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Setting a screen lock password or SIM pin or both is fine for securing some aspects of your mobile device. But what if, as a nasty joke, someone manages to grab a hold of your device and hits the magic power-home-volume key combination and proceeds to factory reset your device thus deleting your folder configuration, a record of what unpaid apps you had downloaded, and what is more, data stored on your phone!

So, is there a way to set up a password so that it must be entered when such magic key combination is issued (so that you can't factory reset your device without entering such a "BIOS" password?

Thanks!!!

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    Would be tricky if you forget that password. As you'd no longer be able to reset the device (or reflash it), you could "throw it away" then. If you're afraid of your data being deleted, a backup is the better approach – and against data theft, some anti-theft solution.
    – Izzy ♦
    Jul 7, 2015 at 19:02
  • I'd never forget that damn password @Izzy. There must be a solution. Backups are good, but I want to be able to set a BIOS password. I don't want anyone areound me to reset my device.
    – Jack Maddington
    Jul 7, 2015 at 19:29
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    I knew I answered that question already one day :) Thanks for digging that up, @Arch!
    – Izzy ♦
    Jul 7, 2015 at 20:43

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The only thing similar to this that I can think of is device encryption, it's built in to the settings panel. Every time you power on your phone, you are required to enter a pass-code, that you created. If you forget it, it will be more difficult to get back into your phone

How To

  1. Go to settings
  2. Click Security
  3. Under the Encryption group, hit Encrypt device (or phone on older devices)
  4. Now it will guide you through the next steps.
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  • Thanks. How do I enable this on my android device?
    – Jack Maddington
    Jul 8, 2015 at 15:12
  • Actually, there is a way to get back in a device with a forgotten encryption password. You just have to wipe the device from its recovery menu, or plug it into a computer and use appropriate software if there is no such menu.
    – Arielle
    Jul 8, 2015 at 18:07
  • @Arielle Thanks for the clarification, I updated my answer in response.
    – A P
    Jul 8, 2015 at 18:08
  • I wonder why this answer is approved! Device Encryption will not prevent factory reset or will it ?
    – M at
    Jan 14, 2019 at 11:02
  • Device encryption prevents unauthorised access to data. It does not prevent unauthorized factory reset from recovery menu. If it does, please do explain.
    – Firelord ♦
    Jan 14, 2019 at 12:48

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