Google is constantly working to improve their methods of protecting the users’ personal data in Android devices, trying to make sure that no one but the owner can access this data.
One of these security tools is the requirement to enter data from the previous Google account, if the device was reset to factory settings, not from the menu, but, for example, via the “recovery” mode. Today I want to talk not about how much Google has succeeded in this field, but rather about those situations when this security is a hindrance to the user. No, we are not going to hack through this security measure, although it is technically possible. This post is about what to do when it is difficult or nearly impossible to enter the previous account’s data.
This situation may arise, for example, when you want to sell your Android device with a faulty display or touchscreen for spare parts or for recovery. Especially relevant is the situation with the current Samsung S-series devices, since replacing the screen in those can cost almost as much as a used phone of the same model.
In these cases, you have two options – either try to make a full reset, or sell the device as is.
And in both cases, you eventually have to tell the buyer the actual data of your Google account so that they can activate the device and register their own account..
The risk is, of course, that an outsider will have access to your data, and will be able to use it for malicious purposes. And even if the buyer does not take advantage, being decent, it’s not pleasant to risk access to your personal information.
There are several ways out of the situation. The most obvious and simple one is not to sell a faulty device, but to keep it as a souvenir of sorts. If this option is the most suitable for you, then you might as well close this post.
If you intend to save some money by selling a broken smartphone, there are several courses of action.
Option one, the cunning way
Find a store that sells spare parts. Go to this store with your pre-disassembled faulty smartphone and either explain the situation as it is and ask for a working display module. Or simply pretend that you want to test out the display module, connect it to your phone and complete the recovery. Then simply apologize to the store assistant and return the working module. After this, you will get a functioning phone (with the exception of the display), that you can sell.
Pros- no additional costs.
Cons – you might not find a display module for your phone, or simply get your request declined. Be careful not to damage the store’s display module, or you might have to buy it
Option two, software-related
Many manufacturers offer additional software for their devices, with which you can update the software or synchronize the data of the device with a computer. Some of these programs allow you to perform a full reset without using the device screen. However, this method might or might not work, depending on the brand or even the model.
Pros – no costs and additional equipment is required.
Cons – no result is guaranteed, plus you’ll have to play with the software a bit.
Third option – using peripherals
This is one of the simplest options, which, however, involves spending some money on the peripherals.
It’s no secret that most modern smartphones, digital products, and among other things, support the ability to output images to external devices, such as TVs and monitors, with the help of both software and hardware peripherals. Considering that you need a display to configure the software for this method, the second connection option is more suitable – a cable.
To do this, you need a cable to connect the smartphone to a monitor. Most devices that do not have a separate monitor connector use MHL or SlimPort for this purpose. Finding them is easy, and the price usually does not bite.
And then everything is simple – we connect our smartphone to a TV or monitor using a cable and we get the output of the screen contents to the monitor or the TV. Voila, and you have the opportunity to make the necessary manipulations with the smartphone, because instead of the broken display you now have a monitor that shows everything that the smartphone displays.
Conclusion
Yes, as practice shows, the information on how to bypass the FRP-lock is much more relevant in cases when after the reset the user forgot the account that was registered when setting up the smartphone like Samsung Galaxy A32. Most relevant it is for the phones of our older relatives, who often do not understand how important it is to remember the address of your device account.
Not everybody will ever consider selling their broken device for spare parts, and many will not encounter the situation where the device has to be reset. Or even if they do, they might reconsider the sale.
But there is an option when it’s not about the sale and you only need to access the data on the device, the device is password-protected, and the display repair is unreasonable due to the price. In this case, the methods listed above can help.
V.K.
