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I finally was forced to update to android 5.0.1. I updated at work but it failed halfway through and is now in a boot loop. I've tried every solution the internet can provide me. What do I do now? The device IMEI has a limited warranty until 2017. I purchased through swappa. I have original box but no documentation besides the barcode sticker on the side. Will AT&T replace this? It was their update that caused this anyway. Any experiences with this sort of thing please? I dropped a large chunk of change on this paperweight. Thanks
Wildstar34 said:
I finally was forced to update to android 5.0.1. I updated at work but it failed halfway through and is now in a boot loop. I've tried every solution the internet can provide me. What do I do now? The device IMEI has a limited warranty until 2017. I purchased through swappa. I have original box but no documentation besides the barcode sticker on the side. Will AT&T replace this? It was their update that caused this anyway. Any experiences with this sort of thing please? I dropped a large chunk of change on this paperweight. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing to do is find a local Best Buy with a Samsung Experience shop. They can reflash the firmware or send the phone in for repairs. This would be the best and easiest option. Most likely, you'll be able to get everything fixed in around an hour max.
BTW, it doesn't matter if the device was purchased from somewhere other than Best Buy!
I'm not sure if ATT will replace the phone if you didn't buy it from ATT. You can contact them to see though. Call them and tell them that you bought the device from Swappa. Though, most likely, they'll turn you away unless they have some sort of business alliance with Swappa.
Do this as a Plan B.
The third option is to get in contact with Swappa. I don't know anything about that service though. Usually in order to claim warranty, you need the device and proof of purchase. If Swappa has an online receipt, or even just an online purchase history, that should work. They most likely would just need some sort of proof that you actually bought the device from or through them. Like I said, I don't know anything about Swappa, so you'll have to contact them to get specifics of what you'd need.
When all else fails, go directly to Samsung. Again, tell them that you got the device from Swappa. Though, this would basically be like the first option, except that it would take longer.
All options except the first one may result in you getting a refurbished replacement. Just an FYI. The only way that Best Buy will give you a refurbished replacement is if they were to send the phone back to Samsung and it was replaced.
PM me if needed!
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
spexwood said:
The first thing to do is find a local Best Buy with a Samsung Experience shop. They can reflash the firmware or send the phone in for repairs. This would be the best and easiest option. Most likely, you'll be able to get everything fixed in around an hour max.
BTW, it doesn't matter if the device was purchased from somewhere other than Best Buy!
I'm not sure if ATT will replace the phone if you didn't buy it from ATT. You can contact them to see though. Call them and tell them that you bought the device from Swappa. Though, most likely, they'll turn you away unless they have some sort of business alliance with Swappa.
Do this as a Plan B.
The third option is to get in contact with Swappa. I don't know anything about that service though. Usually in order to claim warranty, you need the device and proof of purchase. If Swappa has an online receipt, or even just an online purchase history, that should work. They most likely would just need some sort of proof that you actually bought the device from or through them. Like I said, I don't know anything about Swappa, so you'll have to contact them to get specifics of what you'd need.
When all else fails, go directly to Samsung. Again, tell them that you got the device from Swappa. Though, this would basically be like the first option, except that it would take longer.
All options except the first one may result in you getting a refurbished replacement. Just an FYI. The only way that Best Buy will give you a refurbished replacement is if they were to send the phone back to Samsung and it was replaced.
PM me if needed!
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks a lot. This may be the single most helpful forum post I've ever read. I will drive up to BestBuy tomorrow and give it a shot. I wasn't able to flash a AT&T stock rom through Odin, but I guess it's worth a shot. I believe the flash failure was due to the AT&T bootloader being locked?
Wildstar34 said:
Hey, thanks a lot. This may be the single most helpful forum post I've ever read. I will drive up to BestBuy tomorrow and give it a shot. I wasn't able to flash a AT&T stock rom through Odin, but I guess it's worth a shot. I believe the flash failure was due to the AT&T bootloader being locked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome!
Most likely something just went wrong during the installation. The bootloader is not a factor in this matter since all ATT Note 4s have it locked and the firmware is meant for this phone.
Now, if you had the phone rooted (permanently), installed a custom kernel and recovery, etc, then the update failure would be 100% explainable. But since you can't do any of that with this phone, then the most likely cause is just "sh1t happened" or the installation was interrupted (like battery died).
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
Have you tried kies to reflash your phone?
floatingtrees said:
Have you tried kies to reflash your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Kies, Kies3 and Swap Sync or whatever to do an emergency restore. All of them failed. Kies 3 recognized the phone and was 98% done downloading the firmware and then failed.
Also i am not rooted and never attempted a root (on this phone anyway).
Good news. Just got off the phone with AT&T and they have a replacement on the way. Thanks for your help everybody. We have achieved the best case senario for me as i was having problems with the volume buttons anyway
I would consider this case solved.
Wildstar34 said:
Good news. Just got off the phone with AT&T and they have a replacement on the way. Thanks for your help everybody. We have achieved the best case senario for me as i was having problems with the volume buttons anyway
I would consider this case solved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Win-win for you (I guess?)
If the volume keys were messed up, then I wonder if there was some other problems with the phone too. Ones you couldn't see... ones that prevented proper firmware installation.
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Here in Canada it seems you are asked to mail back the old phone to a recycling company. So I'm wondering if there are any consequences to "forgetting" to mail it back, aside from potentially barbecuing your leg/car/home. Anyways, can they force me to send the old one back after the new one arrives?
I don't see how they can know you haven't sent it out. Correct me if I'm wrong.
NIKKOTUASON said:
I don't see how they can know you haven't sent it out. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They might know based off the IMEI. They could just easily check to see if the phone relating to the IMEI has been sent in and if it hasn't, they'll email the owner of the bad phone.
Well that's what I assume. My old Note 7 is still in the box waiting to send to UPS.
Cycloneon said:
They might know based off the IMEI. They could just easily check to see if the phone relating to the IMEI has been sent in and if it hasn't, they'll email the owner of the bad phone.
Well that's what I assume. My old Note 7 is still in the box waiting to send to UPS.
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Click to collapse
That's exactly what I was thinking after submitting my first reply lol. When we inputted our imei/serial in their official exchange page they can easily see who was sent replacement or not...
NIKKOTUASON said:
That's exactly what I was thinking after submitting my first reply lol. When we inputted our imei/serial in their official exchange page they can easily see who was sent replacement or not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is if the recycling company actually records the imea of every device they receive before "recycling" them or if they just report raw numbers.
Several in the Canadian thread have made it clear they have been sent the return box even when they already returned their phones.
It will be interesting to see what documentation is included. I am planning on saving screen shots of my return tracking email showing the old device delivered just in case.
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using Tapatalk
speaking of which those in canada who have had a replacement device sent did samsung email you? they said the devices would start shipping on the 22nd but still nothing:s
I got another email saying they'd start on the 27th, then today replacement came in with an extra box with a return label already on it.
No other documentation included. I even had to call in and ask for an unlock code for my new note 7, it wasn't provided automatically like with the original one.
egzeros said:
Here in Canada it seems you are asked to mail back the old phone to a recycling company. So I'm wondering if there are any consequences to "forgetting" to mail it back, aside from potentially barbecuing your leg/car/home. Anyways, can they force me to send the old one back after the new one arrives?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really! Behave yourself. You must be aware of the dangers of keeping such a mobile or even worse the consequences of selling it or even giving it away. Send it back. Samsung have dealt with this situation in a very odd way. They began with good professional intentions the situation then went down hill and for many the scenario has turned into a farce.
One thing for sure if and when you receive your replacement you must return your old device. It is the correct thing to do.
Ryland :good:
I still have the old one. It is better than the replacement.......
My replacement one is loosing battery VERY fast when idle...
THS1989 said:
I still have the old one. It is better than the replacement.......
My replacement one is loosing battery VERY fast when idle...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And it can keep your hands warm and be used to light a log fire
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N930A using XDA-Developers mobile app
ekerbuddyeker said:
And it can keep your hands warm and be used to light a log fire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It actually runs dead cold.... My replacement is much warmer.
Did it come with a prepaid label?? If so that's mostly likely how they are tracking it
THS1989 said:
It actually runs dead cold.... My replacement is much warmer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. I'm having so many issues with the replacement unit. The screen sensitivity issue is making the phone so hard to use, it loses power much quicker, and it gets quite warm. This whole experience has been painful.
egzeros said:
Here in Canada it seems you are asked to mail back the old phone to a recycling company. So I'm wondering if there are any consequences to "forgetting" to mail it back, aside from potentially barbecuing your leg/car/home. Anyways, can they force me to send the old one back after the new one arrives?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
omg sent to the recycling company ? remove the batteries and send them all to me lol
They will eventually send an update to all Note 7 phones that will disable them. So return the phone. They can track if your phone is in use or not.
for anyone who has broken.. smashed.. lost the spen... broke the sim holder.... this must be a godsend. what would have been expensive repairs... now they are entitled to new phone because of the battery. I would get great pleasure handing over a smashed phone and getting new one
Has anyone kept the s pen or sim tray or accessories? Do they just want the phone itself back?
I was advised to send EVERYTHING back in the box exactly as it was originally delivered - so that's what I did. The replacement is complete (as if buying a new phone) and the delivery guy asked for the return package. That's what he got after I'd factory reset. I'd previously backed everything up to Smart Switch on my pc.
Here in the UK, the delivery guy had a deliver & return consignment. So I had no choice but to return it. I bought direct from Samsung store online. Sent everything that was in the box back.
Thinking about it now I'm glad I did. No come backs from Samsung. The deals done & I have new replacement device that is perfect so far.
Glad it's all over now & I can get on with enjoying this fantastic device.
Instructions for me seemed to imply to just send the phone itself. And along with the phone there is no other documentation that would be sent to the recycling company. So they would need to turn it on to check the imei and possibly even factory reset it if I leave my password on. This all seems to point to them not really being able to determine whether it was actually sent or not. That said, seems like I'd be able to, at the least, keep an extra s pen and the in box accessories. That in itself would more than make up for the pain of exchanging. I just hope i don't have issues with the replacement like some people on here.
Hi all,
I am not sure if this is better in a different Thread, so admin please move if so..
BE CAREFULL !!!! If you plan to root you S9, do NEVER do the following:
Switch on your S9 for the very first time and once you are forced to set-up a new google account, REMEMBER the data you enter !!!!!!!
Even if you (like me) do not want a google account, do not enter anything stupid, a password that you dont remember...
BECAUSE, if you now do a factory-reset from the bootloder, the phone will be lost forever!!!!!
You will have to send your phone to a SAMSUNG Service-center for unlock...
Thanks to Google and Samsung, this "feature" is very close to be illegal...
That sounds like FRP lock. If you know what you're doing (and you didn't steal the phone) there are ways around it.
joe535 said:
Hi all,
I am not sure if this is better in a different Thread, so admin please move if so..
BE CAREFULL !!!! If you plan to root you S9, do NEVER do the following:
Switch on your S9 for the very first time and once you are forced to set-up a new google account, REMEMBER the data you enter !!!!!!!
Even if you (like me) do not want a google account, do not enter anything stupid, a password that you dont remember...
BECAUSE, if you now do a factory-reset from the bootloder, the phone will be lost forever!!!!!
You will have to send your phone to a SAMSUNG Service-center for unlock...
Thanks to Google and Samsung, this "feature" is very close to be illegal...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been the case for a long time, and the same with iPhones, don't forget your login, make sure you have a recovery for your email password and don't steal phones
Not sure why it should be illegal to protect people's personal info
joe535 said:
Thanks to Google and Samsung, this "feature" is very close to be illegal...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's actually illegal is people "forgetting" their password for "their" (newly acquired) phone.
So yeah. Let's totally make it easier to bypass you forgetting your password. While we're at it, let's just get rid of all security measures because they can be inconvenient at times.
FRP is a Documented Feature
The online Samsung S9 documentation does document the Factory Data Reset process. While this is surprising if it happens to you the feature is designed to help make stolen phone less valuable. At least in theory.
Note: When you sign in to a Google Account on your device, Factory Reset Protection is activated. This protects your device in the event it is lost or stolen. If you reset your device to factory default settings with the Factory Reset Protection (FRP) feature activated, you must enter the user name and password for a registered Google Account to regain access to the
device. You will not be able to access the device without the correct credentials.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
joe535 said:
Hi all,
I am not sure if this is better in a different Thread, so admin please move if so..
BE CAREFULL !!!! If you plan to root you S9, do NEVER do the following:
Switch on your S9 for the very first time and once you are forced to set-up a new google account, REMEMBER the data you enter !!!!!!!
Even if you (like me) do not want a google account, do not enter anything stupid, a password that you dont remember...
BECAUSE, if you now do a factory-reset from the bootloder, the phone will be lost forever!!!!!
You will have to send your phone to a SAMSUNG Service-center for unlock...
Thanks to Google and Samsung, this "feature" is very close to be illegal...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that's why they call them smart phones, you need to be smart to use them.
Well, I do have the invoice from MY NOT STOLEN Phone.......
And an "anti-theft-feature" basically does not protect the phone from being stolen. It is simply not usable, but nevertheless the victim has a certain damage...
So, how can this kind of feature by advanced? VERY easy: In case of theft, the owner of a phone may log into his accoount from any other Computer and he ACTIVELY (!!!) has to quote his phone was stolen. NOW it can be locked.
I will send my phone to Samsung this week. I will expect thay RESET it for free...
Or maybe contact google... I remember the password but not the account... So maybe they can tell me the account-name if I gave the IMEA number...
oildale said:
What's actually illegal is people "forgetting" their password for "their" (newly acquired) phone.
So yeah. Let's totally make it easier to bypass you forgetting your password. While we're at it, let's just get rid of all security measures because they can be inconvenient at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Especially since I do have the invoice, a proof that I BOUGHT the phone !!!!
oildale said:
What's actually illegal is people "forgetting" their password for "their" (newly acquired) phone.
So yeah. Let's totally make it easier to bypass you forgetting your password. While we're at it, let's just get rid of all security measures because they can be inconvenient at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tomiga said:
That sounds like FRP lock. If you know what you're doing (and you didn't steal the phone) there are ways around it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already tried a lot of workarounds, so far with no success. Off course it is not stolen, I will make an image of the invoice later today if everybody mistrust me...
I will try that google give me the account-name I have created, because I do remember the password. I assume, that the account is tied to the IMEI of the phone...
If this does not help me out, I will se how far I will get using ADB. Luckily I activated USB debugging before I did the big mistake.
As last Option I will have to send the phone to a Samsung Service center...
Lets see...
joe535 said:
Well, I do have the invoice from MY NOT STOLEN Phone.......
And an "anti-theft-feature" basically does not protect the phone from being stolen. It is simply not usable, but nevertheless the victim has a certain damage...
So, how can this kind of feature by advanced? VERY easy: In case of theft, the owner of a phone may log into his accoount from any other Computer and he ACTIVELY (!!!) has to quote his phone was stolen. NOW it can be locked.
I will send my phone to Samsung this week. I will expect thay RESET it for free...
Or maybe contact google... I remember the password but not the account... So maybe they can tell me the account-name if I gave the IMEA number...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So OK let's reverse this scenario, you buy an S9, you secure it with your Google account, someone steals your phone, they use whatever method you are wishing for to unlock the device, and now they have access to all of your info, data, media, and also a brand new S9 for themselves
You are happy about this, right?
Or even if we say they reset the device, so your info is safe, they now have a brand new S9 for themselves. you are also happy about this too right?
Or how about the scenario when people already know it is useless resetting the phone because there is no way to unlock it without the original Google account login (Same as iPhone), now they don't bother stealing your phone because it would be useless to them, so now you get to keep your expensive S9 because they didn't want to steal it
Which scenario makes you happiest?
If you forget absolutely everything about the account you used for your phone, for some reason you do not have any record of it from other reset email accounts you should have added, then you have no-one to shout at other than yourself, you messed up, not Samsung or Google, YOU
*Detection* said:
So OK let's reverse this scenario, you buy an S9, you secure it with your Google account, someone steals your phone, they use whatever method you are wishing for to unlock the device, and now they have access to all of your info, data, media, and also a brand new S9 for themselves
You are happy about this, right?
Or even if we say they reset the device, so your info is safe, they now have a brand new S9 for themselves. you are also happy about this too right?
Or how about the scenario when people already know it is useless resetting the phone because there is no way to unlock it without the original Google account login (Same as iPhone), now they don't bother stealing your phone because it would be useless to them, so now you get to keep your expensive S9 because they didn't want to steal it
Which scenario makes you happiest?
If you forget absolutely everything about the account you used for your phone, for some reason you do not have any record of it from other reset email accounts you should have added, then you have no-one to shout at other than yourself, you messed up, not Samsung or Google, YOU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not fully agree!
If my phone is stolen, I will ACTIVATE the anti-theft-protection after it has been stolen.
Normally someone would recognize very fast that it has been stolen. It does not matter whether the stolen phone is deactivated right now or some hours later. It will be unusable from this moment, the owner deactivates...
No one is happy about a stolen phone, but stolen is stolen, regardless if the thief can use it or not. The damage I have anyway...
Imagine you buy a Windows-PC. But you prefer Linux, format the HDD and try to install linux. But some geniusses decided that your PC will no longer be usable... Really a good idea??
It should go without saying that having an invoice showing the purchase of a phone, if purchased from other than the manufacturer or cellular provider, does not eliminate the possibility that the phone was reported stolen by a previous purchaser/owner. I would much rather have my phone automatically rendered inoperable by anyone not having my password and/or Google account information than give them the opportunity to acccess it during the lag time spanning the period that: 1) I realized my phone is lost; 2) I successfully reported the loss to the carrier or manufacturer having the ability to hard lock the device; and 3) the carrier/manufacturer actually locks the device.
elbee222 said:
It should go without saying that having an invoice showing the purchase of a phone, if purchased from other than the manufacturer or cellular provider, does not eliminate the possibility that the phone was reported stolen by a previous purchaser/owner. I would much rather have my phone automatically rendered inoperable by anyone not having my password and/or Google account information than give them the opportunity to acccess it during the lag time spanning the period that: 1) I realized my phone is lost; 2) I successfully reported the loss to the carrier or manufacturer having the ability to hard lock the device; and 3) the carrier/manufacturer actually locks the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yes and no To me, the probability to "loose" my phone in a way I accitentially did is much higher than it might be stolen...
So do you mean, even I can proove the purchase, I do not have the right that Samsung unlocks it??? See, if it is stolen, I cannot use it. If I do 2 SOFTWARE based steps, I cannot use it. It is lost in both cases, so non of them is good...
If you can prove the purchase, and -- if you are not the original purchaser - no prior owner has reported the phone lost or stolen and there is no related bad IMEI issue -- then I would agree that you should have the right to have the phone unlocked/reactivated by Samsung or the carrier. I suspect Samsung or the carrier will check to make sure that a lost/stolen phone report is not received in the interim.
joe535 said:
I do not fully agree!
If my phone is stolen, I will ACTIVATE the anti-theft-protection after it has been stolen.
Normally someone would recognize very fast that it has been stolen. It does not matter whether the stolen phone is deactivated right now or some hours later. It will be unusable from this moment, the owner deactivates...
No one is happy about a stolen phone, but stolen is stolen, regardless if the thief can use it or not. The damage I have anyway...
Imagine you buy a Windows-PC. But you prefer Linux, format the HDD and try to install linux. But some geniusses decided that your PC will no longer be usable... Really a good idea??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your argument is weak, it is a LOT more difficult to lose a PC than a phone, it is a LOT more difficult to steal a PC than a phone
Thousands (maybe millions) of phones are lost and stolen every day around the world, PCs not so much...
Why would you buy a Windows PC if you wanted Linux? Wouldn't you just build a PC and install Linux from day 1?
At the end of the day, for whatever reasons you are p*ssed because you are locked out of your phone, the reason you are locked out is your own fault, you are looking to blame someone when all you need to do is look in the mirror
Maybe Samsung will unlock it if you can prove proof of ownership, maybe... but by the sounds of it, you didn't buy it new, which leads us right back to the possibility of it being stolen, which is likely the same conclusion Samsung will come to
*Detection* said:
Your argument is weak, it is a LOT more difficult to lose a PC than a phone, it is a LOT more difficult to steal a PC than a phone
Thousands (maybe millions) of phones are lost and stolen every day around the world, PCs not so much...
Why would you buy a Windows PC if you wanted Linux? Wouldn't you just build a PC and install Linux from day 1?
At the end of the day, for whatever reasons you are p*ssed because you are locked out of your phone, the reason you are locked out is your own fault, you are looking to blame someone when all you need to do is look in the mirror
Maybe Samsung will unlock it if you can prove proof of ownership, maybe... but by the sounds of it, you didn't buy it new, which leads us right back to the possibility of it being stolen, which is likely the same conclusion Samsung will come to
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just talked to Samsung support. Will cost me about 35€ to get the security chip changed.
Ok, could have been worse...
joe535 said:
Just talked to Samsung support. Will cost me about 35€ to get the security chip changed.
Ok, could have been worse...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us know what happens
joe535 said:
Especially since I do have the invoice, a proof that I BOUGHT the phone !!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not saying that you stole the phone but because you don't take making your account seriously the rest of us have to have security that is easily bypassed for our phones? I don't think so.
You screwed up and now you're paying the price. Hopefully you can get things sorted out and get access to your phone. In the very least though, you'll never do something so stupid again right?
*Detection* said:
So OK let's reverse this scenario, you buy an S9, you secure it with your Google account, someone steals your phone, they use whatever method you are wishing for to unlock the device, and now they have access to all of your info, data, media, and also a brand new S9 for themselves
You are happy about this, right?
Or even if we say they reset the device, so your info is safe, they now have a brand new S9 for themselves. you are also happy about this too right?
Or how about the scenario when people already know it is useless resetting the phone because there is no way to unlock it without the original Google account login (Same as iPhone), now they don't bother stealing your phone because it would be useless to them, so now you get to keep your expensive S9 because they didn't want to steal it
Which scenario makes you happiest?
If you forget absolutely everything about the account you used for your phone, for some reason you do not have any record of it from other reset email accounts you should have added, then you have no-one to shout at other than yourself, you messed up, not Samsung or Google, YOU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's it.
oildale said:
I'm not saying that you stole the phone but because you don't take making your account seriously the rest of us have to have security that is easily bypassed for our phones? I don't think so.
You screwed up and now you're paying the price. Hopefully you can get things sorted out and get access to your phone. In the very least though, you'll never do something so stupid again right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. At least, we know by now, that there is a physical security-chip inside the phones
I am just wondering, why this forum does exist.. I assume a lot of us like custom ROMs , rooting etc. because we like to get rid of google and other bloatware. At least this it what I personally like to... But if a google "feature" locks someone from his own phone, he suddenly is a criminal ?!?!?!
OK. @admin - better close this thread as it does not really helps us.
So I'm relatively new to this sort of thing. I've bypassed a few frp locks manually without a PC but I've been unsuccessful so far trying to bypass the frp for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Maybe to a legit online frp removal service or the latest manual bypass. Thanks in advance for your help.
Why would you need to bypass the FRP lock? Just doing some background reading into it, it's there for a very good reason to protect user data.
If the phone is yours and you simply can't remember the Google account credentials, then I would suggest contacting them.
Factory rest, then find someone with a one's 9pro (only one I did this with so cannot attest to other models working). On the one plus turn on mobile Hotspot with open security, in set up screen on galaxy connect to the one us Hotspot, log in to your Google account like normal. Has worked on all the galaxy phones I've tried since I accidentally discovered this last month. Have no explanation as to why this works but it blew my mind
m_w_clarke said:
Why would you need to bypass the FRP lock? Just doing some background reading into it, it's there for a very good reason to protect user data.
If the phone is yours and you simply can't remember the Google account credentials, then I would suggest contacting them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone was not originally mine. It belonged to a guy that I work with. He bought 2. One for him and one for his girlfriend. When they split up, just a few days after....She gave the phone back but was apparently reluctant to sign out of her Google account.
aarontmartin1994 said:
Factory rest, then find someone with a one's 9pro (only one I did this with so cannot attest to other models working). On the one plus turn on mobile Hotspot with open security, in set up screen on galaxy connect to the one us Hotspot, log in to your Google account like normal. Has worked on all the galaxy phones I've tried since I accidentally discovered this last month. Have no explanation as to why this works but it blew my mind
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Thank you. I appreciate it. I'll give it a shot if I can find someone with a one 9pro. I've got the One Nord n200 but that doesn't help me much.
Don't take wooden nickels
I'm not accusing the OP or anything nefarious, but imagine this. You use FRP on your device and feel somewhat secure that it at least your phone is stolen, it's useless to the thief. Then all they do is come to XDA and they figure out how to bypass it. I realize there's alway legitimate reasons for needing to bypassing an FRP, but the FRP is there for a very good reason, and defeating it should not be discussed here. Just my two cents.
Mr. Orange 645 said:
I'm not accusing the OP or anything nefarious, but imagine this. You use FRP on your device and feel somewhat secure that it at least your phone is stolen, it's useless to the thief. Then all they do is come to XDA and they figure out how to bypass it. I realize there's alway legitimate reasons for needing to bypassing an FRP, but the FRP is there for a very good reason, and defeating it should not be discussed here. Just my two cents.
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Exactly my point above.
aarontmartin1994 said:
Factory rest, then find someone with a one's 9pro (only one I did this with so cannot attest to other models working). On the one plus turn on mobile Hotspot with open security, in set up screen on galaxy connect to the one us Hotspot, log in to your Google account like normal. Has worked on all the galaxy phones I've tried since I accidentally discovered this last month. Have no explanation as to why this works but it blew my mind
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That would still need the Google account holder to log in. Which I think is the question being asked; how can I remove this lock without using the Google account linked to the phone.
Sorry. I think you can't do it unless you get the original Google account holder to login (and do a factory reset) . Unless some hackers found a backdoor, otherwise no other way.
Zerobim08 said:
Sorry. I think you can't do it unless you get the original Google account holder to login (and do a factory reset) . Unless some hackers found a backdoor, otherwise no other way.
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There does exist a backdoor but I don't want to be responsible for someone losing their phone which they payed too much for in the first place
If you have a local Samsung Authorized Service Provider location near you, (ex. UBreakIFix or a Samsung Certified Best Buy) they will be able to bypass FRP with a valid Proof of Purchase.
Source: I am a Samsung Authorized Service Provider (SASP) Technician
https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/4/22817758/broken-google-pixel-phone-privacy-leak
Google says it’s investigating the latest report
By Emma Roth Dec 4, 2021, 7:43pm EST
After game designer and author Jane McGonigal sent her Pixel 5a to Google for repair, someone allegedly took and hacked her device. This is at least the second report in as many weeks from someone claiming they sent a Google phone in for repair, only to have it used to leak their private data and photographs. McGonigal posted a detailed account of the situation on Twitter on Saturday and advised other users not to send their phones in for repair with the company.
In October, McGonigal sent her broken phone to an official Pixel repair center in Texas. She tweeted later that Google said it never received the phone, and during the ensuing weeks, she was charged for a replacement device.
“THE PHOTOS THEY OPENED WERE OF ME IN BATHING SUITS, SPORTS BRAS, FORM-FITTING DRESSES, AND OF STITCHES AFTER SURGERY”
But according to McGonigal, FedEx tracking information shows the device arrived at the facility weeks ago. Late Friday night — a few hours after she says she finally received a refund for the device — someone seems to have used the “missing” phone to clear two-factor authentication checks and log in to several of her accounts, including her Dropbox, Gmail, and Google Drive.
The activity triggered several email security alerts to McGonigal’s backup accounts. However, she speculates that whoever has the phone may have used it to access her backup email addresses and then dumped any security alerts into her spam folder.
“The photos they opened were of me in bathing suits, sports bras, form-fitting dresses, and of stitches after surgery,” McGonigal writes. “They deleted Google security notifications in my backup email accounts.”
In a statement emailed to The Verge, Google spokesperson Alex Moriconi says, “We are investigating this claim.” It’s still unclear whether the device might have been intercepted within the repair facility or while it was in transit, or who has it now. Google’s official repair instructions recommend backing up and then erasing a device before sending it in. Still, as Jane McGonigal points out, that’s either hard or impossible, depending on the damage.
The whole situation reminds us of the security concerns whenever we hand over our devices for repair, and unfortunately, such activity has precedent. In June, Apple paid millions to a woman after repair technicians posted her nude photos to Facebook. Apple recently said it would start selling DIY repair kits, giving users the chance to fix their own phones, or at least have the task done by someone that a user trusts, as opposed to sending it in or dropping it off at an Apple Store.
For Pixel phones, your options for official service are either via mail-in or, in some countries, local service through an authorized provider. In the US, Google partners with uBreakiFix franchises. Whatever phone you have, the options for repairs are still somewhat limited, and you end up having to trust that no one with bad intentions will get their hands on your phone while it’s out of your possession.
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It also happened to a woman with an iPhone. Nothing new.
These people obviously don't have a reasonable screen lock.
Also, google should provide instructions to wipe with USB that can be followed by a normal person.
96carboard said:
These people obviously don't have a reasonable screen lock.
Also, google should provide instructions to wipe with USB that can be followed by a normal person.
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for the most part, these people have no lock or biometrics on. and their screen is dead (so they think the phone is dead). but I agree, they should develop a tool but it wouldn't be easy. Have you tried running commands or whatever with a blank screen? its very difficult. but you're right, a tool that either locks or wipes the device would be awesome, no commands or messy fastboot menus for the user would help a ton.
Lesson learned don't take nudes lol
Alekos said:
for the most part, these people have no lock or biometrics on. and their screen is dead (so they think the phone is dead). but I agree, they should develop a tool but it wouldn't be easy. Have you tried running commands or whatever with a blank screen? its very difficult. but you're right, a tool that either locks or wipes the device would be awesome, no commands or messy fastboot menus for the user would help a ton.
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The lady that sent it in said she did have a screen lock and took every precaution she was instructed to take since she couldn't power on her device.
pcriz said:
The lady that sent it in said she did have a screen lock and took every precaution she was instructed to take since she couldn't power on her device.
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yup. I just read the article. the guy on reddit who posted a few days ago admitted there was no lock on the screen. so who knows. they could have had an easy unlock code (1234, 1111) which is the same as having no unlock code pretty much. but yeah it'll be interesting to find out the truth.
Alekos said:
yup. I just read the article. the guy on reddit who posted a few days ago admitted there was no lock on the screen. so who knows. they could have had an easy unlock code (1234, 1111) which is the same as having no unlock code pretty much. but yeah it'll be interesting to find out the truth.
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Still though. If it's true, the service provider is in the wrong either way. Locked or unlocked. Easy or hard.
pcriz said:
Still though. If it's true, the service provider is in the wrong either way. Locked or unlocked. Easy or hard.
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yes. 100%. my comment makes it seem like it was the user's fault. this is 100% the blame of the repair agents/shipping/ whoever accessed the phone. this should never happen. but all we can do is minimize the likelihood
A.Priori said:
Lesson learned don't take nudes lol
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Most people don't want to hear this, but it's still an universal truth - if you don't want nudes to leaks, don't take any (at least not with a smart device/cloud capable phone). If you really need to have nudes of yourself, take a polaroid and share them with your partner manually. That way, it's at least physically restricted to your immediate surroundings.
Every device can be hacked, every cloud can be broken. All those ICloud leaks could have been avoided, plus a lot of drama. It doesn't mean you can't make any nudes, just use tech that is too ancient to become a problem.
As a golden rule of thumb: Any and each information you spread to the internet, is permanently stored. And - in doubt - is accessible by at least one more person other than yourself. Keeping that in mind is paramount to understand the world wide web.
So DO NOT share any information you do not want to get accidentally leaked.
Of course this is still a terrible crime (OP linked story) and Google + the repair shop have to be held responsible. Still, you should always expect other people to behave like an a** - to deceive, cheat, fraud, lie or fool - that's the way of life for many.
Ergo life is, most often or not, about making sure that you do not share any vulnerable sides unnecessarily. At least if you want to avoid trouble.
What I don't get is when I sent my phones back it SPECIFICALLY states to factory reset the phone? Do people not read? Also, if you don't want your nudes to be seen don't take any? Like...EXPECTATIONS<REALITY
Gytole said:
What I don't get is when I sent my phones back it SPECIFICALLY states to factory reset the phone? Do people not read? Also, if you don't want your nudes to be seen don't take any? Like...EXPECTATIONS<REALITY
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How do you propose to do that if the phone is not able to turn on or connect to an external source? If this story is actually true, and I have my doubts, this would be the time you eat the cost of the device and put it in a drawer or smash it to smithereens.
Gytole said:
What I don't get is when I sent my phones back it SPECIFICALLY states to factory reset the phone? Do people not read? Also, if you don't want your nudes to be seen don't take any? Like...EXPECTATIONS<REALITY
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I agree with ya here. To me, this stuff seems like common sense (which the world's population seems to be losing). My thoughts are:
If you don't want your nudes stolen, don't take nudes in the first place. Even if you're not shipping your phone somewhere for repair, your pictures are still getting uploaded to Google Photos and can be snatched in other ways. But still, if you really want to take nude photos anyway, then you should put them into a locked folder within Google Photos just after taking them so that they're not immediately visible within the Photos app. Granted, I'm not sure if the jpg files of locked folder pictures would still be present in the normal "DCIM" folder... But I imagine they'd be hidden somewhere at the system level (which normally can't be accessed without root)...?
I should probably test this on my phone - but I'd have to take some nudes first, haha. (Jk, of course)
Alekos said:
for the most part, these people have no lock or biometrics on. and their screen is dead (so they think the phone is dead). but I agree, they should develop a tool but it wouldn't be easy. Have you tried running commands or whatever with a blank screen? its very difficult. but you're right, a tool that either locks or wipes the device would be awesome, no commands or messy fastboot menus for the user would help a ton.
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It wouldn't be hard. Just running "fastboot format userdata" would clear it, so you don't need to mess with menus -- just power it on with the right volume button pressed. So really all the tool needs to do is monitor for fastboot on a USB and issue the format command.
Google says Pixel repair privacy breach wasn’t from employees, new security instructions coming
Ben Schoon
- Dec. 8th 2021 8:23 am PT
Google has been under scrutiny this week as multiple reports of mail-in Pixel repairs resulted in compromised accounts and leaked photographs. Now, the company is saying that this breach of privacy wasn’t at the hands of Google employees, and the company will apparently update instructions for mail-in Pixel repairs and help customers lock down their data.
Speaking to The Verge, Google has said that an investigation of these privacy issues has confirmed that the account invasion was not from Google employees/Pixel repair techs. The company has not said where the breach came from at this point or where the invaded devices are. Transit seems like the most likely scenario at this point.
After a thorough investigation, we can say with confidence that the issue impacting the user was not related to the device RMA [Return Merchandise Authorization]. We have worked closely with the user to better understand what occurred and how best to secure the account going forward.
Google Spokesperon Alex Moriconi
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To prevent this sort of issue in the future, too, Google will apparently start providing new instructions to help users lock down their accounts and data, presumably in addition to the current instructions that already recommend resetting the device before sending it in.
Specifics aren’t available, but Google apparently told Jane McGonigal that new security instructions for those who cannot factory reset their phone before sending it off for repair will be coming.
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