules to change some things deep in Android. There used to be a feature called Magisk Hide that could make apps unable to detect you were rooted. Now you have to install other modules to circumvent safety net and other checks. It's an arms race : google changes the way it detects things, and modules developers update their circumvention techniques. Try to search "magisk hide 2024" and you should find more information
  - Zak 2y ago
    To add to the existing comment, the solution I use, and I think the most popular solution right now is called Play Integrity Fix: https://github.com/chiteroman/PlayIntegrityFix/ https://github.com/chiteroman/PlayIntegrityFix/ I haven't had to touch it in about a year, but some apps may try harder to keep people from having control of their own devices.
    - 2y ago