So, we all know factory resetting in the easiest way to improve your battery life and performance, and is usually a good idea after major software updates, or every 6 months or so. We've usually thought of resets as chores, though, and it often takes a LONG time to get your stuff back to normal.
So what if I told you you can reset, enjoy all of the benefits of doing so, and get back almost everything in UNDER AN HOUR. That's right. Under sixty minutes. No computer required - merely a strong internet connection and a little tech knowhow, and that some of these settings be in place for your next reset (since backing stuff up online can take a little while: 60 minutes can only be done if your phone backs these up automatically overnight and not you doing them). Despite that, it does require only a little work from you, so here we go:
STEP 1: GET ALL OF YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW
Start off by backing up stuff to Google - Contacts, calendar, Gmail, Chrome data, and if you're on Android Marshmallow, App data. Go to Settings -> Accounts -> Google -> click on your email -> and turning everything on. This stuff should be on by default anyway, but just to be safe, check.
STEP 2: PHOTO BACKUP
Download the Google Photos app (it should be included by default on most recent Android devices, but if you have an older device, it might not be), then open the hamburger menu. Click Settings -> Back up & Sync, then select the account you want under Active Account. Also, select the upload size: high quality limits images to 16MP and video to 1080p, but is unlimited, while Original counts against your quota but allows full res images. I recommend the former, but do be warned panoramas are subject to the same limitations. Don't forget to select which folders you want backed up, under "Choose folders to back up...". Once this is done, scroll down and click "Back up all", then wait.
STEP 3: WHATSAPP BACKUP
WhatsApp is easily the most popular online messaging service, and thankfully, it's also the one that backs up and restores your stuff the most seamlessly. Go to WhatsApp, tap the overflow icon (three dots in the top right corner), Settings -> Chats and calls -> Chat backup, where you'll be greeted with settings for backing up either locally or Google Drive. Note that this feature was added in an update last year, so if you haven't updated, it may not be there. Also, it should've asked you all of this stuff when it first got updated with this feature, so the settings should already be in place, but tweak them if you'd like, then tap Back Up.
For other chat services, they have their own methods: for BBM, go to settings, then scroll down to the Chats subsection, then find the Save Chat History option, and tap "Backup Now". For LINE, each chat must be backed up individually - tap the arrow in the top-right corner and then "Chat Settings", "Backup Chat History", then "Backup All", then send it as an email to yourself.
STEP 4: EVERYTHING ELSE
You want to make sure the rest of the stuff you care about is saved. If you're running Android Lollipop or lower, you'll want to make sure all your apps are backed up: most apps with accounts theoretically don't need to be worried about, as they're supposed to sync. Be sure your games are backed up too: sign in to either Google Play Games or their own account-based systems. If you're running Marshmallow, Android automatically backs up your app data, up to 25MB.
For things like Messages and Phone, most manufacturers have their own systems: check under Settings -> Backup and reset. For example, here is the Samsung one:
If your manufacturer doesn't have it, I recommend checking out GCloud backup on the Play Store.
STEP 5: ACTUALLY FACTORY RESETTING THE DEVICE
You can do this from either the factory reset option in the Settings app, or by going to your device's recovery mode (to do that, Google "recovery mode [device name]"). Confirm you want to reset, then wait as the device reboots. Now it's time to go through the setup screen as if your device was new! If you're running Android 5.1 Lollipop or later, the device will ask you for your last signed in Google account and password, as a means of preventing thieves who've gained access to your device illegally and reset it.
STEP 6: SELECT WHICH APPS YOU WANT RE-INSTALLED
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Image credit to Android Central
During the setup process, Google will ask you which apps you want restored from your old phone. I don't recommend reinstalling everything again, since you'll actually find that if you install them only when you need them, you'll actually find out a lot of these apps you don't actually need.
STEP 7: GETTING EVERYTHING BACK IN PLACE
Head to the Play Store and update all of your apps, then it's time to open each app and re-sign in back to your account. WhatsApp will ask you if you want to restore your data if you're using both the same phone number and Google account as before, so agree if you wish to. For LINE, re-download your backup, then you have to open each person you want your chats to be restored, open Chat Settings, then "import". Rinse and repeat. For most other apps and games, it's a matter of signing into the right account.
Now here's the one I used to loathe: getting photos back, since Google Photos doesn't provide a batch download option. Or does it? Search Google Takeout on google.com, and open the link (I recommend avoiding doing this with Chrome, for some reason it kept quitting on me while downloading). Tap "Select None" at the top, scroll down to Google Photos, open the dropdown menu, and select the albums you want to download (you may have to rotate to landscape to do this properly: Takeout is meant to be visited on desktop), then tap OK. Scroll to the bottom, and tap "Next". Wait for the email that your stuff is ready, open the link, then download the zip file. Use a file manager to extract the files to your "DCIM" folder, and you should be good to go! (Just a note: Google Photos may back all of this up again, just delete the backup once it does so).
And you're golden! Now you know the right way to enjoy the benefits of a fresh new phone without the cost of buying a new phone, or the big amounts of effort you thought a factory reset required.
Related
How to use Google’s Android Device Manager
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Lose your Android device, either to theft or your own forgetfulness, is certainly not fun, that's what happened to my wife last month with my Nexus 7 3G. Google has finally released its response to the loss or theft of your Androphone with Android Device Manager.
It should hit your device soon, if not already, to help you locate or wipe (factory reset) your Android device lost. Here's how to use it.
INSTALL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Device Manager will automatically hit your device without having to do a thing. If you don't have it yet, you will soon receive. But before you can take full advantage of ADM, you will need to do some things, such as allowing factory reset on your device. Its implementation is quite simple..
First, visit google.com/android/devicemanager.
and if you want you can download the apk => com.google.android.gms-1.apk - MD5 Sum: d1884b750aff2dc3ff435f95510420cb - Size: 7.30 MB (7649893 bytes)
From there, a map will pop up with some information about your device, along with a prompt to enable the Erase Device function of ADM. You can either manually open up the green Google Settings app, which should be in your app drawer, or use the send notification link on the ADM webpage, giving you an easy way to find exactly where you need to be to enable remote factory reset.
If you don’t use the notification, just open Google Settings, and select Android Device Manager.
The option to toggle both the ability to factory reset your phone from ADM, and locate it, will be in there.
Using ADM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After you’ve done that, you’re ready to set to go. At the moment, there are three main functions of Android Device Manager. You can ring a lost phone, factory reset a lost phone or locate your device on a map using your phone's GPS. You can also rename what your device appears as in ADM.
Simply you can load ADM online and will show you the location of your device, but if you’re tracking it while it’s on the move, there’s a refresh button that will recalculate your device’s location.
If your device is located somewhere simply, like in your own house, you may want to use the Ring function. As Google explains, even if your phone is on silent, using the ring function in ADM will force your phone to ring at full volume for five minutes. To turn it off, you have to press the power button on your phone.
There’s nothing on your device indicating why it’s ringing, you’d have to know how to stop the ringing or play around to figure it out.
If you believe your device has been stolen, and you have some precious information on it, then the Erase Device function will come in handy. After you click Erase Device, a pop up will tell you what it will erase (essentially everything), and what will happen after that.
Unfortunately, Google says it “may not be able to wipe the content of the SD card in your device.” Best of luck if you have anything private on there.
If your device is off when you try to factory reset it, have no fear. The moment it’s turned on, it will be erased.
You may think erasing the content of your device is the best thing to do as soon as you find it’s missing, but you may want to hold on. After you erase your device, ADM will not work anymore.
Conclusion:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the moment, that’s all there is to it. As with all of Google’s products, we expect to see more features added in time and more practice
Thanks to Androidandme
how can I delete a device from my list?
I've a device which I'm selling (S4 Active SGH-i537) and I don't want it to appears. The phone is formatted and with any Google account registered.
My 30 minute test
It has a few problems:-
the ADM lock and erase activation appears to be disabled each time you use the lock function - seems illogical. Also any updates via Google Store will disable it (not tested as already updated). Obviously completely useless if it gets disabled without informing the user.
the ADM functionality is not very secure as easily disabled by the thief/finder of the phone - so again off little use.
Tracking function is good though - suggest you use that to try and locate phone, then go and steel it back - do not use lock/erase, just ring to ensure that system not disabled.
obviously if you are willing to abandon the phone, then the erase function can save many embarrassing or costly situations with contacts/banks etc. But be careful what you store on external SD cards, as I think they are not erased.
There are other applications around for similar functions, a quick look seems to show they are more secure. Hopefully Google will soon update there version to match or beat them.
Anyone used similar systems? good and bad comments appreciated.
Should be better
I'd dare to use this ADM if it was indeed more secure as mentioned before, it is way too easy for a thief with basic knowledge on android to disable this..
As of my personal POV I buy my devices off ebay if I need callsbor texting I use a crappy phone with a basic text and talk plan...I now have the note 3 I got for half the price but I'm not planning on activating it, so in the event it gets lost, it would totally depend on wifi..Also ADM can be uninstalled as an user app..there should be an alternative for us, root users, to make the app persistent even after a factory reset../system perhaps?
So until there is a fail-proof software that will help you find your device even in the most dire of situations, I'd dub this one kind of useless..
thnx
Thanks for the Great Tutorial .....
Thanks for the detailed article
OK, so, really wishing I hadn't deleted Cerberus off my phone... only later to have it stolen.
ADM is... well, kind of useless as it stands. Oh well. Lesson(s) learned.
I have remotely erased my phone - or at least I hope I have. The phone was offline so the ADM site said it would be erased as soon as it goes online again. My question is... how do I KNOW if it's been done???
also useful is google location history from a PC if you lose your phone in conjuction w/ android device manager. ADM won't work if phone powered off but location history will show you where youre phone was. I found out about this location history feature too late for me but hopefully it helps someone else with a lost phone.
Google - why don't you put a link to locaiton history on android device manager page.
How to use Google’s Android Device Manager
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Lose your Android device, either to theft or your own forgetfulness, is certainly not fun, that's what happened to my wife last month with my Nexus 7 3G. Google has finally released its response to the loss or theft of your Androphone with Android Device Manager.
It should hit your device soon, if not already, to help you locate or wipe (factory reset) your Android device lost. Here's how to use it.
INSTALL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Device Manager will automatically hit your device without having to do a thing. If you don't have it yet, you will soon receive. But before you can take full advantage of ADM, you will need to do some things, such as allowing factory reset on your device. Its implementation is quite simple..
First, visit google.com/android/devicemanager.
and if you want you can download the apk => com.google.android.gms-1.apk - MD5 Sum: d1884b750aff2dc3ff435f95510420cb - Size: 7.30 MB (7649893 bytes)
From there, a map will pop up with some information about your device, along with a prompt to enable the Erase Device function of ADM. You can either manually open up the green Google Settings app, which should be in your app drawer, or use the send notification link on the ADM webpage, giving you an easy way to find exactly where you need to be to enable remote factory reset.
If you don’t use the notification, just open Google Settings, and select Android Device Manager.
The option to toggle both the ability to factory reset your phone from ADM, and locate it, will be in there.
Using ADM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After you’ve done that, you’re ready to set to go. At the moment, there are three main functions of Android Device Manager. You can ring a lost phone, factory reset a lost phone or locate your device on a map using your phone's GPS. You can also rename what your device appears as in ADM.
Simply you can load ADM online and will show you the location of your device, but if you’re tracking it while it’s on the move, there’s a refresh button that will recalculate your device’s location.
If your device is located somewhere simply, like in your own house, you may want to use the Ring function. As Google explains, even if your phone is on silent, using the ring function in ADM will force your phone to ring at full volume for five minutes. To turn it off, you have to press the power button on your phone.
There’s nothing on your device indicating why it’s ringing, you’d have to know how to stop the ringing or play around to figure it out.
If you believe your device has been stolen, and you have some precious information on it, then the Erase Device function will come in handy. After you click Erase Device, a pop up will tell you what it will erase (essentially everything), and what will happen after that.
Unfortunately, Google says it “may not be able to wipe the content of the SD card in your device.” Best of luck if you have anything private on there.
If your device is off when you try to factory reset it, have no fear. The moment it’s turned on, it will be erased.
You may think erasing the content of your device is the best thing to do as soon as you find it’s missing, but you may want to hold on. After you erase your device, ADM will not work anymore.
Conclusion:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the moment, that’s all there is to it. As with all of Google’s products, we expect to see more features added in time and more practice
Thanks to Androidandme
Thank you so much, everything seems to work!
~(ACE)~ said:
Thank you so much, everything seems to work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, all seems work I haven't still tried because the apk wasn't release when my N7 has been stolen by the hands of my wife
It should have an option to force-open the gps setting in google settings for accurate device location in case the gps is turned off & lost.
Sent Via I9300, Stock XXUFME7, 4.2.2.
Tanks for helping
In My GS4, ADM is at:
Settings>More>Security>Device Administrators>ADM
You just have to tick it.
Another option is going to ADM webpage and "send a notification to device", it will open the dialogue box in GS4 to authorize remote Factory Reset via ADM.
Hope this helps some.
I had my phone beside me while watching curling the other day and had no clue what adm was. All the sudden my phone started ringing bus I wasn't getting a call so I thought nothing of it until my phone looked like it turned off and on. When it turned back on everything was gone. About 400 photos, all my apps, videos, everything was gone. How did this happen?
Get 36TB of cloud storage for FREE!!
PROOF
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How would you like 36TB's of storage?? FOR FREE!!!
So who is offering this? Qihoo 360, which is some Chinese company, only information I could find: is a Chinese company best known for its antivirus software. I would advise you to be cautious I haven't use any of the services yet and it does require you to download a desktop app and mobile client. You can delete these after all is setup and everything will stay you don't have to have them installed but you must install them to get the extra space.
*NOTE:This is a Chinese company, use your best judgment on what you store. I do not plan on storing sensitive information on here or any type of data that you would hate to loose or for someone else to get their hands on; that's what Dropbox, OneDrive, Share, Copy, and all the other secure cloud hosts are for and why you get a limited amount of free storage I'm a Network Technican in a call center and have tons of non sensitive stats, reports, and recording that we use just to track progress of the system that is in multiple locations so this give me another backup and will remove it off my computer at home atleast. I have 3 other backups to the data this is just another avenue so if all my stuff get's deleted I'm not at a loss, nor if anyone happens to get access to my account and look through it they'll see lots of numbers and data but nothing that's gonna hurt me or anyone else and more or less just annoy someone looking at the data trying to find a meaning.
Think of it this way:
This is like your front porch; You can use it to store things, but someone can still walk by and take something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NOTE: If you have any problems or troubles and can't figure something out I suggest this trick. Download the new Google Translate app off of Play store and use the new camera feature!! This made everything simple (had use 2 phones) because all I had to do was take a picture of the screen I was stuck at to find out the translation.
So lets go ahead and start. Here are the steps to getting setup:
1. Go to http://yunpan.360.cn
2. You should see a blue and white screen with a login box towards the right with some scrolling images to the left. Click the blue text at the bottom of the forum.
3. You should now be on a registration screen, here is the translation:
Welcome to register 360 cloud disk
Email (Mailbox)
Password (6-20 Characters)
Confirm Password
Verification Code (Not Case Sensitive)
I have read and agree to the "360 User Terms of Service"
Sign up now
4. You should then be redirected to a site with a green android looking guy and instructions to check your email to activate. You have 48 hours.
5. After you've verified your email go to http://down.360safe.com/yunpan/360wangpan_setup.exe to download the Qihoo 360 Windows Client
6. Once you have everything downloaded and install run the application
7. When the application first starts you should get a login screen (blue box) that has 2 tabs. Here is the translation:
Tab 1: Ordinary Login | Tab 2: Seamless Login
360 Account Login
Account
Password
Remember Password | Automatic Login
Log in
Forgot Password (Under log in button)
Note: If you get a pop up while logging in means you haven't activated your account yet
8. After you log in you should see that you start with 360GB, and after your first login you should get a pop-up like this:
Translation:
Congratulation
Obtain large cloud disk space permanently
"Something about how many harddrives it equals"
Click to receive
9. If you click the link you should now be at 10.4 TB, but what about the other 26TB?
10. To get the other 26TB you have to install the Android app which is the reason for me posting this so we can get it translated!
11. Download link for the android app: http://down.360safe.com/yunpan/360yunpan_android.apk (There is an iOS app)
12. Install the downloaded apk, one weird thing is that the app seemed to auto close on tablet. I used and old junk tablet we let the kids play with incase it was infected.
13. Open the app and this is where maybe someone can shed some light as I didn't translate the splash screen so I'm not sure what the 2 options are for. I can tell you that option 1 (Blue) will only allow you to enter a phone number but not sure what it's linked back to. Option 2 the grey option is the one that we want as we already created a 360 account.
14. Click the grey 360 tab to open the login screen
15. Input your email, pass and login (This is actually in english if your phone is set to english)
16. Press the login button and BAM 26TB instantly!!!!
17. I can't move around the app very well in Chinese but if you go back to your desktop client and check your space it should be at 36.4TB now!!!
Thats it! If you look at the first screen shot you will see it lists 36.4TB the second shot is initial setup showing the 360GB
Links:
Main Site/Sign up - http://yunpan.360.cn/
Desktop Client - http://down.360safe.com/yunpan/360wangpan_setup.exe
Android App - http://down.360safe.com/yunpan/360yunpan_android.apk
iOS App - http://itunes.apple.com/cn/app/360yun-pan/id508401605?mt=8
I just got this installed today so I haven't done anything with it really but thought I'd pass this along now lets get it translated!
If you have any questions be more than happy to ask and I'll do my best to answer as well as post my progress
Since yesterday I have a seemingly unresolvable issue with the Assistant on my Pixel 3. Running Android 10 and been using swedish as the main language for a while (the issue is the same with english btw).
Stuff like setting timers, alarms, making calls, sending texts and playing music have worked fine for a long time.
Right before things went wrong I got an error message about no Google account being associated to the Assistant. I reverted it to my Google account and figured everything was fine.
Then later the Assistant started failing, and in particular to do these tasks:
- set timers
- set alarms
- make calls
- send texts.
When I try these I'm only met with the three grey pulsating dots, and no audio response or text confirmation.
Stuff that it still does, though, are:
- play music via Spotify, Google Play Music
- tell me the weather
The strange thing though is that if I set Assistant to be used without an account, it works! Also if I create a brand new test Google account, it manages those basic tasks that have stopped working on my regular Google account.
So, on Android 10, security update april 5th.
I've been trying to resolve this for 24hrs now, and frustration is growing. I've:
- tried to clear cache/data for the Google app
- inactivated it, rebooted, activated, updated
- tried the beta Google app
- tried various old versions from apkmirror -- from march, earlier in april (at a time when my Assistant was working)
- rebooted in Safe mode -- here it uses the old Assistant interface! and it actually works, but it's the clunky old one!
- checked permissions for the Google app/Clock/Telephone app/Messages -- everything seems to be enabled?
- gone through my settings for my Google account: web and app activity, location history and so on is Enabled. Personlig ads also on.
Another weird thing is that sometimes it actually seems to set a timer, but no confirmation and no notification visible. Also nothing is shown in the Clock app. But a timer beeps after five minutes -- only sometimes! Weird.
Now when I was experimenting with this I tried to set a timer, then opened the Clock app and of course, no timer was running. I then got one of those blue notification fields at the bottom, saying I can use the Assistant to set timers, alarms etc. I touched it and got an Assistant popup saying "It's not possible to reach Google right now" (translated)... Hmmm!
As you can tell, this is very weird. I would appreciate any pointers and suggestions! Thanks in advance
So this is what a typical response looks like:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PaMGfYxAUSqAoMpZ6
And in Your Activity, it says I set a timer and got a response, but that is is simply untrue!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VGmrP1G4KU9HE66C8
(I switched to english temporarily to try to illustrate).
So, for every one of those attempts absolutely no resonse except for the pulsating dots was shown in Assistant! :/
So strange.
I zeroed my phone completely again, and set it up with my regular Google account but WITHOUT copying apps and settings. Assistant STILL WON'T DO BASIC TASKS LIKE TIMERS.
I zeroed it again and instead made a brand new Google account: Assistant immediately performs those basic tasks.
I really need some help here, please.
peppot said:
So strange.
I zeroed my phone completely again, and set it up with my regular Google account but WITHOUT copying apps and settings. Assistant STILL WON'T DO BASIC TASKS LIKE TIMERS.
I zeroed it again and instead made a brand new Google account: Assistant immediately performs those basic tasks.
I really need some help here, please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds to me like there are some settings/options that you need to check by going to your Google account settings by going to the Google website via browser. If changing things locally within your device/Google settings isn't changing functionality in your account activity/usage but a new account is functioning, it has to be some kind of non local Google settings that need to be changed/erased/reset.
Or maybe you are having issues with sync functionality and not your Google related stuff.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Droidriven said:
Sounds to me like there are some settings/options that you need to check by going to your Google account settings by going to the Google website via browser. If changing things locally within your device/Google settings isn't changing functionality in your account activity/usage but a new account is functioning, it has to be some kind of non local Google settings that need to be changed/erased/reset.
Or maybe you are having issues with sync functionality and not your Google related stuff.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I would think so too. But I've gone over _everything_ I can find at google.com/account ... turning off and on, rebooting the phone inbetween etc. Revoking rights for apps that might interfere... nothing
What do you mean by "sync functionality" though?
Thanks for the response!
OK, so I went back and disabled all the data & privacy settings in Assistant, and now it can set a timer. But beyond that it's quite useless as it can't get access to make calls or do texts etc. So I gradually enabled setting by setting, and I've concluded that the "Web & App Activity" toggle breaks my Assistant somehow. It doesn't matter if I check or uncheck the "Include Chrome history..." or "Include voice and audio recordings" boxes, if the main toggle is on my Assistant hits some kind of wall with timers, texts and calls. Beyond this I can't understand what I can do to influence this?!
I'm having that hang issue when setting an alarm with Google Assistant on my account.
Using a different account works though. I'm not sure what setting in my account is causing this error.
Using Voice Search to set alarms is fine.
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I have been hacked several times on my last two phones.
The functionality of my social media and email apps has been changed, causing data loss and compromising my online accounts. The type of connection is irrelevant.
Based on the symptoms, it appears that my apps may have been cloned and are being used to piggy-back, on my credentials, everytime I login.
What can I do to stop this, or make it so difficult for the attacker, that he gives up the chase?
What device/OS version?
Get the social media apps, shopping apps etc off the phone.
I would say copy your data (pics, music, docs etc.) out of your phone and in to some external storage, then do a full wipe/factory reset using some RUU. Odin tars, etc., re-install whatever apps clean from play store, or from apks that you download from reputable sources like APK Mirror etc., not restored from some Titanium backups, then copy your personal data back to your phone - oh, and before anything, change your passwords for ALL online accts everywhere using some clean device, NOT your compromised phone. You're looking at hours of work, but I don't think there is any other way to be sure.
Edit: If you use Play Store, you can go to your Google acc and see the approved Devices in Security section (again, while using a clean device), maybe you'll spot some device there which is not yours - then you can remove it.
Blackview A80 Plus.
I'm in the process of replacing the apps with web versions.
I've also added an app-locker, that forces a pin-code to be reentered everytime the app or window goes to background.
I'm also cutting the internet connection when my phone starts running slow.
The biggest problem is my emails. These have sometimes been destroyed during creation, the drafts and other emails deleted.
My bank accounts may also have been affected.
Deleted Google account on phone. Back up all critical data. Factory reset.
Reset Google password* with one that is at least 15 digits including symbol$ and letters. Write it down. Reload with caution; it's likely you installed the malware yourself at some point. Be helpful if you knew how it happened. This is rare or should be. Do not let other use your phone unless you're there.
*as imonxda said... do not reset the passwords on the infected device. May setup a new Google Gmail account to use as the main account backup contact.
I will do everything you suggest.
*Also, assuming this is an APT and the phone was coded to behave this way, in my juris..., what can I do to frustrate the attacker, to make piggybacking on my logins more of a chore and in general to increase his workload to the point where he can't really cause me anymore harm, or at least not very much.
I've done resets before and this is my second phone with this issue.
My last phone was a Xiaomi Redmi 8a.
I'm living in the pacific and my country is a satellite of A'[email protected] and they're just nuts...
MySecDev said:
I will do everything you suggest.
*Also, assuming this is an APT and the phone was coded to behave this way, in my juris..., what can I do to frustrate the attacker, to make piggybacking on my logins more of a chore and in general to increase his workload to the point where he can't really cause me anymore harm, or at least not very much.
I've done resets before and this is my second phone with this issue.
My last phone was a Xiaomi Redmi 8a.
I'm living in the pacific and my country is a satellite of A'[email protected] and they're just nuts...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use a VPN, always use HTTPS.
Vet all apps. Keep all downloads in the download folder until vetted. Check download folder daily for anything that doesn't belong, if so delete, do not open.
Use this settings mode:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Intersting new development...
I emailed the Ooßsa Emb' here recently and they asked for a phone number. They didn't really need that to communicate with me, since they already had my email. Like a dope, I gave them one of my mob' numbers. That was about fifteen days ago. That's when I started noticing my phone's volume control lowering itself, on its own.
I should have told them that I didn't have one or that my phone was broken, I was out of minutes, etc.
Now, I get lots of ads for SKorean games and when I go into settings, to verify country settings, Play Store asks me if I want to change to the SKorean Play Store.
I've been to SKorea. They're an Ooßsa moorc state.
Also, the app locker I was using started popping-up pin entry windows continuously, until I had to restart the phone. This happened at least twice. This demonstrated unambiguously that the attacker had complete control of my phone.
Will a fact-reset change my IMEI? I think I read somewhere that it will.
The moral of the story is, never give the vog your phone number
I suppose you can give them the number of someone you don't like ;-)
MySecDev said:
Intersting new development...
I emailed the Ooßsa Emb' here recently and they asked for a phone number. They didn't really need that to communicate with me, since they already had my email. Like a dope, I gave them one of my mob' numbers. That was about fifteen days ago. That's when I started noticing my phone's volume control lowering itself, on its own.
I should have told them that I didn't have one or that my phone was broken, I was out of minutes, etc.
Now, I get lots of ads for SKorean games and when I go into settings, to verify country settings, Play Store asks me if I want to change to the SKorean Play Store.
I've been to SKorea. They're an Ooßsa moorc state.
Also, the app locker I was using started popping-up pin entry windows continuously, until I had to restart the phone. This happened at least twice. This demonstrated unambiguously that the attacker had complete control of my phone.
Will a fact-reset change my IMEI? I think I read somewhere that it will.
The moral of the story is, never give the vog your phone number
I suppose you can give them the number of someone you don't like ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to increase the security on your accounts. A phone number shouldn't be enough info to allow someone hack you by alternate logon to your account(s).
You're not a high revenue target so what they're using mustn't take too much time; it's an obvious hole in your security.
Someone using a Stingray etc could do that though. You pi$$ off a LEO or someone in the DOD, NSA, FBI, etc really bad?