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seedvault-app / seedvault

A backup application for the Android Open Source Project.
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Once restoration has started, require as little user interaction as possible, so the user can "walk away" #758

Open t-m-w opened 1 month ago

t-m-w commented 1 month ago

Right now, when restoring a backup, there are a few interactions that - from a user perspective - may be considered unnecessary, or that could be frontloaded.

  1. "Re-installing apps" could proceed automatically to "Restoring backup". When reinstalling apps has completed, requiring the user to tap "Next" means that the user has to watch the device closely in order to proceed, which feels particularly unnecessary if there were no errors. Some apps may fail to install, and currently, this is where we display an error and present the user with relevant information as we have it. However, from a user perspective, it could make more sense to tell them all of this at the very end of the process.
  2. Restoring files. This is currently a step that happens when the whole process is over. If it were to be one of the first steps, instead, then combined with 1 above, the user could potentially walk away and have everything restored by the time they get back - possibly along with a list of errors, of course, if any.
grote commented 1 month ago
  1. However, from a user perspective, it could make more sense to tell them all of this at the very end of the process.

No, because when apps fail to install, this is the time where they can manually install the apps, so their data will get restored in the next step.

We could however, auto-proceed when there were no errors.

  1. If it were to be one of the first steps, instead, then combined with 1 above, the user could potentially walk away and have everything restored by the time they get back

Would be a bit tricky. We'd need app selection and file selection to happen first and then provide some sort of unified progress/result page that combines all information that currently is separate.

I personally don't consider all that high-priority, because I for one would like to follow the restore closely, so I am aware of any issues and any apps that may not have restored as expected.

t-m-w commented 1 month ago

No, because when apps fail to install, this is the time where they can manually install the apps, so their data will get restored in the next step.

Why does it need to happen here / why does the data need to be restored in the next step?

I personally don't consider all that high-priority

I get that. Typically, a user can do nothing if something fails, though. We don't even display actionable errors. So it seems like they'd be most interested in trying to move on with their life.

grote commented 1 month ago

Why does it need to happen here / why does the data need to be restored in the next step?

You need to install apps before you can restore data for them.

Typically, a user can do nothing if something fails, though.

In the case of installing apps, you can actually do something.

So it seems like they'd be most interested in trying to move on with their life.

Maybe we need user research on this. In any case, re-doing the restore process as outlined would be a big undertaking, so ideally it is worth doing.

t-m-w commented 1 month ago

Maybe we need user research on this.

Agree, let's pause this and see what comes out of user research if/when we have some.