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Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

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Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#51

Post by hutzlibu »

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.

Some I still have, too. But even back then, I just looked for a key online, than bothered searching. That was way quicker ... you didn't even had to go to any dark sites. Google showed them right upfront.

(for single player games)

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#52

Post by amelius »

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.

Perhaps for consumer use.

However, we're talking about business use of these devices, but it is clear that these devices are not made for this context where in most cases you don't want the devices tied to a specific person (but rather a specific role).

Using Apple and Google devices for work just sucks.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#53

Post by hoseja »

taneq wrote: post #37
b3lvedere wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"This is a good thing. Combined with remote lock, it renders stolen devices useless." My personal opinions on this: Factory reset should mean 'just like when it came out of the factory brand new'. So no hidden keys, certificates, connections, locks or other dependencies. Either change the definition or do not call it factory reset. If people will not be able to factory reset a device, please explicitly state so in th…

> There are tons of procedures to make pretty sure devices are wiped completely from any sort of data. Why is this not enough? It sucks, but it's not enough because it doesn't remove the incentive to steal the device in the first place. If you want someone to plonk down $2k for a fancy phone, you'd better be able to (a) convince them that they'll be able to re-sell it for a good chunk of that amount, and (b) at the s…

Theft should be prevented socially, not technologically IMO.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#54

Post by thisismyaccoun7 »

mikelward wrote: post #9

Company-owned devices can be provisioned in "fully-managed mode" a.k.a. "device owner mode". Sounds like they didn't do that? https://developers.google.com/android/work/requirements/full... https://developers.google.com/android/work/play/emm-api/prov...

From the OP's replies, it doesn't look like they did anything except hand a phone in a box to an employee.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#55

Post by discreditable »

b3lvedere wrote: post #33
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." My personal opinions on this: Factory reset should mean 'just like when it came out of the factory brand new'. So no hidden keys, certificates, connections, locks or other dependencies. Either change the definition or do not call it factory reset. If people will not be able to factory reset a device, please explicitly state so in th…

Factory reset through the Android UI removes the locks and is just like from factory. Factory reset by booting the device to recovery mode does not. That's what FRP is all about.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#56

Post by ben_w »

LeoPanthera wrote: post #23
ben_w wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Good to know; but why are you and @swiftcoder saying apparently different things? [0]

I’m on iOS, so I can’t test this myself.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30777197

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#57

Post by AnonHP »

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.

I’ve heard a long, long time ago that the market for stolen devices had switched to stripping them for parts rather than selling them as working replacement devices. From that perspective, activation locks don’t help much. For thieves, even if some parts won’t work, any gain is better than nothing.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#58

Post by AnonHP »

taneq wrote: post #38
raxxorrax wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really depends if it really is a good thing. Stolen devices are an edge case and devices bricked because of such protection are probably numerous.

Stolen devices are an edge case because it removes the incentive to steal the devices. Back when mobile phones first started becoming popular they were an equally popular smash-and-grab item. Now? Not so much.

Devices are (and have been) stolen and sold to strip them for parts. The value may be lower, but it’s nowhere close to zero.

Re: Remove Google Account After Factory Reset (2019)

#60

Post by _-david-_ »

hoseja wrote: post #53
taneq wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are tons of procedures to make pretty sure devices are wiped completely from any sort of data. Why is this not enough? It sucks, but it's not enough because it doesn't remove the incentive to steal the device in the first place. If you want someone to plonk down $2k for a fancy phone, you'd better be able to (a) convince them that they'll be able to re-sell it for a good chunk of that amount, and (b) at the s…

Theft should be prevented socially, not technologically IMO.

Seems unlikely that you could prevent all thefts through social methods so technological methods should still be used.
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