is there an app to disable hard reset ?

[yogiyogi1098]

i was wondering if there is an app that disable hard reset on android phone, since if the phone is stolen, then the thief just have to hard reset the phone to use the phone, even with lock screen(CMIIW)

 

[codesplice]

Not that I'm aware of.

There was rumored to be a Factory Reset Protection feature included with the Android Lollipop release, but I haven't seen much information about it since Lollipop has become available.

 

[EarlyMon]

^ This.

Most phones can be reset through the bootloader or stock recovery. Custom recovery if you're fully rooted.

No app can guard below the operating system.

 

[funkylogik]

Yeah I remember reading about a commit (or whatever) in lollipop giving the ability to request a password in recovery before factory reset (or something)?

 

[yogiyogi1098]

thank you for answering my question, so according to article codesplice given, up till now it is still not implemented. is there an app to make turning off phone harder(using code to shutdown phone, or completely disable turn off button) ?

 

[electricpete]

i was wondering if there is an app that disable hard reset on android phone,

My phone (AT&T Samsung GS4 running Android 4.4.4) has a setting...security...factory data reset password. I always figured the intent of that setting is exactly what you're after - to prevent someone else from resetting your phone (although I'm sure a sophisticated enough attacker could crack any protection).

I think it's a Samsung thing, because:
* That setting does not show up on my HTC 1 VX running 4.1.2
* That setting does not show up or on my Kyocera Hydro Icon running 4.4.2.
* I think (not positive) that the same setting was on my old Samsung Infuse running 2.3.6 but I can't confirm because (sniff) that old faithful phone has moved on to the great network in the sky (rest her soul).

 

[Hadron]

There's no serious protection against shutdown for anyone who knows the first thing about phones. Pull the battery out or press and hold the power button, one or both of those will work no matter what apps you might install or setting you might set.

If you could lock the reset from the Android menu that would stop someone who doesn't know about recovery mode, but that's all. But if they are trying to use the Android menu to reset it means they've got past your password and have access to your data, which would IMO be a bigger problem (I'd rather they did a reset than that).

 

[funkylogik]

Yeah I think the long press power to force a reboot is hard coded into Android as a "safety" feature and while it reboots you can easily time hitting the button combo to get onto recovery

 

[EarlyMon]

My phone (AT&T Samsung GS4 running Android 4.4.4) has a setting...security...factory data reset password. I always figured the intent of that setting is exactly what you're after - to prevent someone else from resetting your phone (although I'm sure a sophisticated enough attacker could crack any protection).

If that will protect from a bootloader/recovery level reset, then that's Samsung Knox at work.

Bootloader/recovery is the weak spot for most better phones.

 

[El Presidente]

thank you for answering my question, so according to article codesplice given, up till now it is still not implemented. is there an app to make turning off phone harder(using code to shutdown phone, or completely disable turn off button) ?

Cerberus has the ability to disable the power menu from the lock screen so if your device is password protected, it would make it harder for the theif to turn your phone off.

Obviously, as Hadron has pointed out, if the device has a removable battery, it can be turned off that way.

 

[codesplice]

Most (all?) phones can also be rebooted by holding down the power button for 10+ seconds. So you're not really going to be able to prevent someone from turning it off and getting to the bootloader/recovery.