Question 1

Is umbrelOS really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for personal use, with every update included. umbrelOS is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License. For OEM licensing and partnerships, email partner@umbrel.com.

Question 2

Already running umbrelOS?

Accepted Answer

There’s nothing to download. Open Settings on your Umbrel and check for updates: umbrelOS 2.0 installs in place, and your apps and files stay where they are. How updates work.

Question 3

Why does umbrelOS run from a USB drive?

Accepted Answer

So every drive inside your machine is free for your apps and files, and can be protected with FailSafe Mode. The USB drive just stays plugged in. When there are drives inside, your files never live on it.

Question 4

FailSafe Mode or Full Storage Mode?

Accepted Answer

FailSafe Mode keeps your files safe if a drive fails: hard drives work in same-size pairs with every file on both, and SSDs set aside one drive’s worth of space for recovery data. Full Storage Mode gives you every byte, but a failed drive takes everything with it. Neither is a backup, so keep one either way. With SSDs, FailSafe Mode can only be turned on during setup, or when you add your second SSD.

Question 5

Can I use drives of different sizes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Full Storage Mode, every drive adds its full size. In FailSafe Mode, hard drives pair up with a twin of the same size at setup, and a drive without one waits, unused, until you add it. SSDs of different sizes all count as your smallest one, so matching sizes waste nothing.

Question 6

Can I mix SSDs and hard drives?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your hard drives hold your apps and files, and SSDs speed them up, about 30× in our tests. A speed-boost SSD holds small files and file details, so it becomes part of your storage: keep it installed. In FailSafe Mode, use two SSDs of the same size so the boost is protected too.

Question 7

Can I add drives later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Turn it off, add the drive, turn it on, and umbrelOS walks you through it. In FailSafe Mode, hard drives go in as pairs and SSDs one at a time. If umbrelOS started with no drives for storage, using new drives as your main storage takes a backup and a fresh setup.

Question 8

What about drives plugged in over USB?

Accepted Answer

They show up as external storage in Files: great for backups and for sharing over your network. Only internal SATA and NVMe drives become your main storage.

Question 9

What happens to what’s already on my drives?

Accepted Answer

The USB drive you copy umbrelOS onto is erased. The drives inside aren’t touched until setup, when umbrelOS lists each one and asks before erasing them. If they hold storage from another umbrelOS setup, it offers to restore it instead. Moving from another Umbrel? See how to bring everything along.

Question 10

Where can I get help?

Accepted Answer

Right here: tap Ask Umbrel or the chat bubble, any time. Our assistant knows umbrelOS inside out, and you can reach our team from the same chat. The community forum and Discord are full of people with the same hardware, too.

Install umbrelOSon your own hardware.

What will umbrelOS run on?

Designed for umbrelOS

Downloads

Or skip the setup.

Umbrel Home

Umbrel Pro

Then get the Umbrel app.

Questions, answered.