This is honestly something Android should have years ago. But it's never too late to get it. Should save ton of time for everyone involved and keep better user privacy
Meh, I'd still not hand my phone over to anyone for repair without a factory reset.
How about making a proper backup/restore process? Then this is a non-issue.
We used to have this ability, but apparently nobody wanted SD cards so they dropped them from all the devices. Now we get to pay for monthly cloud subscriptions and larger Mobile data packages, all while Google continues to cut away at user access into the OS. Yay 🙄
but apparently nobody wanted SD cards so they dropped them from all the devices.
I think you have that the wrong way around. It is not that nobody wanted SD cards, but that phone manufacturers realised limiting storage capacity while making continually thinner devices (up to a point) would increasingly drive cyclical demand. "Is your phone getting full after a year or two? Well this one has MORE storage and look how slim and sexy it is by comparison!" It is not as though there was an organic consumer demand for phones without memory cards; the profit-motive drives these changes.
I think Samsung devices already have this as well. Should be a good addition.
I'm sure its going to be tied to some google proprietary service
Isnt your data encrypted when you have a pw set on your phone? For a screen or battery replacement they dont need to know your pw.
The "problem" is that android doesn't just encrypt data; it uses full disk encryption. That means, only things absolutely necessary are accessable before the password is entered. This absolutly necessary stuff does (to my knowledge) not include any diagnostics tools a technician would need to verify the existence of a problem or wether it has been solved. The new mode would probably just be a way to get more of the system decrypted so the technician can do their job.
no, this isn't fully correct. The first time you boot your phone, you have to unlock with your PIN. This decrypts your user "partition" that holds all your data. Imagine all the crap you produce including apps goes in that partition. The base operating system, what you get from the factory, is in a separate partition that is NOT encrypted by you. So what this repair mode does is basically take advantage of the already built-in DSU functionally for booting generic kernel images (GKI) and instead use it to boot a copy of your system. Your personal data remains fully encrypted.
Thanks for the correction!
Why is this so different than the multi user feature added in Honeycomb? (I might be mixing up version)
Android
The new home of /r/Android on Lemmy and the Fediverse!
Android news, reviews, tips, and discussions about rooting, tutorials, and apps.
🔗Universal Link: !android@lemdro.id
💡Content Philosophy:
Content which benefits the community (news, rumours, and discussions) is generally allowed and is valued over content which benefits only the individual (technical questions, help buying/selling, rants, self-promotion, etc.) which will be removed if it's in violation of the rules.
Support, technical, or app related questions belong in: !askandroid@lemdro.id
For fresh communities, lemmy apps, and instance updates: !lemdroid@lemdro.id
📰Our communities below
Rules
-
Stay on topic: All posts should be related to the Android OS or ecosystem.
-
No support questions, recommendation requests, rants, or bug reports: Posts must benefit the community rather than the individual. Please post to !askandroid@lemdro.id.
-
Describe images/videos, no memes: Please include a text description when sharing images or videos. Post memes to !androidmemes@lemdro.id.
-
No self-promotion spam: Active community members can post their apps if they answer any questions in the comments. Please do not post links to your own website, YouTube, blog content, or communities.
-
No reposts or rehosted content: Share only the original source of an article, unless it's not available in English or requires logging in (like Twitter). Avoid reposting the same topic from other sources.
-
No editorializing titles: You can add the author or website's name if helpful, but keep article titles unchanged.
-
No piracy or unverified APKs: Do not share links or direct people to pirated content or unverified APKs, which may contain malicious code.
-
No unauthorized polls, bots, or giveaways: Do not create polls, use bots, or organize giveaways without first contacting mods for approval.
-
No offensive or low-effort content: Don't post offensive or unhelpful content. Keep it civil and friendly!
-
No affiliate links: Posting affiliate links is not allowed.
Quick Links
Our Communities
- !askandroid@lemdro.id
- !androidmemes@lemdro.id
- !techkit@lemdro.id
- !google@lemdro.id
- !nothing@lemdro.id
- !googlepixel@lemdro.id
- !xiaomi@lemdro.id
- !sony@lemdro.id
- !samsung@lemdro.id
- !galaxywatch@lemdro.id
- !oneplus@lemdro.id
- !motorola@lemdro.id
- !meta@lemdro.id
- !apple@lemdro.id
- !microsoft@lemdro.id
- !chatgpt@lemdro.id
- !bing@lemdro.id
- !reddit@lemdro.id
Lemmy App List
Chat and More