Factory Reset Protection

[mavigozler]

My father brought his Motorola to me asking me to get past his screen lock asking for a PIN. (Note: this Moto G was purchased on a plan through the service provider, Consumer Cellular, and they won't even advise on how to recover the phone, thinking there is some kind of legal issue.)

I had set up his phone months before and I would have never set up a PIN for a screen lock. I think his daughter-in-law visiting him (his wife, her mother newly deceased) maliciously set up a lock on his phone. I have tried every 4-digit PIN imaginable that he would use, which is why I think the DIL set up the PIN.

Went to the factory reset function and no, I did not realize there was this protection thing INANELY created by Google with the manufacturers. I get to the point where Google asks for a PIN (the PIN?) and failing that, then the gmail account.

Pretty sure I set up an account with the phone, but that Google email account is not working. We've tried all gmail accounts he has, maybe it's 2 or 3.

What's my next step? is it with Google? Surely they dont build a system that denies the legitimate owner of the device the use of his device?

 

[Milo Williamson]

My father brought his Motorola to me asking me to get past his screen lock asking for a PIN. (Note: this Moto G was purchased on a plan through the service provider, Consumer Cellular, and they won't even advise on how to recover the phone, thinking there is some kind of legal issue.)

I had set up his phone months before and I would have never set up a PIN for a screen lock. I think his daughter-in-law visiting him (his wife, her mother newly deceased) maliciously set up a lock on his phone. I have tried every 4-digit PIN imaginable that he would use, which is why I think the DIL set up the PIN.

Went to the factory reset function and no, I did not realize there was this protection thing INANELY created by Google with the manufacturers. I get to the point where Google asks for a PIN (the PIN?) and failing that, then the gmail account.

Pretty sure I set up an account with the phone, but that Google email account is not working. We've tried all gmail accounts he has, maybe it's 2 or 3.

What's my next step? is it with Google? Surely they dont build a system that denies the legitimate owner of the device the use of his device?

That is the problem though, but you can head over to system > Settings > Security > go to pin lock and disable it.

 

[nickdalzell]

Just another way that modern tech sucks. I once bought a tablet from Walmart, brand new in box, and it wouldn't get past initial setup because it somehow got locked from FRP and it was brand new! Had to return it.

Nowadays, I pretend that Android 5.x+ never happened, and all the stuff that Google blundered on with it never happened. Maybe when enough people see how inconvenient and extra frustrating this modern tech is then maybe Google and other OEMS will go back to when things made sense. A buck can dream, can't he?

I mean, if the experience is more frustrating than what I upgraded from, I'm just gonna run back to the last device that made sense to me and forget about ever upgrading again. Is that what corporations actually want? or are people just extra gullible and tolerate this?

 

[mavigozler]

That is the problem though, but you can head over to system > Settings > Security > go to pin lock and disable it.

But that would have to be done BEFORE the factory reset had been done, and we're past that. What am I missing? We are at the point beyond the reset of trying the PINs (I've tried 14 PIN values that he and I would have possibly used if we had at all set the phone with a screen/reboot PIN), and also trying to recover from the Google mail account that was created to set up the phone. I can only think of 2 Gmail accounts he created. I can log into those at Google. None is working with the phone.

 

[mavigozler]

Just another way that modern tech sucks. I once bought a tablet from Walmart, brand new in box, and it wouldn't get past initial setup because it somehow got locked from FRP and it was brand new! Had to return it.

I'm a firm believer in all the anecdotes that the FRP doesn't stop the thieves: they connect the phone to adb.exe with extra code and somehow wipe out the FRP component of the system software--I used to toy with that in the days when you could and people were motivated to root the phone.

The only thing it does is catch the legal owner of the device off guard when he does a reset and forgets what he needs to do recover/rebuild after the reset.

 

[nickdalzell]

Yeah it's just like the infuriation known as HDCP 2.x. It doesn't stop pirates, but sure makes it a living headache for legitimate people to just connect their blu-ray player or streaming box to their fancy TV.

Makes me glad my 2010 Apple TV and my 2009 Vizio TV predate that crazy mess. I don't feel anything is missing.

Just wait until you have 2FA on some account you've had for over a decade and one day you need to get the 2FA code and the info it used no longer exists (such as the phone number, email or the like) and you're SOL. That's why I turn that stuff off and create a good password and change it every so often. Otherwise it's going to be back to post-it notes on the monitor which are about as insecure as all get out.

To any corporation forcing me to adopt 2FA, PINs, hard to remember passwords, and Factory Reset Protection:

 

[Dannydet]

Get the pin from his daughter-in-law who set up the pin.
That's your only option

 

[AugieTN]

^^^^^^This^^^^^

 

[Milo Williamson]

But that would have to be done BEFORE the factory reset had been done, and we're past that. What am I missing? We are at the point beyond the reset of trying the PINs (I've tried 14 PIN values that he and I would have possibly used if we had at all set the phone with a screen/reboot PIN), and also trying to recover from the Google mail account that was created to set up the phone. I can only think of 2 Gmail accounts he created. I can log into those at Google. None is working with the phone.

Ask your daughter in law for the pin.

 

[ocnbrze]

I'm a firm believer in all the anecdotes that the FRP doesn't stop the thieves: they connect the phone to adb.exe with extra code and somehow wipe out the FRP component of the system software--I used to toy with that in the days when you could and people were motivated to root the phone.

The only thing it does is catch the legal owner of the device off guard when he does a reset and forgets what he needs to do recover/rebuild after the reset.

that can't be done anymore using adb. there is no program that can do this. plus in order for adb to work you would need usb debugging enabled and most regular folks would not know what that is.

FRP is a very good security protocol as you are finding out. i do understand that it does hurt that very small percentage of people who forgets their account info.

the only thing i can think of is contacting motorola. Samsung has said that you can take any samsung phone into a samsung service center and as long as you can show proof of ownership, they will unlock the phone. maybe Moto has something similar.