hi Nimueh, if you stay on oos 10 are you more vulnerable security wise? because your version isn't kept updated with patches? I ask because updating a custom rom years ago (im not sure if applies today still) is annoying when small settings always have to be reapplied and sometimes finding those settings deep in device settings, app settings or custom rom extra settings can be hard to find again lol.
everytime we had to do a full wipe then install rom, today OEM rom just update over top and we dont lose anything.
or has it changed today? a custom rom you can update without wiping, but sometimes dev advise wipe incase of bugs?
edit: currently I have OEM rom and if android 12 is out soon, should I wait for that update or should I do this now and when 12 comes out it'll be easy to update or a full wipe is needed? I'd prefer to update without the risk of forgetting to back something up that is offline eg mesenger app backups on phone not cloud (if i accidentally update and somehow lose data i didnt back up lol, eg i almost started your guide until i realised i didnt back up my offline messenger app lol)
I've always felt that those security patches are overrated. For starters I'm not anybody famous whose phone someone would want to get into. I don't visit fishy sites or open unknown emails on my device. I don't click on bouncy or jiggly things or install apps from shady sources. But updating or not is something everybody really has to decide for themselves.
I have now sold my OP7 because I switched to a Pixel 6, but it was on OOS 10 until the end when I factory reset, wiped + updated it for the buyer.
Quite honestly I'd skip 12 if I could. I've been using stock A12 for almost a month now and hate everything about it, like those ridiculously huge QS tiles or this highly praised monet engine that does what it wants without regard to MY wishes or the main color my wallpaper has. I'm not sure how different OOS 12 is to A12 but I'd probably wait for 13 if I could. 12 is some half-baked stuff that never should've made it to the public.
As to how to update - I've never had any issues losing data or having to set things up again, even with root. I did usually have nandroid backups just in case, but haven't really needed them.