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[Verizon] What, exactly, are the situations that can brick secure element when using Google Wallet?

jackdubl

Android Expert
May 18, 2010
986
111
Topeka, KS
Can someone list the situations that will bork your secure element if you don't reset Wallet? I borked the secure element on my last phone, so I'm real gunshy now. Specifically, will it bork if I do this without resetting Wallet?

1. Full wipe then restore a nandroid of the same rom I'm on?
2. Full wipe then restore a nandroid of a different rom?
3. Wipe cache and davlik and flash a mod?
Thanks in advance. Just don't want to bork my S3.
 
I'm not exactly sure when or how many times they've updated the Wallet App but I THINK one of a few things happened:

1.) Update to Wallet App fixed the problem.
2.) Something in JB fixed the problem. (not sure if anybody has problems on ICS roms, I haven't been on one in a long time)
3.) Google did something on the back end so no matter what version of Wallet is used, it no longer breaks NFC.

I think you're going to have a very hard time getting a concrete answer on this question. All I know is a lot of people were having problems in the early stages, and since then I've heard of nobody having issues. I feel like this may be a dead topic now but I'm not 100% on that. I have never reset the app and my chip is alive and kicking. So I feel kinda lucky I didn't have problems early on but I have no worries anymore. Whether I should or not remains to be seen I guess.
 
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Well, they did change something about how the secure data was stored with the latest version, on Google servers instead of the secure element. But nobody has the balls to really test it to see if you can still brick secure element.

How would we go about testing it? Early on it was from setting up Wallet and then wiping the phone and setting up Wallet a second time without having reset Wallet from within the app first. I have done this already many times and haven't bricked it. Same goes for the newest version. I've set up a debit card and the whole thing and then wiped everything, loaded a new rom, set up Wallet from scratch. Not sure what else a guy could do to flirt with disaster more than that.
 
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It seems that secure element bricks may be a thing of the past. Here is why:

Last night I went through my normal routine of flashing a new ROM.

1. Backup apps with TiBu.
2. Backup Nova.
3. Backup Messages w/ SMS Backup+
4. Wipe GWallet per my guide: http://androidforums.com/showthread.php?p=4451153
5. Reboot to recovery and nandroid.
6. Wipe EVERTHING.
7. Flash ROM and GApps.
8. Setup phone.

When I opened a fresh GWallet, because I was signed in to Google, my prepaid balance was there and I had the option to add my credit/debit cards. Before Google updated the app, you had to reinitialize everything through a fresh app. But it seems now that because GWallet is cloud based, my guide may not even be relevant. I will research more.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

jmar
 
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How would we go about testing it? Early on it was from setting up Wallet and then wiping the phone and setting up Wallet a second time without having reset Wallet from within the app first. I have done this already many times and haven't bricked it. Same goes for the newest version. I've set up a debit card and the whole thing and then wiped everything, loaded a new rom, set up Wallet from scratch. Not sure what else a guy could do to flirt with disaster more than that.
You got some big ones.
 
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How would we go about testing it? Early on it was from setting up Wallet and then wiping the phone and setting up Wallet a second time without having reset Wallet from within the app first. I have done this already many times and haven't bricked it. Same goes for the newest version. I've set up a debit card and the whole thing and then wiped everything, loaded a new rom, set up Wallet from scratch. Not sure what else a guy could do to flirt with disaster more than that.

I'll second this. I never had an issue. I've wiped, flashed, restored, wiped, flashed, etc. and I always forget to wipe Google Wallet data. I've never remembered to wipe it.

I can still download the app and set it up without any problems. Currently have my debit card linked, and my prepaid balance is showing correctly at $0 - no reason to reload my prepaid Google card now that I can link it directly to my real debit card.
 
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