Android: Factory Reset may render a device useless and request another reset to disco

[harlan4096]

Google is working on a number of new features designed to improve the protection of Android devices against theft. Besides Theft Protection, which auto-locks the device if sudden movement is noticed, Google is also improving Android's Factory Reset Protection in an upcoming version scheduled for release later this year.

Factory Reset Protection has been an integral part of Android for some time. The main idea is to prevent the unauthorized resetting and then selling of Android devices. The feature becomes active when a user attempts to reset an Android device from the recovery menu or from Find my Device.

The former, recovery menu option, is available to everyone, as it does not require authentication. The second, Find my Device resets, are usually initiated when a device is stolen or lost and the original owner is requesting a reset to protect data on the device.

Currently, when this happens, Android is requesting a sign-in to the Google account associated with the device, or that the authentication PIN, password,or pattern is entered. Failure to do so will limit the functionality on the device. It is, for instance, not possible to add a new Google account to the device.

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