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Things the guys who stole my phone have texted me to try to get me to unlock it - Gothamist (gothamist.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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This is a very entertaining and educational article, giving insights into the methods used by thiefs to try and get access to your phone data.

I don't like Apple but it's great that their security is so good when it comes to this.

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[–] [email protected] 83 points 5 months ago (65 children)

How so? A Samsung or pixel with default settings would also behave that way, possibly even more securely because it wouldn't show the thieves your number.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (59 children)

I guess just anecdotally. I have a pixel 7, I'm pretty confident I could factory reset the device without 3rd party authentication. Also, from the tech channels I follow, I think I could recover my data if I forgot the password. Android has always felt more "free"and customizable, and I love it for that. But I also think that freedom allows for more exploits. It's a trade off that's worth it to me, personally. But if I had illegal shit to hide on my phone, I'd probably do it on an apple device.

Edit: just checked. I can completely bypass all my locked down Google Pixel settings to factory reset my phone pretty easily if I press the right keys in the right order. It would be pretty easy to steal and resell my phone.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (4 children)

For what it's worth, they're trying to fix that with Android 15. Not sure if this is one of the features they'll also be back porting to older phones too like this article briefly touches on, but either way it sounds like if you factory reset the phone, it can't be set up again unless they know your login: https://www.wired.com/story/android-15-theft-detection-lock/

Google says in a blog post, the company is adding four data protection features that can help keep your information locked down. The first stops your phone from being set up after a factory reset, unless the person knows your login details. “This renders a stolen device unsellable, reducing incentives for phone theft,” Google vice president Suzanne Frey writes.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Doesn't that already exist as the Factory Reset Protection (FRP) partition?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I've had to wipe pixel devices the dirty way and it prompts (requires) your credentials to continue. Maybe it's a pixel exclusive, and others are getting it via a15?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

No, its not exclusive. But FRP can be bypassed if you know the right tools.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Honestly not too familiar with that. I imagine if they're touting this as a new thing, FRP either does something different or was lacking compared to this in some way.

Though it is Google, they could have just killed FRP in favor of this and added messaging features like they do with everything else

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