Database Develop

Phone Encryption FYI

4.4 KitKat still has the same bug as previous releases as far as encrypting the phone goes. I had to attempt the process 4 times before the phone would actually encrypt. The first 3 times the Green Android popped up, but the phone didn't reboot to the "Encrypting Phone..." progress screen, it just went back to the lock screen. 4th time was a charm, so keep trying if it doesn't work for you.

Ronaldo Forenucci said:
4.4 KitKat still has the same bug as previous releases as far as encrypting the phone goes. I had to attempt the process 4 times before the phone would actually encrypt. The first 3 times the Green Android popped up, but the phone didn't reboot to the "Encrypting Phone..." progress screen, it just went back to the lock screen. 4th time was a charm, so keep trying if it doesn't work for you.
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Click to collapse
You using a custom recovery or stock?

Mine encrypted on the first try ...

Encrypting naturally makes the phone a tad bit slow though no? And to decrypt you have to do factory reset
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

secondclaw said:
Mine encrypted on the first try ...
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Stock recovery?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

uh60james said:
Stock recovery?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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Yes, rooted only, but no other changes.

I've never had a problem encrypting with any recovery (CWM, TWRP, or stock), probably because it never boots to recovery while encrypting. It's probably a ROM issue.

Hey guys,
did you notice any significant performance impact after encrypting your N5?
How does an (stock) update work on encrypted N5? Do I have to wipe the phone prior to any update?

Just so you guys know there is a bug with kitkat encryption that will wipe your entire phone. Make backups of all the data you're keeping on your phone if you're going to encrypt. There's been a few users that have reported loosing everything due to encryption wiping out their phones. Just a friendly warning to whoever wants to encrypt.

Encryption does not slow down the performance. Only boots up slightly slower. Once you go through the password or pin, everything is decrypted until you lock your phone again.
I remember once you encrypt though...can't decrypt or need to reinstall stock.
Sent from my SM-T320 using xda app-developers app

my n5 was very picky about which cable and charger I was using before it would start the encryption process, with a N7 and a asus T100, it was hard to figure out which charger goes with which device.
Haven't noticed any particular slowdown since encrypting, except at boot.
The only thing I hated was not being able to use pattern unlock, using a PIN sucks. I worked around that by making a twrp backup right before the encryption process, change the security to PIN so encryption will work, then once it's done, boot into TWRP (which makes you enter the PIN to read inside the encrypted container), then restore the backup without wiping. So now I have a good length pin at bootup or entering twrp, pattern unlock for daily use. Maybe trading a little bit of security for convenience, but entering a 10+ character pin multiple times per day just isn't very usable.

I think it's the battery. The os shows another percentage than the recovery calculates. After some additional minutes of charging i hadn't that problem anymore. Thats just my opinion

I know that it is not possible to decrypt the data and that a factory reset is necessary to remove encryption.
I am just wondering if I can still update my system if I encrypt my phone?
What exactly is encrypted? Only /data?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

Encryption does not affect the OTA update or any kind of updates that push out offically. Phone itself decrypts once you go through personal lock screen. Since you can only update during unlocked stage, you won't have problem updating. It does encrypt everything except the media files such as videos, music's and etc. Correct me if I'm wrong though...
Sent from my SM-T320 using xda app-developers app

How long do you use the encryption now?
Do OTA updates still work?
Does adb work from TWRP recovery?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

FuMMoD said:
Just so you guys know there is a bug with kitkat encryption that will wipe your entire phone. Make backups of all the data you're keeping on your phone if you're going to encrypt. There's been a few users that have reported loosing everything due to encryption wiping out their phones. Just a friendly warning to whoever wants to encrypt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish I had seen this!
[email protected] POS wiped EVERYTHING on my phone when I tried to encrypt.....EVERYTHING.
Was on latest TWRP, KangaKat and ElementalX
FAck U GOOGLE!

Globespy said:
Wish I had seen this!
[email protected] POS wiped EVERYTHING on my phone when I tried to encrypt.....EVERYTHING.
Was on latest TWRP, KangaKat and ElementalX
FAck U GOOGLE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye when your phone running custom recovery, rom and kernel doesn't behave as intended, it's obviously Google's fault...
Seriously, if you change anything software related, you lose the right to blame the manufacturer.

I've heard of random passwords being generated so the user has to factory reset. Is this true????
# 47386

[Q] Full Wipe encrypted-blocked phone?

I have installed Avast AntiTheft today on my Nexus6 and after Simulation test I can't access my phone.
It says to enter PIN to access Android Device.
Any of my PINs are not working.
I'm unlocked, rooted with TWRP.
What can I do to access my device?
I have installed CM12 today so I have no problem with loosing any data if wipe is the only solutions.
But I'm not sure if I can do this.

Surely you'll have some sort of admin panel on an avast website where you set a pin.

rootSU said:
Surely you'll have some sort of admin panel on an avast website where you set a pin.
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I've already done that. Didn't help.

maturb said:
I've already done that. Didn't help.
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Click to collapse
Contact Avast and I'm sure they can help then.

rootSU said:
Contact Avast and I'm sure they can help then.
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Click to collapse
I've already done this but no help at the moment.
Other people have same problem.
I can't also find anything about wiping encrypted phone.

maturb said:
I've already done this but no help at the moment.
Other people have same problem.
I can't also find anything about wiping encrypted phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its the same as wiping an unencrypted phone.
There are changes in 5.1 though

rootSU said:
Its the same as wiping an unencrypted phone.
There are changes in 5.1 though
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Click to collapse
You mean I can do the Factory Reset in TWRP and then re-install CM12?

maturb said:
You mean I can do the Factory Reset in TWRP and then re-install CM12?
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Click to collapse
You can factory reset via twrp.
Not sure why you'd need to reflash the ROM though.

rootSU said:
You can factory reset via twrp.
Not sure why you'd need to reflash the ROM though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP can't mount DATA without password (i've never set this password) So how can I wipe it?

maturb said:
TWRP can't mount DATA without password (i've never set this password) So how can I wipe it?
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Click to collapse
If you've not set a pin/pattern in android, use the default twrp one which I imagine is in the twrp thread somewhere. If you have set an android pin/pattern, use that.

rootSU said:
If you've not set a pin/pattern in android, use the default twrp one which I imagine is in the twrp thread somewhere. If you have set an android pin/pattern, use that.
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Click to collapse
I did flash stock image.
Any of these solutions you wrote or I found on xda didn't help.
Anyway thank you for your time.

Regardless, you're still going to need to learn how to use twrp properly. Unless you're planning in staying stock.

rootSU said:
Regardless, you're still going to need to learn how to use twrp properly. Unless you're planning in staying stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm learning sth new every day. Every problem I have is a new lesson.
Maybe I'm not so good at the moment but trying to be better...

maturb said:
I'm learning sth new every day. Every problem I have is a new lesson.
Maybe I'm not so good at the moment but trying to be better...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll get there.

maturb said:
TWRP can't mount DATA without password (i've never set this password) So how can I wipe it?
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Click to collapse
Better to use FACTORY recovery for this. TWRP doesn't just "wipe" the userdata partition, it wants to do a selective clear of it.
Basically, there is a directory in the userdata partition called "media" that it tries to regard as a separate device.
The problem is in the backup functions implemented on custom recoveries. They create a backup of the userdata partition to the absolute STUPIDEST place in the entire world -- the userdata partition ITSELF.
So they have a hack separation, they leave out the media subdirectory from the backup source, and set the backup target to within that directory, then instead of performing a proper mkfs on the partition to clear it, they mount the partition (requires the pass code) and *erase* everything besides the media subdirectory.
Pretty stupid, isn't it?
** THE ONLY SANE PLACE TO BACK DATA UP TO, IS A SEPARATE DEVICE. Or in the very least, a different PARTITION.
Alternative is to clear the userdata partition with fastboot. Boot into bootloader/fastboot, and type (on your computer with the fastboot binary installed) "fastboot format userdata".
As far as the password goes, did you ever set a lockscreen security code? Maybe a pattern or pin unlock? That is what it is asking for. Its possible that the program you installed forced that down your throat with some random junk.
FYI: Google has this feature built in already, there is no need to install potentially dangerous 3rd party software. You can enable it in the program "google settings" --> security, under "android device manager". You can then go here https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager and log in with your google account to locate, lock, erase, ring, etc.

CM Encryption

I was wondering if how to go about encrypting our phones on CM 12.1. For me all it does is restart the phone and boot to lock screen.

BEDickey said:
I was wondering if how to go about encrypting our phones on CM 12.1. For me all it does is restart the phone and boot to lock screen.
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Click to collapse
Settings --> Security - First thing listed should be encrypt phone.

I know that. I'm saying all that does is restart it to the lock screen, as I said. The phone is not actually encrypted in the process like it should, it just restarts.

With Mofo root, you had to encrypt on an unrooted stock ROM, then flash the rooted ROM after. Are similar also required with CM?

I'm not sure but you can temp disable root in CM by A) Disbaling it in SuperSU app - Uncheck "Enable Superuser" or B) In the settings under developer options - Change "root access" to "disabled". Try that and encrypt then re-enable after

Thanks! I will check it out and report back.

I'm having the exact same problem. I was never able to encrypt running total stock, computerfreek rom, or rremix rom. Device briefly shows the green android, then begins a soft reboot and then a full reboot. I have tried disabling root (both ways) as suggested above. It makes no difference.

Same here, I have the same situation. It seems as though either CM itself or the act of unlocking to bootloader has removed the ability to encrypt your phone. Any advice from people more in the know would be helpful.

In my case, I have never been able to encrypt... even with a totally stock, unmodified, unrooted, unmofo'd, bootloader locked device. Googling around, it seems like a problem where the disk is partitioned in such a way that there isn't the required space left for encryption to initiate. Anything looking like a solution was way over my comfort level (manual repartitioning via terminal), or in the case of some flashable scripts, was outdated.

Question: Did either of you change the format of your /data partition in TWRP to maybe ExFAT or F2FS?

I have never formatted anything.

I think it's one of things you cannot do, since the bootloader is unlocked. IIRC, it must be locked, regardless of the manufacturer. That's why we have the bootloader toggle in dev options.
Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk

Any updates on this... I have to believe there is some way to encrypt these devices, even if rooted with a custom rom. Rooting and installing a ROM in and of themselves do not diminish the added security provided by full device encryption.

P_6 said:
Any updates on this... I have to believe there is some way to encrypt these devices, even if rooted with a custom rom. Rooting and installing a ROM in and of themselves do not diminish the added security provided by full device encryption.
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This worked for me:
1. Flash back to 100% stock.
2. Encrypt through security settings.
3. Flash whatever you want afterwards. The encryption will be preserved.
I'm currently encrypted and running CF's rom with no issues. A bootloader unlock does not prevent encryption from working.

Thanks for your response to this... I'm at Step 3, and using TWRP (Tried both 2.8 and 3.0) to flash CF 1.2.8. However, it will not successfully decrypt, regardless of what password I provide it (have tried complex & simple passwords, and the defaults listed out there, etc)

P_6 said:
Thanks for your response to this... I'm at Step 3, and using TWRP (Tried both 2.8 and 3.0) to flash CF 1.2.8. However, it will not successfully decrypt, regardless of what password I provide it (have tried complex & simple passwords, and the defaults listed out there, etc)
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Click to collapse
That's weird. The password should be the same as your lockscreen password. If you used a pattern lock, each dot on the pattern corresponds to a number, although I'm not sure which dot is which number. If your lockscreen password doesn't work, something went wrong and you'll probably have to wipe your phone to fix it.

TheSt33v said:
That's weird. The password should be the same as your lockscreen password. If you used a pattern lock, each dot on the pattern corresponds to a number, although I'm not sure which dot is which number. If your lockscreen password doesn't work, something went wrong and you'll probably have to wipe your phone to fix it.
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Click to collapse
That's what I figured. From what I've been reading, it should work just fine. I used an alphanumeric password to secure the phone, could that be part of the issue?

P_6 said:
That's what I figured. From what I've been reading, it should work just fine. I used an alphanumeric password to secure the phone, could that be part of the issue?
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Click to collapse
I doubt it. I used Cerberus to remotely change my pin to an alphanumeric password and then I forgot about it. When I rebooted the phone, I had to enter that password to decrypt the phone. It worked fine.

TheSt33v said:
I doubt it. I used Cerberus to remotely change my pin to an alphanumeric password and then I forgot about it. When I rebooted the phone, I had to enter that password to decrypt the phone. It worked fine.
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Click to collapse
So, using a simple 4 digit pin, I got TWRP to decrypt data. I installed CF 1.2.8 and changed my password to something more secure. I rebooted and got stuck in a bootloop. I've tried just about everything since, multiple wipes, reinstalls via TWRP, no dice. The encryption is still intact, but I can't get CF to boot.

P_6 said:
So, using a simple 4 digit pin, I got TWRP to decrypt data. I installed CF 1.2.8 and changed my password to something more secure. I rebooted and got stuck in a bootloop. I've tried just about everything since, multiple wipes, reinstalls via TWRP, no dice. The encryption is still intact, but I can't get CF to boot.
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Click to collapse
Weird. You might have to start all over again by going back to stock, and this time either keep the pin or just not deal with encryption.

Encryption questions

Hello all.
I always keep a pass code on my phone and use smart devices and locations to keep it unlocked in trusted places. I am thinking of turning on encryption to keep the data secure if the phone is ever truly lost.
I am running CF's rom on an unlocked bootloader. If I backup in TWRP and store that backup on my PC, what would be the best method of restoring it if I find the encryption to be too much of a burden?
Also, is the recovery partition encrypted when this is done? If so, how would I actually factory reset to remove the encryption before a restore?
Thanks!

I'm not an expert on using encryption on an unlocked bootloader, but from what little I've read and tried, it can be tricky. I am also using CF's rom, and whenever I try to encrypt the device, the screen goes black and won't respond until I hold down the power button for a pretty long time. I've read that you need to be on a 100% stock rom if you want to encrypt the device, and then after that you can modify it as you please. The recovery partition is not encrypted. That's about all I know.

I have always had my device encrypted. I can't recall a single issue. BL unlocked. CF 1.2.7.

Wynnded said:
I have always had my device encrypted. I can't recall a single issue. BL unlocked. CF 1.2.7.
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Had you encrypted before installing the rom then?

Coronado is dead said:
Had you encrypted before installing the rom then?
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I don't recall precisely, but I strongly suspect so.

I was bored, so I reflashed the stock rom and encrypted the phone. Took only a few minutes. I don't really see what the point is though, since it doesn't ask for a password at boot like it's supposed to.
Also, as long as you have TWRP installed, anyone who is even slightly knowledgeable can have 100% access to all of your files, no password required.

TheSt33v said:
I was bored, so I reflashed the stock rom and encrypted the phone. Took only a few minutes. I don't really see what the point is though, since it doesn't ask for a password at boot like it's supposed to.
Also, as long as you have TWRP installed, anyone who is even slightly knowledgeable can have 100% access to all of your files, no password required.
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Click to collapse
Interesting....mine requires a PW at boot....
Additionally, I have to type my PW when booting into TWRP.

Wynnded said:
Interesting....mine requires a PW at boot....
Additionally, I have to type my PW when booting into TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops. I figured it out. No lock screen password, no boot password.

It appears you have had success where others have not. Were you successful in having TWRP decrypt your data, in order to load CF's ROM?
I've downgraded to 4.4.4 stock, encrypted the phone, loaded TWRP through ADB, and cannot get TWRP to decrypt, no matter the password I use.
Any help would be appreciated.

can you give downgraded 4.4.4 file for my turbo

P_6 said:
It appears you have had success where others have not. Were you successful in having TWRP decrypt your data, in order to load CF's ROM?
I've downgraded to 4.4.4 stock, encrypted the phone, loaded TWRP through ADB, and cannot get TWRP to decrypt, no matter the password I use.
Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I was. See this thread for details: http://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-turbo/help/cm-encryption-t3263971/page3
---------- Post added at 10:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 AM ----------
fidi7861 said:
can you give downgraded 4.4.4 file for my turbo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://rootjunkysdl.com/getdownload.php?file=Droid Turbo/Firmware/VRZ_XT1254_SU2-12_12_CFC.xml.zip

LineageOS: Encrypted phone, all data gone

I thought that while encrypting my phone, the result would be that my data is preserved, just encrypted. So I went through the encryption process only to find that all my data is wiped, so that I have to restore everything from backups, as far as I have them.
Did I overlook something, or is this a bug? I have LineageOS 14.1, installed yesterday, official.

Found that after a reboot, the data was again gone. (after I spent considerable time setting the phone up yet again), now factory reset, running unencrypted, until I know what has been going wrong here. Sigh. Custom roms and encryption continue to be a toxic mix for me.

yahya69 said:
Found that after a reboot, the data was again gone. (after I spent considerable time setting the phone up yet again), now factory reset, running unencrypted, until I know what has been going wrong here. Sigh. Custom roms and encryption continue to be a toxic mix for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I first started playing around with encryption (Samsung Note 3) I discovered that to get encryption to work properly I had to format /data (you lose everything, including internal shared storage) and that it worked better on stock ROM rather than custom ROMs.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs

BillGoss said:
When I first started playing around with encryption (Samsung Note 3) I discovered that to get encryption to work properly I had to format /data (you lose everything, including internal shared storage) and that it worked better on stock ROM rather than custom ROMs.
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which I kind of accepted after learning it the hard way, but the problem was that after encrypting the device, all data was wiped each time the phone was rebooted, so something is buggy here.

yahya69 said:
which I kind of accepted after learning it the hard way, but the problem was that after encrypting the device, all data was wiped each time the phone was rebooted, so something is buggy here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I resolve this problem using latest official twrp.

dimon2242 said:
I resolve this problem using latest official twrp.
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How did you? (What version of TWRP did you install) After all, it is not TWRP that does the encryption, or is it? So I don't see how this could be the cause.
With TWRP, I had the additional issue that it kept asking me for a password to mount /data, but it wouldn't accept the PIN that I had set in Android. I have no idea what other password it might want.
Oh, well, there is just too much fumbling in the dark in this whole mobile devices business. I have been a Linux user for some 20 years, and there, if things go wrong, you can actually view what is happening. On android, this is so much more difficult, even with logcat.

yahya69 said:
How did you? (What version of TWRP did you install) After all, it is not TWRP that does the encryption, or is it? So I don't see how this could be the cause.
With TWRP, I had the additional issue that it kept asking me for a password to mount /data, but it wouldn't accept the PIN that I had set in Android. I have no idea what other password it might want.
Oh, well, there is just too much fumbling in the dark in this whole mobile devices business. I have been a Linux user for some 20 years, and there, if things go wrong, you can actually view what is happening. On android, this is so much more difficult, even with logcat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried default_password as the password in TWRP?
Also, if you can actual log into your system normally, then you can set the password again and require it on boot.

BillGoss said:
Have you tried default_password as the password in TWRP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What "default password"? You mean, literally typing "default_password"? No I did not. What would that have done?
After all, again, it required a password for the /data partition, hence a password with whom it is encrypted. But I had used no password other than the PIN. And again, I can't see how my problem of data disappearing on each boot would be caused by TWRP.
Also, if you can actual log into your system normally, then you can set the password again and require it on boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, what password do you have in mind? The PIN? Yes, the system asked for the PIN at boot, but nonetheless, all data was wiped on each boot.
For the time being,I run the system without encryption, because I have had enough of setting is up again and again anew (had to do this three or four times.)
Again, it looks like this is a bug. Because after initially encrypting the phone, my data should still have been there. But it was gone. The phone was now encrypted, but there was nothing on it. That's something that I am pretty sure is not supposed to happen.

just had the same using Samsung S5 Duos with latest lineage-os (20180427): this is a cluster-f**k, I cannot believe it. I advocate using Lineage-OS whereever I go. Of course, it's my fault, I did trust Lineage-OS too much so I didn't think of backing-up. I didn't believe something like this could happen.

chaos_prevails said:
I did trust Lineage-OS too much so I didn't think of backing-up. I didn't believe something like this could happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably already realize this, at this point. But there is no such thing as an OS (on any device) that is so secure or stable, that backing up your data is not necessary. Even regardless of OS, memory corruption and data loss can happen for any number of reasons. Golden rule: If your data is important to you, back it up.

Of course, I know.
I took the loss of all data as opportunity to flash newest modem, CSC, and PDA firmware via latest stock-rom, and then re-flashed latest Lineage OS again. This time, it didn't factory reset my phone with encryption. Don't know if that had anything to do with my old firmware (I had G900FDXXS1CPK2 installed when factory reset-with-encryption happened).
Beside, I was lucky as no other migration method to my new phone worked out except going via a old-school micro-sd card copy. I could undelete almost all pictures on it