Warning to All Android Phone Users

[edatlanta]

Google just implemented a new security measure within the past couple of months.

Make sure you know your Google User ID and Password.

If you have to perform a reset of your phone for any reason and don't know your Google info to initialize it after the reset you are screwed. You will have to go to google.com and work through their system to reset your password and when you enter this new password into your reset phone Google takes a phone reset and password reset to mean the phone has been stolen and they lock the phone completely for 72 hours. It can not be released by anybody including your phone carrier.

This just happened to me and I had to go to my carrier and buy a cheapo phone which was activated on my account to get me through the 72 hour period.

When I say "locked down" I'm not kidding.

[Subaru297]

I think this is a setting that you can disable if you want to.

From your phone go into;
Google Settings-Security-Allow remote lock and erase

Turn that off and Google probably can't do that remotely anymore. But then neither can you if you lose your phone.

There is an option there to remotely locate your device as well if needed. Sorry to hear you had issues though. Good thing I have a few old phones around if I need a spare!

[edatlanta]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

I think this is a setting that you can disable if you want to.

From your phone go into;
Google Settings-Security-Allow remote lock and erase

Turn that off and Google probably can't do that remotely anymore. But then neither can you if you lose your phone.

There is an option there to remotely locate your device as well if needed. Sorry to hear you had issues though. Good thing I have a few old phones around if I need a spare!

Per Verizon tech support (not the first level, but a supervisor) the lockout I'm talking about is absolute and can not be turned off by the user or even Verizon. Verizon can not unlock it either. The 72 hours must pass.

[edatlanta]

Right on time at 72 hours and a couple of minutes my phone allowed me to sign back on and restore it.

Security is going to kill us all.

$%^&*&^%$$%^&