Related
Even if one has installed some kind of lockdown/tracking software + lock pattern there is always the possibility that a thief would know how to reflash and/or wipe the phone or be able to use Google to find out how.
Has anyone worked on adding the possibility of locking access to fastboot, recovery and OS boot? (Password protecting adb would also be a nice addition.)
There is not much these forums about it. Here is a thread that died: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=531225
I would be fine with compiling my own recovery image if that is what it takes to get my own password, but I guess fastboot is the biggest concern.
I hope some smart developers will take their time to read this and think about it. Let's hear some input on how big of a task this is. I am sure it can be done, so take the challenge and show us some love.
wow this is an awesome idea. ya because apps like mobiledefense or wavesecure would be useless if the thief knows how to wipe the phone. this would be great and i would love to see it work. i dont know crap about making my own recovery or else i would do it if thats what it means to make my own password protected recovery. but like u said, fastboot is a greater challenge.
I could see recovery maybe having this but the bootloader you are out of luck unless you have a dev or holiday version of the nexus. We currently cant flash custom SPL's because they are sig checked.
What happens when you forget your password? Brick?
MatMew said:
What happens when you forget your password? Brick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn if you forget it than you are just too stupid, lol Jk
but good question, however i don't think any development on this will be done anytime soon, id definitely support it though if it ever starts.
Locking the SPL would require us to be able to write/flash one, which is currently impossible
Maybe a petition to google to set forth this new option then?
Because I was thinking the same thing...our laptops can do it, because duh, if someone steals your lappy they could just wipe to get the hardware so we can put a BIOS password so even thats impossible.
Our so 'open' phones should follow suit...please google, read this. It would be a fantastic option, that way its rendered completely useless to anyone that steals it and is smart with them (aka anyone reading these forums ).
THANKS
I want it
I've been thinking of how to 'secure' my phone's data again since I unlocked the bootloader... but this would be the way.
The feature request goes like this: Password protect the bootloader both for fastboot and getting into recovery (the option to start recovery should be password protected). A wipe is required in order to reset the password.
An additional and optional theft lock (along the lines of what the OP wants) would disable the password reset/wipe feature altogether, essentially bricking the phone if the password is unknown. Not exactly what I want (I just want my data to be safe), but should be easy enough to add both options if we have the code and can flash the SPL.
Obviously this is going nowhere if we can't flash the SPL, but there's no harm in putting this out there for Google to include in the next signed SPL.
Everyone should realize that unlocking the bootloader essentially puts all the data on your phone out there for anyone to grab without a password, given that they know a few things about fastboot/recovery. This is likely why Google forces a wipe when you originally unlock. We 'unlockers' should be given a way to get that security back.
We'd also need to find a way to 'type' a password (for the recovery option) while in the bootloader, since there's no keyboard. You could use the volume toggle to cycle through letters or numbers, but this puts this option far past a 'trivial' change to the SPL code. This may be why Google didn't include the option in the beginning.
theslam08 said:
Maybe a petition to google to set forth this new option then?
Because I was thinking the same thing...our laptops can do it, because duh, if someone steals your lappy they could just wipe to get the hardware so we can put a BIOS password so even thats impossible.
Our so 'open' phones should follow suit...please google, read this. It would be a fantastic option, that way its rendered completely useless to anyone that steals it and is smart with them (aka anyone reading these forums ).
THANKS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A computer bios password only keeps people from changing bios settings. They can still format the hard drive.
bubbahump said:
I've been thinking of how to 'secure' my phone's data again since I unlocked the bootloader... but this would be the way.
The feature request goes like this: Password protect the bootloader both for fastboot and getting into recovery (the option to start recovery should be password protected). A wipe is required in order to reset the password.
An additional and optional theft lock (along the lines of what the OP wants) would disable the password reset/wipe feature altogether, essentially bricking the phone if the password is unknown. Not exactly what I want (I just want my data to be safe), but should be easy enough to add both options if we have the code and can flash the SPL.
Obviously this is going nowhere if we can't flash the SPL, but there's no harm in putting this out there for Google to include in the next signed SPL.
Everyone should realize that unlocking the bootloader essentially puts all the data on your phone out there for anyone to grab without a password, given that they know a few things about fastboot/recovery. This is likely why Google forces a wipe when you originally unlock. We 'unlockers' should be given a way to get that security back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This would be really great... an idea, if ever possible, to overcome the bricking phone by password being lost, is somehow emailing it to the registered google account... or maybe sending an sms to a known phone number that was registered before...
dalingrin said:
A computer bios password only keeps people from changing bios settings. They can still format the hard drive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you can set an ON-BOOT password, which will prevent it from being booted at all without the password. Unfortunately, it is not that great a security measure, since you can just reset the BIOS using the jumper on the motherboard. Also, every BIOS manufacturer leaves a backdoor in case of forgotten passwords, just do a Google search for BIOS DEFAULT PASSWORDS.
But, the main thing to remember here is that we do not have a keyboard, and very limited buttons to use. So, what are you thinking of using? A combination of buttons (similar to the quick-reboot)? Or, cycling through with the volume/trackball, kind of like on a briefcase/suitcase (argh, imagine the frustration).
The next thing would be the implementation of such an idea.
If the SPL is to be modified to be password protected, we would need to source code - which I don't think is available.
If the recovery is to be password protected, it would need to have immediate access to a rewriteable portion of the internal memory for storage/retrieval of said password (as would the SPL, but first things first - gotta have the source).
A simple qwerty on-screen keyboard and using the trackball to select characters would work fine. Up and down with volume keys or whatever to type in characters is not a viable option for long passwords.
It seems all this would be of no use without the possibility of flashing our own SPL, so I guess this is a bigger task than I thought at first. We all know SPL's have been hacked many times before, so I believe it can be done on the Nexus One too. But, because of the already unlocked SPL opening up flashing heaven, I am not so sure anyone is going to use any time on figuring it out.
This is what we are left with:
1. Find a way to flash a custom SPL. Piece of cake right?
2. Create an SPL with the possibility of adding password protected fastboot/recovery. Protecting boot will probably not be necessary, as it would make it impossible to trace a stolen phone.
Let me comment on the privacy issue: I am not really very concerned about the data on my phone. Of course I would not want all the pictures and videos I have shot to fall into the hands of complete strangers, but I try not to keep secret/sensitive data on my phone. It is not really very difficult to take the sdcard and put it in any other device or card reader to get all the data off of it. All the password protection in the world will never get us around some physical security. (Maybe I should make another request for encrypting the sdcard?)
What I want is to be able to somehow find the bastard(s) that took my mobile and get it back without it being wiped first. Though there is always the risk that they would not get past the unlock pattern and just throw it away right away. Let's just hope they left it powered on within network coverage.
How does Android store Gmail login credentials? Are the information cookie-like (only session information) or is there an actuall password (encrypted or not, doesn't matter) stored somewhere? If the latter than that would be very bad for the security of the Gmail account (most critical apps there are Mail and Checkout). It would probably be a good idea to change the Gmail password as soon as one starts missing his Android phone.
--
One way of increasing the odds to get a stolen phone back would be to flash a custom ROM with an embeded and preconfigured security application that installs automatically and silently after a wipe. Not perfect because a thief could just flash another ROM but there's a greater chance of a device getting wiped than not getting wiped, right?
I guess a password in recovery would add an extra percentage to those odds too.
So much for this request. Someone moved us to Q&A, so I guess this is doomed for now. We'll just have to keep our phone safe.
maedox said:
So much for this request. Someone moved us to Q&A, so I guess this is doomed for now. We'll just have to keep our phone safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the bump. But seriously this is a must.
Any Nexus with unlocked bootloader leaves the internal memory unprotected (All your photos in DCIM folder, etc).
You just need to enter fastboot and flash a custom recovery.
Hello
Well i have a phone that has exactly what was being mentioned in this thread and i have literally tried everything everyone is saying about flashing, etc.
Hi everyone,
Long time reader, first time poster. This website really is the best source for all your galaxy needs. I learned how to root my first Android, a galaxy S4 here. Anyways, I'm here because I have scoured the internet trying to find a certain ROM that it seems no one has made.
I have a Galaxy S6 Active. recently, I lost service with AT&T, and I want to install a custom ROM on it. Here's the things though. This is no longer an AT&T phone. I don't care about KNOX, or if I can make or receive phone calls on it. I want to turn it into smething completely different. Linux OS, perhaps. Just an external hard drive. If I had to put a name on what I'm trying to find, it would be "NFC device with bluetooth and WIFI capabilities". I hope I'm explaining myself clearly. It's no longer a phone to me, but a blank canvas I can tweak and morph into something completely new.
Lmao good luck. Root.bounty @ $1550
ThegoLopez said:
Hi everyone,
Long time reader, first time poster. This website really is the best source for all your galaxy needs. I learned how to root my first Android, a galaxy S4 here. Anyways, I'm here because I have scoured the internet trying to find a certain ROM that it seems no one has made.
I have a Galaxy S6 Active. recently, I lost service with AT&T, and I want to install a custom ROM on it. Here's the things though. This is no longer an AT&T phone. I don't care about KNOX, or if I can make or receive phone calls on it. I want to turn it into smething completely different. Linux OS, perhaps. Just an external hard drive. If I had to put a name on what I'm trying to find, it would be "NFC device with bluetooth and WIFI capabilities". I hope I'm explaining myself clearly. It's no longer a phone to me, but a blank canvas I can tweak and morph into something completely new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take some time to use the "search" function :') there is no root for this phone so your stuck with Stock rom until root is available
ryanraven said:
Take some time to use the "search" function :') there is no root for this phone so your stuck with Stock rom until root is available
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, I did. There are so many cool ROMS out there. I guess what I'm not understanding is....well... why?
So, a cell phone (if you can even call it that any more, lol) is a piece of hardware with software on it. If I remove ALL of the software from it, Everything... even ODIN. Aren't I left with something similar to a laptop with a formatted hard drive?Can't I put something like an MBR on it and start from scratch? That's what I'm looking for. Not some program that can simulate kit kat or lollipop. I want something that will wipe it down to where all I see on the screen is a flashing C:\
ThegoLopez said:
Trust me, I did. There are so many cool ROMS out there. I guess what I'm not understanding is....well... why?
So, a cell phone (if you can even call it that any more, lol) is a piece of hardware with software on it. If I remove ALL of the software from it, Everything... even ODIN. Aren't I left with something similar to a laptop with a formatted hard drive?Can't I put something like an MBR on it and start from scratch? That's what I'm looking for. Not some program that can simulate kit kat or lollipop. I want something that will wipe it down to where all I see on the screen is a flashing C:\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you understand how these phones work, you could indeed somehow wipe all the partition of the phone in Odin which if you didn't know isn't part of the phone but a computer program, but if your clever enough to build an OS by yourself to run on the phone then Thumbs Up! & you'd need to unlock the phones bootloader and have very expensive hardware and software to even get into this phone, your idea is good but impossible sorry to burst your bubble my friend.
ryanraven said:
I don't think you understand how these phones work, you could indeed somehow wipe all the partition of the phone in Odin which if you didn't know isn't part of the phone but a computer program, but if your clever enough to build an OS by yourself to run on the phone then Thumbs Up! & you'd need to unlock the phones bootloader and have very expensive hardware and software to even get into this phone, your idea is good but impossible sorry to burst your bubble my friend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mind=blown. OK, so that is something I was not aware of. So, to try and understand it better, that is like me trying to login to my laptop's BIOS and it having password protection that only Dell knows the code to?
ThegoLopez said:
mind=blown. OK, so that is something I was not aware of. So, to try and understand it better, that is like me trying to login to my laptop's BIOS and it having password protection that only Dell knows the code to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, pretty much. Except in this case, it's both Samsung and AT&T's business agreements that have it locked down. Until someone cracks it, or they unlock it, we're all in a holding pattern.
chrisliphart said:
Y...it's both Samsung and AT&T's business agreements that have it locked down. Until someone cracks it, or they unlock it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, big business definitely has us at their mercy. Plus I heard a rumor that the guy who unlocked the previous bootloader now works for them.
So, how would one, with only ODIN, a USB cable, an internet connection, and alot of time on their hands, go about trying to unlock this bootloader? I mean, I know there are many people out there who are WAY more qualified than me and have way better equipment. But, hey, I could do it. I'm coming into this with no frame of reference or previous experience. Meaning I have the ability to see the problem from a perspective that no one ever has before. Who knows... and I can't fail if I never even try
Hi all. I'm new to the site, so if I'm posting in the wrong forum, please let me know. I hope someone can help.
When I left my last company, they allowed me to take my Note 9 because it was paid in full. New management came in and set up Knox MDM. Because my device was paid for by them, they added my device to Knox and put it in Kiosk mode. I can no longer do anything on it but send/receive calls. I contacted Verizon, and they said even though i pay for the service, the device is technically still owned by the company and couldn't help me. So, i'm left with either buying a new phone or asking new management to remove me from knox. They will not, so I was hoping someone knew how to remove knox, possibly through rooting the phone. However, I can't enable developer mode. When I click on the build number, i get a message saying the feature is disabled by knox.
this is just a suggestion, I'm not saying to follow it. wait for someone else to confirm it's an OK idea or a terrible one.
using a PC or even another rooted phone you could run ADB and remove Knox packages. pretty sure you can do this successfully on newer phones but with Knox ''activated'' and doing stuff I'm not sure.
3mel said:
this is just a suggestion, I'm not saying to follow it. wait for someone else to confirm it's an OK idea or a terrible one.
using a PC or even another rooted phone you could run ADB and remove Knox packages. pretty sure you can do this successfully on newer phones but with Knox ''activated'' and doing stuff I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. I'm good with that route, and I'm good with wiping the phone to root it. I installed ADB on my laptop and connected the phone, but it when I run adb devices, nothing is returned. I assumed it was because the phone wasn't in developer or usb debugging mode. So, I was hoping there was a way to do it without needed access to settings.
oh crap yeah, I forgot you did say that. curious do you still work for this company ?
either try doing ADB thru the recovery (never tried it, know nothing about it but it's a thing) or give a factory reset a try. the reset should at the very least kill off the companies settings though I'm not sure how much use that'll be.
flashing appropriate firmware with Odin should work for you too.
3mel said:
oh crap yeah, I forgot you did say that. curious do you still work for this company ?
either try doing ADB thru the recovery (never tried it, know nothing about it but it's a thing) or give a factory reset a try. the reset should at the very least kill off the companies settings though I'm not sure how much use that'll be.
flashing appropriate firmware with Odin should work for you too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks 3mel. I'll give those things a whirl. I'm not employed with them anymore, which is why going to new management isn't an option. A friend of mine still works there and they told me that management asked verizon for the device id's for the last 5 years and just put them all on knox. For them, $1/mo for a devices no longer in use by them outweighed the potential of missing devices in the wild.
rainana said:
Thanks 3mel. I'll give those things a whirl. I'm not employed with them anymore, which is why going to new management isn't an option. A friend of mine still works there and they told me that management asked verizon for the device id's for the last 5 years and just put them all on knox. For them, $1/mo for a devices no longer in use by them outweighed the potential of missing devices in the wild.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello dear friend, I have the same problem, did you find any solve for this issue? I will be happy if u will share the method)
Hello,
I have a similar case.
without debug mode, adb devices doesn't list any devices.
there is really no way to flash a custom ROM on this phone, without log into the old google account?
I have encountered a two year (?) Android lock screen glitch on the 10 Pro. I enter the correct pin and it takes it as incorrect. Now, I am locked out for 24 hours at a time. There's no allowance for me to use face unlock or finger print unlock. Encountered the glitch shortly after coming back from a vacation where I have captured 150+ GB of media chronicling my family and I. I cannot afford to lose these pictures and videos so looking for any help in getting my data off/phone unlocked. OnePlus official tech support is horrible and Google has no support on this. It's pretty crappy so looking for a needle in the haystack. Been stuck for two months and a friend recommended this site!
Use a data recovery specialist that has worked with that brand before successfully. That's your best shot if really need the data.
I never use screen locks or set bios passwords, you see why now. You are the one most likely to be locked out sometimes through no fault of your own. Redundantly and regularly backup critical data. NEVER encrypt data drives.
Having expandable storage helps too if you use the SD card as an unencrypted data drive. I also use two 500gb OTG flashsticks for "dirty" backups, main backups are on hdds.
All you can do sometimes is to learn from your mistakes... and not repeat them.
Dragonzord94 said:
I have encountered a two year (?) Android lock screen glitch on the 10 Pro. I enter the correct pin and it takes it as incorrect. Now, I am locked out for 24 hours at a time. There's no allowance for me to use face unlock or finger print unlock. Encountered the glitch shortly after coming back from a vacation where I have captured 150+ GB of media chronicling my family and I. I cannot afford to lose these pictures and videos so looking for any help in getting my data off/phone unlocked. OnePlus official tech support is horrible and Google has no support on this. It's pretty crappy so looking for a needle in the haystack. Been stuck for two months and a friend recommended this site!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could maybe try resetting system, that'll leave your storage intact?
May be a Fastboot command to kill the kitchen but I'm not sure,, there used to be a file you can delete from twrp but we unfortunately don't have a custom recovery yet.
In future, install the mod I offered in another thread that allows unlimited Google photos backup..
Have you checked your Google photos to see if anything was backed up?
Google Photos
Google Photos is the home for all your photos and videos, automatically organized and easy to share.
google.com
Hey Blackhawk and dladz. Thanks for the advice! Will attempt to find a data recovery specialist. Thanks for suggesting this as there seems to be some hope that data recovery is doable for a locked phone!
Unfortunately, nothing is backed up to Google photos. It happened just after my trip and I didn't get the chance to back up. Surely in the future,I will not use a password.
If I can't get the data off, is there any possible chance to file a lawsuit against Google?
Dragonzord94 said:
Hey Blackhawk and dladz. Thanks for the advice! Will attempt to find a data recovery specialist. Thanks for suggesting this as there seems to be some hope that data recovery is doable for a locked phone!
Unfortunately, nothing is backed up to Google photos. It happened just after my trip and I didn't get the chance to back up. Surely in the future,I will not use a password.
If I can't get the data off, is there any possible chance to file a lawsuit against Google?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lawsuit against Google? You'd have a hard time buddy...it'll be challenging to get the data from a locked phone..
What about connecting your phone to WiFi whilst it's locked and seeing if Google photos syncs and backs up?
Have you checked if photos has been syncing? It'll do it automatically if you've ever accessed and advised the app to back up automatically
Dragonzord94 said:
Hey Blackhawk and dladz. Thanks for the advice! Will attempt to find a data recovery specialist. Thanks for suggesting this as there seems to be some hope that data recovery is doable for a locked phone!
Unfortunately, nothing is backed up to Google photos. It happened just after my trip and I didn't get the chance to back up. Surely in the future,I will not use a password.
If I can't get the data off, is there any possible chance to file a lawsuit against Google?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A OTG .5tb flashstick or two could have backed them up. Too much backup is a good thing.
Less Google is good. I use Gmail and that's it for anything that's cloud based.
try this https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/14/android-lock-screen-bypass-google-pixel/
op is fairly slow with security patches so you might be in luck
g96818 said:
try this https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/14/android-lock-screen-bypass-google-pixel/
op is fairly slow with security patches so you might be in luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's clever...I like it
dladz said:
A lawsuit against Google? You'd have a hard time buddy...it'll be challenging to get the data from a locked phone..
What about connecting your phone to WiFi whilst it's locked and seeing if Google photos syncs and backs up?
Have you checked if photos has been syncing? It'll do it automatically if you've ever accessed and advised the app to back up automatically
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dang thanks for the advice. I thought it would be easy because the glitch is their fault and they haven't fixed it.
It's been connected to WiFi but nothing backed up
It doesn't even show up on find my phone
blackhawk said:
A OTG .5tb flashstick or two could have backed them up. Too much backup is a good thing.
Less Google is good. I use Gmail and that's it for anything that's cloud based.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully I can get back into my phone and use this advice. Thanks!
g96818 said:
try this https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/14/android-lock-screen-bypass-google-pixel/
op is fairly slow with security patches so you might be in luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I go about unlocking the SIM card? I've tried before but haven't found an option to do so.
Dragonzord94 said:
Dang thanks for the advice. I thought it would be easy because the glitch is their fault and they haven't fixed it.
It's been connected to WiFi but nothing backed up
It doesn't even show up on find my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a shame man, when you do get it set up...install the Google photos mod I uploaded and you can back up with no limits..
Doesn't help this situation but food for thought.
The sim lock glitch is a great shout and can be accessed from any phone usually. May need to pop it in another.. there could be a default one so Google your current provider incase there's a default code.
Dragonzord94 said:
How do I go about unlocking the SIM card? I've tried before but haven't found an option to do so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
phone lock and sim lock are two completely different things. you'll need a second phone and someone else's sim. you can use google to find out how.
try just popping out your sim, restart, and see if you can get in
Thanks for the help! The SIM card is already out (tried this at the beginning). So I'll do what you said about using someone else's sim! Will let you all know the results after work.
I have tried the SIM glitch, but alas it didn't unlock will have to try to find a specialist. Any programs that can unlock phones?
dladz said:
That's a shame man, when you do get it set up...install the Google photos mod I uploaded and you can back up with no limits..
Doesn't help this situation but food for thought.
The sim lock glitch is a great shout and can be accessed from any phone usually. May need to pop it in another.. there could be a default one so Google your current provider incase there's a default code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uploaded where? I don't see it...
Loustsoul said:
Uploaded where? I don't see it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's in its thread called a
little gem
(mod) G-Photos -A little gem
Found this little gem. Pop it in magisk then install it. Check G-Photos after the reboot. Enjoy unlimited photos on your device. 👍🏻
forum.xda-developers.com
Problem:
My mum has an Android-based Samsung phone and unfortunately, when the main folder with photos ("Camera") was moved from the Phone to PC via USB cable, it was made using Cut and Paste. By accident the files were pasted into Recycle Bin and we received warning "Files will be permanently deleted. Do you wish to proceed?". We pressed "No" to abandon this process and undo the mistake. Nevertheless, the entire folder "Camera" has already disappeared from the window of DCIM folder on the phone (as viewed from PC). Similarly, the folder appears to have been deleted when viewed from within the phone. (also the phone now has 150 Gb free, while before the process it had 110 Gb free, so it appears 40 Gb of photos have been deleted....
Attempts to fix:
Standard photo / data recovery services failed to bring results (searching hidden folders using Windows Explorer, Total Commander and Ultdata Android).
We then tried two professional software solutions (Cellebrite UFED and Oxygen Forensic Device Extractor -- Android Agent), which also did not manage to locate photos on the device.
It appears as if they were completely deleted.
The same person who used the two prof software solutions above has access to PC-3000, but he claims it's not suitable for Android data recovery (?)
We have already spent 2 days and hundreds of dollars on consultations, which unfortunately still have not brought any results, while the emotional weight of deleted memories is haunting us. Thus, we appeal to help of this forum.
Current thoughts:
#1 All other methods suggested require rooting the phone, which apparently will wipe the whole and make recovery of that specific folder even less likely (correct me if I'm wrong).
#2 All suggestions to make back-up of the phone / clone the entire memory are not relevant, as the only files that are of importance here are the files in the deleted folder, and those files are not hidden and therefore will not copy into this back-up anyway (correct me if I'm wrong).
#3 One person told us to ask Samsung customer service, but their response was that they don't do data recovery and that they only can restore if there was Samsung cloud backup activated.
Questions:
Q1: What is our best course of action? It seems, rooting is one way or another, inevitable. What rooting method would be best to use here, given the situation and my phone specifications? I understand that there is no 100% guarantee to recover the erased photos, but we would like to at least give it a try with maximum chances of success.
Q2: Given that the files we want to back-up are already deleted and not visible, is it even worth it to try to make any back-ups? or will it be in vain, and should we just proceed to rooting and further recovery attempts?
Q3: IF, we successfully root, what is the best way to access the hidden data? Do we need help of this expert who has PC-3000 and specialized software, or is it going to be accessible using our own PC+USB cable + extra downloaded software?
Phone:
Samsung S21 Ultra (G998B). Android 12. No cloud, no backup. Phone not used for now. New data is not copied onto the phone. Phone not rooted.
Thank you for all your help. I do hope to find some solution. We are down hundreds of dollars, many hours of talking to consultants, many of whom appear to just google potential solutions and offer us some basic things, while the pain of cherished memories potentially lost forever is the worst, much worse than money lost. Any help or constructive feedback would be appreciated!
BTW if someone offers a working solution, I can offer consultancy fee for time and success fee in case of recovery.
Root probably won't be possible without unlocking the bootloader, and unlocking the bootloader factory resets the phone, which formats the internal storage and permanently deletes everything. I've used root apps to recover deleted photos and videos before but that only works if the phone was already rooted, or if there's a way to do it without wiping the phone. When I joined XDA almost a decade ago it was relatively common to see root methods that used exploits, and didn't require you to wipe the phone but that's not really a thing today. All this is to say that root is almost certainly not a viable option.
Have you checked for professional forensics services that can disassemble the phone and connect wires directly to the storage chips?
I've seen Youtube videos like this, where they get into the guts of the electronics and use solder and wiring. Sorry I don't know more specifics, but perhaps you can find them online and mail your phone for professional forensics recovery.
Maybe you can download a folder files of camera for the S21 Ultra :U
KingFatty said:
Have you checked for professional forensics services that can disassemble the phone and connect wires directly to the storage chips?
I've seen Youtube videos like this, where they get into the guts of the electronics and use solder and wiring. Sorry I don't know more specifics, but perhaps you can find them online and mail your phone for professional forensics recovery.
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^this^ Your best shot. With this you may only get one shot especially if you cause more damage by misadventure...
Others here have gone this route and gotten good results. $400-800 for non rush service is in the ballpark.
KingFatty said:
Have you checked for professional forensics services that can disassemble the phone and connect wires directly to the storage chips?
I've seen Youtube videos like this, where they get into the guts of the electronics and use solder and wiring. Sorry I don't know more specifics, but perhaps you can find them online and mail your phone for professional forensics recovery.
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blackhawk said:
^this^ Your best shot. With this you may only get one shot especially if you cause more damage by misadventure...
Others here have gone this route and gotten good results. $400-800 for non rush service is in the ballpark.
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Thank you. I have come across some websites mentioning this, but could not find any agency of repute in my region offering such a solution. And especially if I can only get one shot with this, I definitely want to pick the best agency to try it out. The photos inside are worth it for me to shell out hundreds of dollars if necessary...
I wonder also, if we can reasonably expect technical progress to be able to solve this situation. I don't mean some stuff like quantum computing, but for instance I'm aware that PS3 has recently been cracked , a few years after it came out. Can I reasonably expect something similar to happen to Android 12 that what's not breakable/crackable today, may become so in 1-2 or maybe 3-4 years? While I'd hate to have to wait for 2-3 years, there's nothing time-sensitive in those photos; just family moments that I would like to be able to revisit 10 years later, so if I only will be able to access them later on, that's fine, I can just put my phone in a drawer for a few years and wait. As long as this wait is not in vain. Definitely don't need false hope.
Thanks for your feedback!
samsungs21 said:
Thank you. I have come across some websites mentioning this, but could not find any agency of repute in my region offering such a solution. And especially if I can only get one shot with this, I definitely want to pick the best agency to try it out. The photos inside are worth it for me to shell out hundreds of dollars if necessary...
I wonder also, if we can reasonably expect technical progress to be able to solve this situation. I don't mean some stuff like quantum computing, but for instance I'm aware that PS3 has recently been cracked , a few years after it came out. Can I reasonably expect something similar to happen to Android 12 that what's not breakable/crackable today, may become so in 1-2 or maybe 3-4 years? While I'd hate to have to wait for 2-3 years, there's nothing time-sensitive in those photos; just family moments that I would like to be able to revisit 10 years later, so if I only will be able to access them later on, that's fine, I can just put my phone in a drawer for a few years and wait. As long as this wait is not in vain. Definitely don't need false hope.
Thanks for your feedback!
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There's a thread here I posted on going 4-8 months. He had hid data recovered from a Samsung for $1200 rush job vs the usual $800 charge). I've tried to find it, but you see my post count. Usually that works in my favor but not always He shipped it to them if I recall correctly.
Try these guys. That may be the company he used. Been too long and it was of passing interest to me. If you do recover the data please report back. Many posters here have asked for this.
Due to the way those files were lost they may not be recoverable. Personally I would've written them off. However only a recovery specialist can say for sure.
blackhawk said:
There's a thread here I posted on going 4-8 months. He had hid data recovered from a Samsung for $1200 rush job vs the usual $800 charge). I've tried to find it, but you see my post count. Usually that works in my favor but not always He shipped it to them if I recall correctly.
Try these guys. That may be the company he used. Been too long and it was of passing interest to me. If you do recover the data please report back. Many posters here have asked for this.
Due to the way those files were lost they may not be recoverable. Personally I would've written them off. However only a recovery specialist can say for sure.
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reached out to the guys you recommended, though their website / social media have not been updated since 2020... Will report back on the progress.
samsungs21 said:
reached out to the guys you recommended, though their website / social media have not been updated since 2020... Will report back on the progress.
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I'm not sure that's who he used and I know only what I read on their site. Just saying...
Can't you just plug the phone to a PC and use a recovery tool like DiskDrill, or something?
Flash the original firmware
Samarimama said:
Flash the original firmware
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That would do nothing except complicate the issue.
RSGI said:
Can't you just plug the phone to a PC and use a recovery tool like DiskDrill, or something?
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tried that. The phone is not considered a hard drive, hence neither appears on the list of hard drives on Disk Drill, nor can be selected as folder/destination to run it on...
samsungs21 said:
tried that. The phone is not considered a hard drive, hence neither appears on the list of hard drives on Disk Drill, nor can be selected as folder/destination to run it on...
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I should mention that even if the jpegs can be recovered their exif data is not able to be associated with the jpeg. The folder structure is lost as well. A sea of jpegs with no time stamp or original image name. A daunting task in itself to sort these out.
Make a factory reset
Samarimama said:
Make a factory reset
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That would overwrite the lost data potentially making it impossible to recover as if it's not already bad enough.
It was a simple data transfer that went bad (this can happen), nothing indicates the user partition or rom are corrupted... throwing rocks at it doesn't help.
samsungs21 said:
tried that. The phone is not considered a hard drive, hence neither appears on the list of hard drives on Disk Drill, nor can be selected as folder/destination to run it on...
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Try an app called "Disk Digger". Its on the playstore. It might belp.
RSGI said:
Try an app called "Disk Digger". Its on the playstore. It might belp.
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If you're not going to use a professional recovery service, go for it.
Otherwise using the device risks overwriting the now unallocated data... once overwritten recovery is completely impossible on a flash drive.
blackhawk said:
That would overwrite the lost data potentially making it impossible to recover as if it's not already bad enough.
It was a simple data transfer that went bad (this can happen), nothing indicates the user partition or rom are corrupted... throwing rocks at it doesn't he
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Samarimama said:
Make a factory reset
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That would definitely ruin his chances of any recovery... just avoid making any writing on the storage, cause if the data you want to recover is overwrite, it's definitely gone... at least intact...