App to save your stolen phone?

[arielola]

Hi guys! My first post here.

I overheard someone on the bus this morning, talking about how good their find-the-phone app supposed to be until it got stolen by the thief, and somehow the thief managed to erase the app and the phone couldn't be found > <

I was wondering anyone is using some FREE and good apps that helps you find the phone when stolen even the app might be erased by the time?

 

[famouzstarz]

not sure if any app out there will prevent anyone from doing a factory data reset via stock recovery.

seems like it would be an easy bypass if the thief knew enough about android os.

 

[UncleMike]

I use Cerberus, and have been happy with its performance. It's not free, but if you're rooted with a custom recovery you can download a flashable zip file to install it as a system app, allowing it to survive a factory reset. Also, if you're rooted without a custom recovery, you can use Titanium Backup to make it a system app after installation, but you could do that with any app.

Early on (about a year ago), even installing as a system app didn't help in the end because a factory reset erased the configuration. I'm not sure if they have worked around that issue yet, and I don't have any devices that I'm willing to factory reset to try it.

 

[starlily]

Avast (antivirus) claims to have this as part of their free app, but it requires root access, so a rooted phone:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity

 

[nc10t]

Phooey! I clicked this thread up with fingers crossed someone had found, or created, an android app that shorted the Li-Ion battery to make it explode on command remotely in some thief's pocket......darn...(c;]

It's already got a built-in bomb....why can't the device be programmed to set it off?!

 

[Rxpert83]

Avast (antivirus) claims to have this as part of their free app, but it requires root access, so a rooted phone:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity

Well, root is required to acess the system, which is where you need to install an app If you want it to survive a factory reset

 

[Hadron]

I think Mossad did that a few years back, but they used a custom-built phone

As posters above have said, there are some security apps that let you install antitheft elements as system apps, and hence survive a factory reset (which should really be called a "factory data reset" to make clear what it actually does), but you do need to be rooted to do that (the apps work without root, but you can't use that feature).

A sufficiently knowledgeable thief could always beat this, but that's going to be the exception.

 

[starlily]

Well, root is required to acess the system, which is where you need to install an app If you want it to survive a factory reset

Hrmrmrm. Here's a theoretical question though, that only becomes not-theoretical if one is cash laden, or retrospectively after a phone theft: How worth-it to you would it be to go with a fully unlocked stock Galaxy Note II for this option vs. a carrier-issued phone that effectively for warranty prevents root access? (And isn't there a warranty issue with root access even on the stock ones?) A bit out of my depth as this is not something I deal with day-to-day ... the unlocked vs. locked versions, but I do understand that strong security is valuable.

 

[Rxpert83]

Hrmrmrm. Here's a theoretical question though, that only becomes not-theoretical if one is cash laden, or retrospectively after a phone theft: How worth-it to you would it be to go with a fully unlocked stock Galaxy Note II for this option vs. a carrier-issued phone that effectively for warranty prevents root access? (And isn't there a warranty issue with root access even on the stock ones?) A bit out of my depth as this is not something I deal with day-to-day ... the unlocked vs. locked versions, but I do understand that strong security is valuable.

My carrier (Sprint) doesn't care about my phone being rooted.

And even if it did, its easy enough to unroot without a trace of the phone ever being rooted. They'll never know the difference. This is true for most phones. The note 2 included

 

[Hadron]

And conversely the manufacturer of an unlocked phone will usually say that rooting voids the warranty (though as Rx says you can usually unroot completely).

 

[Tom422012]

My carrier (Sprint) doesn't care about my phone being rooted.

And even if it did, its easy enough to unroot without a trace of the phone ever being rooted. They'll never know the difference. This is true for most phones. The note 2 included

Does anyone know if that is true too with ATT?

 

[Rxpert83]

Does anyone know if that is true too with ATT?

Whether they are root-friendly? Call them up, ask them their policy. If you are nervous about them putting a note on your account or something just don't tell them who you are or act like youre a potential customer

It is the policy of nearly every manufacturer that rooting voids the 1 year warranty on the phone FROM the manufacturer.

Most carriers will give you a warranty, that is completely seperate from the manufacturer warranty.

Insurance is also unaffected by the manufacturer warranty. If you are rooted and bust your screen, you can still get an insurance claim and get it repaired.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that basically... if it wasnt caused by you rooting it, its gonna be OK.

 

[arielola]

Avast (antivirus) claims to have this as part of their free app, but it requires root access, so a rooted phone:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity

Could anyone explain to me what is a rooted phone?
I still don't understand

 

[Hadron]

Root is the linux administrator account. Rooting allows you to perform operations and run apps with root (admin) privileges. This allows you to change things you wouldn't otherwise be able to.

In the context of this discussion, if someone steals a phone and performs a factory reset that erases all user apps and data. However it does nothing to system apps. So some security apps let a rooted user install their anti-theft modules to system, allowing them to survive a factory reset. Without root you cannot do this.

 

[AndroidDaleks]

Avast Anti Theft is a very good and free app.