Android Phone safety against theft/snatch/loss - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
I am sure there are numerous applications for GPS tracking and remote controlling/wiping all the data and settings pattern/numeric access codes for your mobiles.
Problem is that executing these safety measures are somehow dependent on certain other factors and can have successful or unsuccessful consequences.
I am thinking of anything more basic and hassle free way of ensuring that even in worst condition I can have certain peace of mind that my critical gmail account data would not be accessed for unauthorized use. For example when it was unlocked for use and meanwhile it was lost or snatched how can I be sure that my google account information specifically gmail/maps are safe. I know I can change the password by reaching to a nearby PC, but that is not always a possibility.
I have got my Samsung Galaxy S2 for more than a month and just figuring out a safe way before putting it in active use.
An idea which I am thinking of is to have another Gmail account specifically for use with Android Phone, and import/export the actual "Contacts" only to this new email account. Since contacts are the most frequently used item, they would be in sync with the new email account, any delta changes would have to be replicated to your original gmail account as well.
I dont use Picasa, so it is of no importance to me to sync the pictures with picasa account.
For access to my actual gmail and other emails (like work email) I can use an add on email android applications like K9-Mail to configure the gmail as IMAP. To get access to this email program I can install any application which can password protect the access to applications and can reactivate the password after any time of inactivity. I dont know whether in such case would I get popup in the notification bar for new emails or not.
The only two most used applications now left are
- Maps and Latitude
- Google Plus
Now both of them need to be used with my actual gmail account, since all contacts and connection are related to my actual identity on google.
So i need to know that is it possible to use one gmail (fake/secondary) account on android phone just for syncing contacts and use another actual (primary/original) account for logging in the official google maps and google plus applications. I know even in this case the password needs to be changed in case of a mishap, however I can be a bit satisfied that all critical data in the email storage is safe.
I just need your opinions and suggestion on the mentioned procedure, or is there any other good and recommended practice for getting multiple accounts configured on Android Phone and selectively use the google accounts for different applications.
Thanks for your inputs.

Hmm...seems like everyone is so sure of the safety of their handset, no one even gives a s*** to think about the worst-case scenario of losing a device.
Cheers...hope everyone retains the droid for life..

Related

[Q] Gmail access without big brother

Hi,
I have Android 2.3 on my phone, like most here. But I'm not familiar with the inner workings of Android.
When I started it up, I created a dummy account. It's the one used for Android Market, so Google uses that account to track installed programs and purchased programs. When I did that, it looks like the whole OS got associated with that account - the first time I used that gmail program, it also logged into that dummy account.
I do have a personal gmail account that I want my emails, but I also don't want all my google searches and location tracked to my personal account. Not doing anything illegal, just don't want the big brother looking over me.
How can I make the gmail app use a separate account than the one associated with the OS?
It may make you feel more comfortable, but I promise you Google already knows more about you than you want them too. regardless of how many accounts you associate or don't associate with your phone. All of this info ends up on big Gs servers one way or another. They keep your phones unique ID and the email addresses associated with it - so all they need to do is query your ID and find both of your gmail addresses and call them both "you".
But to your point. You can add both accounts to the phone, but the "First" account will always be treated as the primary account--Getting all of your search history and what not.
In Gmail you can tap the email address in the top right hand corner to switch inboxes/account being viewed.

[Q]Importing Outlook mail-contacts-notes e.t.c

I am up to purchasing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 but I see that no clear solution is available to below.
Here is my question in order to sure about what is going on:
Is there any simple way to import and/or sync outlook (mail,contacts,calendar etc) with android phone and/or tablet?
e.g:In my outlook I can export -as back up- all above (mail,contacts,calendar etc) in a pst file. Can i import same to android phone and/or tablet? without using anything like Google account, exchange server etc?
This i am telling since my mail, is a company mail account so -as I am sure you understand- i cannot have company mails out on the net.
ps:I am from Greece and i hope my writing is understandable
It's very understandable, you just need a google account only for the sake of the Market and apps and everything, but im sure you can import your contacts. I really don't know if you can use company mail as a solution for Market but all Android tab's require a gmail dummy account to track market. The stock Email client I think can import, not sure in pst file. Id love to try it but I stopped using Outlook for 2 years now and I don't have any pst file lying around
Two solutions
Hi,
There are 2 ways to solve this:
1) Define a corporate account on your android phone with your Company's exchave server settings. This will allow you to sync all your emails, contacts, calendar... The bad part of this is that if your company's exchange server has some security setup, you will be forced to setup a security code to punch in everytime you try to use your phone. For me, this is pretty annoying.
2) Second solution, there is a SW called Touch Down which you can find in Play Store. This will allow you to sync all contacts, emails... and you don't need to use the security code thingy. The only limirations, I have faced, is that all updates will need to be done through Touch Down interface with your company's Exchange server (e.g. contacts updates will not be possible from People application).
Give this SW a try... you might like it
You could also put a "thank you" for me

Gmail Issue

For starters, this is a stock maxx device, had it since the release.
I go to Ashland University in Ashland Ohio and we use @ashland.edu gmail accounts. Our 'oh so wonderful' IT department has deemed that incoming freshmen are too stupid to remember multiple passwords for various logins across campus so they set up this "Active Directory" system in which you create a master password and its changes all passwords across all logins. So I changed my password today using the AD system...
..only to find it also affected my gmail. Now, I am unable to sync my emails to my phone through the gmail app. I cannot download anything in the marketplace, and I get an annoying popup about google talk failing to authenticate.
I've read that you should get a popup that allows you to change the password on your device via the market or the gmail app.. I've had neither. Unfortunately this is my primary account as well so I can't just delete it and re add it.
Does anyone have any work around so I don't have to wipe my phone? I'd really hate to lose everything that I can't backup via my SD card and all of my custom made widgets and what not. I figured it might have to do with the fact my gmail was an @ashland.edu instead of a @gmail.com
Thanks.

[Q] Google Apps Device Policy?

Hi everyone,
I'm curious if anyone here has had any success or issues with the Google Apps Device Policy app. Has anyone had trouble with getting the Device Policy activated (for a protected corporate Google Account, for instance) on any custom ROMs? If so, which?
I flashed Th3Bill's CM10 the other day, and we had hiccups trying to get Device Policy to approve my work's Google Account. I wasn't sure if the trouble was on our IT department's side, and our IT department isn't the most user-friendly with trial and error to see if the issue was on the ROM's side or on theirs...
Not sure if this helps but I had no issues getting two university Google accounts to sync.
I had to set up a seperate password for one place. They use a single signon method where the university is the middleman and there was no direct way to use your single signon password for just the Google account. Just added a seperate password for just the Google portion and all is well.
atroph said:
Not sure if this helps but I had no issues getting two university Google accounts to sync.
I had to set up a seperate password for one place. They use a single signon method where the university is the middleman and there was no direct way to use your single signon password for just the Google account. Just added a seperate password for just the Google portion and all is well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, this is a different configuration - in essence, my IT department requires the ability to remote wipe that specific Google account from all of its devices, so it uses this app as a way of gaining permissions to that account. In essence, I can add the Google account to my phone, but no data will load (it will read "sync error") until the Device Policy App is approved.
Ahh ok. Like a goodlink account. Didn't know Google supported such a thing.

[Q] minimizing intrusive data access - free apps in play store

Hi,
I think lots of people here hold back a little bit on how much data they expose to google. I have a specific question. When apps access address book, what address book are they accessing? The phone address book? What if it's a tablet, which has no address book, is it access your google contacts?
YOUR ACCOUNTS
FIND ACCOUNTS ON THE DEVICE
Allows the app to get the list of accounts known by the tablet. This may include any accounts created by applications you have installed. Allows the app to get the list of accounts known by the phone. This may include any accounts created by applications you have installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an account used specifically for playstore and my tablet and phone. I also access my personal gmail through my tablet or phone, using a different account. Does that mean that Angry Birds knows about both the account used by playstore AND my personal gmail account?
Is there a better way to protect my personal gmail account?
Thanks!
coachclass said:
Hi,
I think lots of people here hold back a little bit on how much data they expose to google. I have a specific question. When apps access address book, what address book are they accessing? The phone address book? What if it's a tablet, which has no address book, is it access your google contacts?
I have an account used specifically for playstore and my tablet and phone. I also access my personal gmail through my tablet or phone, using a different account. Does that mean that Angry Birds knows about both the account used by playstore AND my personal gmail account?
Is there a better way to protect my personal gmail account?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your device rooted?
If yes, you may use LBE Security, the current translated Version from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1422479 (mandatory for JB!).
With this app you can restrict all permissions for every app on you phone.

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