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Can you give brief description of what you are trying to accomplish? Data Connection? Password protect?

... Thom

 

You are un-root-ed. Why not just use the lock screen with a password preventing any access to the device?

If you rely on an app running on an unlocked device why wouldn't the person just delete the app?

... Thom

 

Take the SIM out or buy a second cheap device for the kids to play, like a $30 Walmart tablet instead of using your expensive Moto for the kids' games. Just an idea.

BTW I'm a full-time kindergarten and primary school teacher, so I know how kids can wreck things, especially if unsupervised.

 

Manually turn data off when you hand them the unblocked phone and tell them to not turn data back on.

... Thom

 

To directly answer your question... No, there is no way to password protect *only* the mobile data connection, on a stock or rooted device. On a rooted device you could probably modify the AOSP code to do this yourself, but I have never heard of anyone doing this before.

 

Could you do something with Tasker... So that after someone turned it on., it would turn itself off automatically unless you entered a password? Just thinking out loud

 

Maybe... on a rooted device (Mobile Data On or Off would require root permissions) with a security/password plug-in and enough fiddling around with it could probably make it work. Too bad Motorola didn't implement guest or multi-user accounts, that could potentially make this simpler or not necessary.

OP stated non-rooted device though... :/

 

Ok... How about this as a workaround... No root required. Just edit the apn name by adding a character. Then when you take the device back.. Change it to the correct address.

 

That would probably work... Or just make a dummy APN that fails and toggle to it, than switch back when done. If you don't know where it is buried, would be rough to work around.

 

Hmm... Must be auto-config from SIM card. I'll sleep on it

 

Maybe a firewall app will fill your needs? Netguard provides a non-root firewall that will allow you selectively block WiFi and/or cellular connectivity.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.faircode.netguard

 

I tried this, it made no sense it didn't work, and it absolutely worked for me... Do it like this:

- Create a new APN
- Set Name field to "Dummy" (or something that fits what you need)
- Set the APN field to "dummy"
- Set APN type field to "default" (do not leave as Not Set)
- Press the overflow menu button (3 dots in the upper right corner) and select Save

The Device uses APN's in a priority and application order, the first ticked APN is considered the "primary" and if something needs access to a mobile network service, it looks in the active APN first for that type of service such as default (generic Internet), mms (picture messaging), supl (Secure User Plane location data), hipri (High Priority Mobile data, not sure how to explain this one), and fota (Firmware Over The Air, or OTA updates), if it finds the needed service in the default APN, it will use it, if it does not, it will go in a top down search order to try to find the proper match for the service. This is how some carriers can use one APN for Internet, and a different one for mms (not common, at least in the US). APN types "admin" or "vzwadmin" should not come into play here.

Note that in toggling back and forth, I could not get LTE to connect back up and the Moto G got stuck in HSPA+ mode, toggling in and out of Airplane restored LTE service though.

Oh, and although this isn't really the thread for it, I would recommend NOT ever having "admin" in any APN type field, this allows remote administration of your network connection.

 

A simple alternative is provided by the free Norton App Lock ...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.symantec.applock&hl=en

You select the apps you want to control access to and get to them by entering a pattern. You can toggle the locking on and off for all apps.

... Thom

 

This actually is a working solution if you block access to settings since you can't toggle mobile data on and off from the notification quick buttons any more. I tested it and it works if you only lock the Settings app since that mobile data toggle is embedded in that app and can't be reached elsewhere.