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Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

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Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#21

Post by josefx »

wyattpeak wrote: post #20
josefx wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thief wouldn't have the reset password?

After two or three years, neither would the owner. Edit: More seriously, if they took this approach, people would regularly lose their codes, which would necessitate a backup means of obtaining it. Which would no doubt require the purchaser log into their Google account. And we're back at square one.

> After two or three years, neither would the owner.

It might surprise you, but back before games where always online everyone had to keep track of license keys. Still have a box with all of them. Only those that required feedback from activation servers are now useless because the companies killed the servers.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#22

Post by thaumasiotes »

LeoPanthera wrote: post #3

This is really no different to Apple’s Activation Lock. If the previous user isn’t careful to sign out of their Apple ID (or, at a minimum, disable “Find My”), the new owner will need the previous owner’s password to reset the device. This is a good thing . Combined with remote lock, it renders stolen devices useless.

> This is a good thing. Combined with remote lock, it renders stolen devices useless.

Of course it's not a good thing. What Apple can do to someone else at your request, they can do to you on their own initiative.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#23

Post by LeoPanthera »

ben_w wrote: post #12
marginalia_nu wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This works well because pickpockets are well known for their inability to tell lies, and would always answer truthfully.

Sarcasm accepted, but you can require the account password to proceed with the reset when the user makes that choice.

It does. That is exactly what it does.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#24

Post by Schroedingersat »

londons_explore wrote: post #4

This is a theft prevention feature, the same as Apples 'icloud lock' It works very well to prevent theft. Phone models locked in this way are barely worth anything on markets of stolen goods. Unfortunately some devices have exploits which allow relatively easy unlocking, and those models are still stolen quite a lot.

No, it's a feature to prevent non-controlled second hand markets.

Theft is just the marketing gimmick

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#25

Post by mh- »

josefx wrote: post #21
wyattpeak wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After two or three years, neither would the owner. Edit: More seriously, if they took this approach, people would regularly lose their codes, which would necessitate a backup means of obtaining it. Which would no doubt require the purchaser log into their Google account. And we're back at square one.

> After two or three years, neither would the owner. It might surprise you, but back before games where always online everyone had to keep track of license keys. Still have a box with all of them. Only those that required feedback from activation servers are now useless because the companies killed the servers.

And I misplaced a few CD keys over the years, and sometimes even repurchased the game for $20-50.

Modern phones are closer to $1000.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#26

Post by LeoPanthera »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #22
LeoPanthera wrote: post #3

This is really no different to Apple’s Activation Lock. If the previous user isn’t careful to sign out of their Apple ID (or, at a minimum, disable “Find My”), the new owner will need the previous owner’s password to reset the device. This is a good thing . Combined with remote lock, it renders stolen devices useless.

> This is a good thing . Combined with remote lock, it renders stolen devices useless. Of course it's not a good thing. What Apple can do to someone else at your request, they can do to you on their own initiative.

Yes. And your cellular provider could send text messages "from" you. Your email host could randomly delete all your emails. Your credit card provider could buy stuff on your account.

But they don't because they're all enormous companies with thousands of employees. The negative PR would be instant and overwhelming, and the sheer amount of staff would render trying to do it secretly, ineffective.

There is cautious, and there is paranoid.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#27

Post by sschueller »

The amount of these devices going into the trash is shameful and unnecessary.

Vendors like Apple should be required to take back phones and devices that are in such a locked state for free. They should then unlock devices that can be sold as refurbished, used or even part out the devices.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#28

Post by 12baad4db82 »

Schroedingersat wrote: post #24
londons_explore wrote: post #4

This is a theft prevention feature, the same as Apples 'icloud lock' It works very well to prevent theft. Phone models locked in this way are barely worth anything on markets of stolen goods. Unfortunately some devices have exploits which allow relatively easy unlocking, and those models are still stolen quite a lot.

No, it's a feature to prevent non-controlled second hand markets. Theft is just the marketing gimmick

That seems like an uncharitable take. It is entirely possible to re-sell a modern phone, and this happens quite often. Before selling the previous owner must sign out of the device's cloud account and perform a factory reset.

Differentiating between the intentional re-selling of the device, and the selling of a stolen device does seem like a tricky problem, and personally I think this solution seems reasonable. If the device manufacturers are at fault of something it would be poor UX for not making this more clear, otherwise I believe these companies are acting honestly here.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#29

Post by neilalexander »

sschueller wrote: post #27

The amount of these devices going into the trash is shameful and unnecessary. Vendors like Apple should be required to take back phones and devices that are in such a locked state for free. They should then unlock devices that can be sold as refurbished, used or even part out the devices.

I have often assumed that the reason that the iPhone SE has never had a design refresh is because it enables them to continue recycling significant amounts of materials from traded-in/recycled iPhone 6, 6S, 7 and 8.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#30

Post by thaumasiotes »

LeoPanthera wrote: post #26
thaumasiotes wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is a good thing . Combined with remote lock, it renders stolen devices useless. Of course it's not a good thing. What Apple can do to someone else at your request, they can do to you on their own initiative.

Yes. And your cellular provider could send text messages "from" you. Your email host could randomly delete all your emails. Your credit card provider could buy stuff on your account. But they don't because they're all enormous companies with thousands of employees. The negative PR would be instant and overwhelming, and the sheer amount of staff would render trying to do it secretly, ineffective. There is cautious, an…

> Your credit card provider could buy stuff on your account.

This example is unlike the others; your credit card provider already buys everything that goes on your account. For that to make any sense, they'd need to convince you to pay them "back".

> But they don't because they're all enormous companies with thousands of employees. The negative PR would be instant and overwhelming, and the sheer amount of staff would render trying to do it secretly, ineffective.

And this is just untrue. Nobody even remembers Amazon retroactively deleting sold copies of 1984 from their customers' internet-connected Kindles. We're swimming in devices that the manufacturer won't let us access right now, but the PR hit from doing what they're already doing is too large for them to... continue doing it?

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