I would really like to make my phone more secure. But at the same time I want to be able to factory wipe it any time. I'm afraid that factory wiping could brick the phone/makes it unusable. So is it safe to wipe the phone directly after encrypting it?
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2"I'm afraid that factory wiping could brick the phone/makes it unusable". What makes you think so?– Irfan LatifCommented Apr 8, 2021 at 18:06
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1How old is your phone? Only very old phones allow to enable encryption. All the newer models are encrypted by default without the option to disable it.– RobertCommented Apr 8, 2021 at 18:31
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If your concern is about data security l, I'm assuming you are using a modern phone which still gets updates. All modern android devices have encryption by default. Factory reset is enough.– defaltCommented Apr 8, 2021 at 19:43
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1 Answer
Phones delivered with or since Android Lolipop, which came out in 2014, are encrypted by default. Android uses full disk encryption, same as Apple's iOS. This means that every block is encrypted, not just specific files, but also the meta information which describes where is what.
A factory reset will clear the decryption key used to access the data and descriptive information. So once you perform factory reset, it is effectively wiped, as none of the data blocks can any longer be accessed without that key, its practically random data.
I'm afraid that factory wiping could brick the phone/makes it unusable
This is not an uncommon operation. Factory resets are frequently used by diy people installing their own custom ROMs. It is also standard practice when reselling or disposing a phone. It is likely a very well tested feature, since it a user accessible feature.
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be aware of bugs. Android 7 not encrypted: Moto E4 plus XT1770, Galaxy Tab A 9.7 SM-T555– alecxsCommented Apr 19, 2021 at 12:53