-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
How do I prevent recovery mode?
- Thread starter TZBit
- Start date
Hi TZBit, and welcome to AF 
If you are rooted then some anti-theft apps can be inserted into the system ROM, which means they would survive a factory reset (but not a reflash of the system software, of course).
Without unlocking the bootloader there is nothing I can think of that you can do. No Android app or setting can change this because you don't run android when you access recovery (because it's there precisely for when you can't run android!). Corrupting recovery so that it won't work is possible in principle (you don't care about your warranty, right?), but the risk of messing the device up in the process will be a lot higher than the risk of theft.
The truth is, it always comes down to how much the thief knows. A hard-reset resistent anti-theft (which as I say, will require root) would be enough to beat a chancer who just knows how to access recovery. But with someone who knows what they are doing, there is nothing you can do that can't be undone and will still leave you with a working phone.
People always talk about anti-theft apps in terms of recovering the phone, but in reality their ability to remote wipe the phone, i.e. keep your data from the thief, is more important to many people, and of course if the thief does a factory reset they've done that for you. And they can be useful for finding a phone that is lost rather than stolen. But there are limits to what you can expect: even without a factory reset, if the thief turns the phone off and then sells it for use overseas no anti-theft software will make much difference.
If you are rooted then some anti-theft apps can be inserted into the system ROM, which means they would survive a factory reset (but not a reflash of the system software, of course).
Without unlocking the bootloader there is nothing I can think of that you can do. No Android app or setting can change this because you don't run android when you access recovery (because it's there precisely for when you can't run android!). Corrupting recovery so that it won't work is possible in principle (you don't care about your warranty, right?), but the risk of messing the device up in the process will be a lot higher than the risk of theft.
The truth is, it always comes down to how much the thief knows. A hard-reset resistent anti-theft (which as I say, will require root) would be enough to beat a chancer who just knows how to access recovery. But with someone who knows what they are doing, there is nothing you can do that can't be undone and will still leave you with a working phone.
People always talk about anti-theft apps in terms of recovering the phone, but in reality their ability to remote wipe the phone, i.e. keep your data from the thief, is more important to many people, and of course if the thief does a factory reset they've done that for you. And they can be useful for finding a phone that is lost rather than stolen. But there are limits to what you can expect: even without a factory reset, if the thief turns the phone off and then sells it for use overseas no anti-theft software will make much difference.
funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
Cant remember what thread it was but just the other day i was asking if pin security could be built into a custom recovery. I think i/we give the average theif too much credit though. Im ashamed to say i know a lot of the typical phone theif type person but i know NOONE who even knows what recovery mode is (other than my amazing 10yr old supergeek autistic nephew)
Yeah, I remember that - also can't remember which thread though
Can't think why it couldn't be done, if a recovery developer were to pick the idea up. Would provide one further hurdle.
Only phone thief I've had to deal with was a kid who was so stupid he phoned his mates from the stolen phone! The police had asked the network not to block the phone straight away just in case he was that dumb, so he clearly wasn't unique in his idiocy.
Can't think why it couldn't be done, if a recovery developer were to pick the idea up. Would provide one further hurdle.
Only phone thief I've had to deal with was a kid who was so stupid he phoned his mates from the stolen phone! The police had asked the network not to block the phone straight away just in case he was that dumb, so he clearly wasn't unique in his idiocy.
funkylogik
share the love peeps ;)
Lol even better, when my best friends phone got stolen, the idiot didnt reset it and added contacts like "mum" to the contacts which of course syncd to my friends new phone. The police as usual didnt do anything but we did get the phone back this is why sometimes i think its best not to have a lock or to get the phone blocked straight away. it was REALLY satisfying to catch the guy and he was very apologetic 
this is why sometimes i think its best not to have a lock or to get the phone blocked straight away. it was REALLY satisfying to catch the guy and he was very apologetic
:rofl: