Answer: If you can reset your device before sending it and remove or erase your eSIM card, then yes. Although, if the phone is too damaged to turn on, accessing someone’s data is a risk, even if you remote-wipe it. Because of this, if a hard reset is not possible, there are steps you will need to take.
Why do you need to be careful?
In late 2020, game designer Jane McGonigal alleged that someone hacked her phone and redirected any email security alerts to her “Gmail, Drive, Photos,” backup email accounts, Dropbox,” and other files. In December 2021, he told The Verge that his phone was remote and could erase itself remotely, but this didn’t work. Someone still managed to bypass this failure.
This disturbing privacy leak has many people questioning whether it is safe to send their Android phone in for repair.
Later, a Google spokesperson announced, “After a thorough investigation, we can confidently say that the issue affecting the user was not related to device RMA,” or Return Merchandise Authorization.
So, in theory, it’s still safe to send your phone to the manufacturer or an official third-party vendor for repair. Nevertheless, this incident emphasized the importance of factory resetting an Android phone before handing it over to a repair vendor when possible.
How to prepare damaged or broken Android phones for repair?
Assuming the damage isn’t catastrophic, and you can still access your phone, the steps to get your phone ready for repair are simple.
First, back up your Android phone. Sync your photos, backup your contacts, text, apps, settings, back up your files to Drive or Dropbox, and everything you need to save.
You will want to delete your eSIM profile manually or during the reset process. Factory reset may or may not remove it, and you don’t want a bad actor to access it.
Now you have to factory reset your Android phone. If you have full access to your phone, it should take just a minute to navigate your settings to find the right menu. That guide has different steps depending on which Android skin your phone uses.
Lastly, remove your SIM card before mailing it. It’s easy to forget, but someone could hypothetically do all sorts of mischief by putting it in another phone and using it to bypass two-factor SMS checks, even if the phone is wiped. Other online accounts may still be vulnerable.
Now, it is safe to send your Android phone in for repair. If you followed all the steps, there should be no data for anyone to steal. Starting with Android 7, the OS started using file-based encryption, which is extremely difficult to crack. A factory reset should make it impossible to recover data even with a deletion app. Another quick note: Once your phone is backed up, be sure to factory reset it again before starting your set-up process. Although this is unlikely, a repair person could place malware on the device before returning it to you, which a reset will remove.
Visit Site – cricut.com/setup
Comments