On the Android smartphones I have used so far (e.g. devices from Sony, Motorola, Google or Nokia), there was always an option somewhere in the settings that allowed the smartphone to be encrypted. As far as I can remember, this option was always active by default and the file system was therefore encrypted. This observation is also supported by my research, according to which at least newer Android devices are generally delivered with encryption activated (e.g. here). I have now received a new Samsung Xcover 7 and have unfortunately realised that it does not meet my requirements. For this reason, I would like to send it back to the dealer. Of course, all private data should be removed from the device beforehand. So far, I have always assumed that a factory reset would be sufficient to achieve this, as the actual data is encrypted. To make sure that the data is really encrypted, I checked the settings. However, I could not find the above-mentioned option there. I therefore asked Samsungs Support Chat whether the Xcover 7 is encrypted by default and was only told that this is not the case. My comment that I could not find an option to activate encryption in the settings was answered as follows: „I do understand your concern. However, we do not advise encrypting your device as it may affect your devices' software.“
Did the support employee (Samsung UK) simply have no idea or does his statement correspond to reality? I asked the same question again in the German Samsung support chat and got the answer that the device is not encrypted be default.
