How can i fake it? (rebranding a phone) - Sony Xperia P, U, Sola, Go

Hi guys,
The company i work in allows only Samsung phones - which is ridiculous since it's all android.
I have Xperia P and i want to use it as a company phone (to have access to email etc) - i do not want to continue using Samsung!
They gave me the S3 mini...
Is there a way so i can make my XP look like it's S3 mini? What would need to be changed? How would i do it?
There is no special software involved for company emails, only Mobile iron & Touchdown apps which are both on the play store.
This would really help me in the long run! Some day i want to upgrade to Xperia Z1 Compact and not use Samsung...
10x

Astral07 said:
Hi guys,
The company i work in allows only Samsung phones - which is ridiculous since it's all android.
I have Xperia P and i want to use it as a company phone (to have access to email etc) - i do not want to continue using Samsung!
They gave me the S3 mini...
Is there a way so i can make my XP look like it's S3 mini? What would need to be changed? How would i do it?
There is no special software involved for company emails, only Mobile iron & Touchdown apps which are both on the play store.
This would really help me in the long run! Some day i want to upgrade to Xperia Z1 Compact and not use Samsung...
10x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unauthorized tampering with company stuff is going to get you fired. Running a rooted phone is probably going to get you fired as well.
Try to talk with someone with authority and ask them to explain why this is in effect and if they can't make exceptions.
That said, you cannot change physical appearence. Hardware won't fit, it never does. The fun fact is that both phones have very similar specs, and they both use a Novathor SoC.
The software is easier to fool. Android reads the phone name and manufacturer from the build.prop in /system/
As long as you change only the name and not the actual hardware settings in that file, it should work ok. Make backups before doing this.
And let me repeat it, if someone with authority catches you using a non-approved phone to do company stuff, you will likely get fired.

Hey, thanks for your answer!
Maybe i did not make myself clear...i was never thinking of changing the appearence of the phone. Only the software.
I'm working in this company for many years...don't worry about me, but thanks for the warnings.
Unfortunately, the official answer is - the software is not compatible. Anyone with some brains can tell that is BS but ok.
It's a big company, nobody will check my phone, but when i connect they will see which brand it is, so that's the only thing i have to change.
I found this so i'll give it a try: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1948558

yeah, that guide does what I was talking about in my post.
Changing phone brand and manufacturer affects Play Store as well. (Play store does limit available apps depending on phone model). In your case you probably won't be able to download sony-only apps (which is no big loss if you ask me).
In the past people changed build.prop to disguise random devices as Nexus 7 tablets so they could download all possible apps for their Android version.
Btw, if you manage to sidestep their "security measures" with a build.prop edit, their security department isn't worth a dime.
For their own good, I hope that they did enact a more serious security system to lock out non-company phones.

Well i will still use the company SIM card. We have no access to any of the company systems through the phone, only the emails.
Nobody can install Mobile Iron settings if they don't connect to the correct server and provide a PIN (which i have) to install all neccessary certificates etc.
We'll see what happens, i might just try it to see if it works, then decide if i'll use it or not.
Thanks

Change it in the build.prop, you're modifying your own device not the companies.
The phones are almost the same though anyway:
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5033&idPhone2=4436

Why dont you just use the samsung? It has better battery by the way :good:

Related

Why won't google sell android pre-rooted?

I figure with apple it's a lost cause to begin with. I guess it's just how they want it. they want to limit the people to what they deem is good enough for iOS
but google and AOSP on the other hand...
it's an open enviroment with the source code publicly available.
why won't google allow the devices to come pre rooted?
it's like buying a windows PC, but you can't access the windows folder, or linux with no root access (no sudo)
It makes me think because of possible security breaches and possible lawsuits? but if that's the case, it would have happened with linux and windows machines that allow root access...
just got me curious...
what's the method to the madness here?
Its up to carriers and OEMs. Google has no say in the matter. On Nexus phones it is damn easy to root phones and the Nexus One practically was prerooted.
Google doesnt stop anyone from selling phones prerooted, in fact, I would assume they encourage it.
I've been wondering this for a while now actually.
I think I'd be tempted to punch the poor guy who sold me a windows computer with no admin access..
Why do we (as a culture) not get outraged we aren't suppose to have full access to our phones?
Being totally honest here.. the "you could mess something up" logic doesn't work for me..Try telling any computer user who has had to use admin access for *ANYTHING* that..
Agreed. Google really is a company for their consumers. As stated above I'd assume they'd have pre-rooted phones. Though, I wouldn't think it'd be up to the carrier, more so the manufacturer. The carrier usually has to do with their bloatware. HTC made a statement in May saying their new phones after said statment will have unlocked bootloaders (they haven't kept that by the way). Rooting is easy though, its just cracking though bootloaders that allows custom roms, now that's the issue, especially Motorola devices.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
perhaps when it's rooted, people will 'customize' it too much, causing too much warranty replacements, and the manuf doesn't wanna deal with it?
I assume they void this risk by making it so that it's hard and pita to root it, and causing void of warranty, so they aren't responsible when the phone is bricked.
but it's not like if I destroy my windows on my computer, dell will come and fix it. (they do provide the tech support though I think? I don't know)
problem is, we're a sue happy country. so... I think that has alot to do with it.
razorseal said:
perhaps when it's rooted, people will 'customize' it too much, causing too much warranty replacements, and the manuf doesn't wanna deal with it?
I assume they void this risk by making it so that it's hard and pita to root it, and causing void of warranty, so they aren't responsible when the phone is bricked.
but it's not like if I destroy my windows on my computer, dell will come and fix it. (they do provide the tech support though I think? I don't know)
problem is, we're a sue happy country. so... I think that has alot to do with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
youve pretty much nailed it. almost.
99% of PHONE users do not mod and do not need/should have access to things that can prevent their phone from working anymore.
Imagine just being some dumb-ass, who 'pocket dials' deleting system apps, or the phone.apk... or is 'deleting the garbage' in download folder.. BUT its NOT the download folder... oops!
but you are no normal dumb-ass, you own a multi-million dollar company, and you cant receive or make time sensitive calls!!!?? because you accidentally deleted important stuff in your pocket... that IS a law suit.
remember this is a PHONE, not a computer.
tabets you have a case...
There should be a option when you first boot (or reflash) more or less like this:
Do you want to root your phone?
Root is used by advanced users and developers. If you don't know what this means, press 'No'.
Yes////// No
Sent using Mini CM7 Pro by Paul
.
Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
The biggest issue lies with the carriers and manufacturers, not Google. The carriers don't want you to use wireless tethering without paying them for it. The manufacturers don't want to replace phones broken by some idiot that doesn't know how to read.
I agree that most users don't know what root is and have no business modifying system files. However, it would be nice if all phones were as easy to root as Nexus phones. Just OEM unlock and be done with it. Unfortunately folks would catch on and tethering would skyrocket. The carriers can't have that.
There's also the issue of malicious apps. On a non-rooted phone, an app can only access so much data and its permissions are laid out in plain text upon install. On a rooted phone, an app without any permissions can access the same data. People are used to always accepting when Windows prompts them for admin access, and they'd do the same when prompted for Superuser access. I wish all of the root methods released, specifically the automated ones, required you to pass a test before rooting. There are too many people rooting their phones and then getting into a jam because they were too lazy to read.
I feel like the number of uneducated root users would drop if carriers and manufacturers would do a few things. If carriers made tethering plans affordable, people wouldn't root just for that reason. If manufacturers made bloatware uninstallable - not stuff like phone.apk or systemui.apk, but the apps that can be downloaded from the market or aren't necessary for the phone to run - then less people would root for that reason. You'd also get less obnoxious reviews on the market saying "omfg like I can't uninstall it you suck I'd give it zero stars if I could" that lower the rating on well developed apps.
Okay, end rant.
Supersonic Evo 4G | MIUI | Tapatalk
plainjane said:
There's also the issue of malicious apps. On a non-rooted phone, an app can only access so much data and its permissions are laid out in plain text upon install. On a rooted phone, an app without any permissions can access the same data. People are used to always accepting when Windows prompts them for admin access, and they'd do the same when prompted for Superuser access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, with a rooted phone you'll definitely have a less secure system if you don't know how to use it correctly. This point alone makes it not worth to give root access to normal users imo. I'm an app developer and I can say that I manage fine without a rooted phone and I have absolutely no need to root either, so far...
I can add that I don't live in US either so I don't know what kind of limitations you are bypassing there by rooting but that WiFi tethering is no problem for me without root access.

[Q] searching for remote controll android to android (like teamviewer)

Hey everybody,
I'm lookin for an app to remote controll android devices from each other, like teamviewer for pc!
Lot's of my (female lol) friends have problems with their phones sometimes and keep asking me, how can i do this or that and how does stuff work....
Often they wan't my help in a phone call and don't get what I'm telling them cause they don't understand the simplest things, or their phone has a diffrent look and it's hard to explain to them what they should do or lead them to the right menu or, or, or.....
So I am looking for a app witch works like Teamviewer, so i can see there screens and just do it for them via remote
I thougt I've seen something in the xda portal someday but don't remember a name....
Has anyone a suggestion for an app to do that??? Oh and it should work without root and easy like teamviewer (at least for the host)......
Thanks in advance!
Andriod Remote Support/ScreenConnect
MSTRoyal said:
Hey everybody,
I'm lookin for an app to remote controll android devices from each other, like teamviewer for pc!
Lot's of my (female lol) friends have problems with their phones sometimes and keep asking me, how can i do this or that and how does stuff work....
Often they wan't my help in a phone call and don't get what I'm telling them cause they don't understand the simplest things, or their phone has a diffrent look and it's hard to explain to them what they should do or lead them to the right menu or, or, or.....
So I am looking for a app witch works like Teamviewer, so i can see there screens and just do it for them via remote
I thougt I've seen something in the xda portal someday but don't remember a name....
Has anyone a suggestion for an app to do that??? Oh and it should work without root and easy like teamviewer (at least for the host)......
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know of anything free and this ecosystem is still very limited due to the phone manufacturers (as I was told by the company I will mention). Most of the softwares require you to have a license with them and then add on Smartphone devices for support which can be really costly. The software my company was already using,ScreenConnect (sorry can't post an URL), just released a app for Samsung devices. I played around with it on my buddy'[s S4 for a bit the other day. Prior to this ScreenConnect could take and send a screenshot to technician but they couldn't remote control the phone. I'm really glad phone manufacturers are starting to open this up and I can't wait until they get it across the board. I don't have high hopes for Apple at all though. Allowing something like remote control is most likely beyond what they are going to allow for a long time. Hope this helps a little.
baywest said:
I don't know of anything free and this ecosystem is still very limited due to the phone manufacturers (as I was told by the company I will mention). Most of the softwares require you to have a license with them and then add on Smartphone devices for support which can be really costly. The software my company was already using,ScreenConnect (sorry can't post an URL), just released a app for Samsung devices. I played around with it on my buddy'[s S4 for a bit the other day. Prior to this ScreenConnect could take and send a screenshot to technician but they couldn't remote control the phone. I'm really glad phone manufacturers are starting to open this up and I can't wait until they get it across the board. I don't have high hopes for Apple at all though. Allowing something like remote control is most likely beyond what they are going to allow for a long time. Hope this helps a little.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx for ya reply, at least i got a part of an answer now
But the software u mentioned seems not to be very helpfull if i try to lead someone thru half way of their phone...
It sounds good for help with specific settings or error messages but i want more than that.
Really looking forward to see something more usefull in future
Oh and just found out about Teamviewer QuickSupport, wich can send device stats, some settings information and screenshots but only works from pc to android....

[Q] Gear S Standalone Email Widget?

Does anyone know where I can find a standalone email .wgt (I don't want to connect to my phone... it's apple... don't kill me)?
Also, an android launcher .wgt like nova launcher would be really cool! (I don't care about battery life if I'm running this)
The main reason my wife bought me this watch was so I could be sneaky and check my emails while I'm in meetings... that way I'd have more time to spend with her at home rather than answering emails until 8pm... I'm pretty much screwed either way, but my inner geek wants to make this work, and I don't like Samsung limiting what my property can do.
This watch can be a completely stand alone device, but Samsung has crippled it's capabilities in an attempt to force us to buy one of their smartphones. I'm not a big fan of these marketing tactics, and have made it my mission to make this watch do what I want it to do, and know it can do. I will not buy a Samsung phone just so I can play with my watch.
I'm a complete noob at this, but thanks to this forum, I've been able to learn quickly. I've been able to root the watch and sideload all of the apps i can find (and think are useful).
I still don't have access to download registered apps, since I didn't cave in and buy a samsung phone. I'm sure there are a lot of good apps that help increase the functionality of the watch.
I'm hoping there are some geniuses out there who could help me out with the email and android launcher questions.
Email/apps
I'm in the same boat as you are. Not spending the extra cash on an additional phone has left much to be desired with the watch. Being a standalone device I thought I would have at least been able to get emails, so a new app is much needed.
Btw I did several searches but could find how to Sideload apps onto the gear s...do you happen to have a link? What apps were you able to find, and can you post them? Thanks, like you I'm very new but willing to help in any way I can.
Now if we can figure out the pit file/ full android I'd be set!
Thanks again!
weedenrw said:
Does anyone know where I can find a standalone email .wgt (I don't want to connect to my phone... it's apple... don't kill me)?
Also, an android launcher .wgt like nova launcher would be really cool! (I don't care about battery life if I'm running this)
The main reason my wife bought me this watch was so I could be sneaky and check my emails while I'm in meetings... that way I'd have more time to spend with her at home rather than answering emails until 8pm... I'm pretty much screwed either way, but my inner geek wants to make this work, and I don't like Samsung limiting what my property can do.
This watch can be a completely stand alone device, but Samsung has crippled it's capabilities in an attempt to force us to buy one of their smartphones. I'm not a big fan of these marketing tactics, and have made it my mission to make this watch do what I want it to do, and know it can do. I will not buy a Samsung phone just so I can play with my watch.
I'm a complete noob at this, but thanks to this forum, I've been able to learn quickly. I've been able to root the watch and sideload all of the apps i can find (and think are useful).
I still don't have access to download registered apps, since I didn't cave in and buy a samsung phone. I'm sure there are a lot of good apps that help increase the functionality of the watch.
I'm hoping there are some geniuses out there who could help me out with the email and android launcher questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a cheapo compatible sammy.
Buy a used galaxy running 4.3 (s3 mini on ebay, used ~$50-70) and use it as a relay. Just copy all the apps and mail accounts from your daily driver onto the S3, connect to Wi-Fi, set the notifications, disconnect from Bluetooth, and use the remote as the tether.
crazyshakespeare13 said:
I'm in the same boat as you are. Not spending the extra cash on an additional phone has left much to be desired with the watch. Being a standalone device I thought I would have at least been able to get emails, so a new app is much needed.
Btw I did several searches but could find how to Sideload apps onto the gear s...do you happen to have a link? What apps were you able to find, and can you post them? Thanks, like you I'm very new but willing to help in any way I can.
Now if we can figure out the pit file/ full android I'd be set!
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully someone will come up with a standalone_email.wgt soon.
Right now I'm looking into the feasibility of flashing an Android ROM onto my Gear S.... if that's even possible. Given the limited apps available for Tizen, and all of the built in mess that samsung has provided with this phone, I'm thinking that is the way to go. But, I'm a noob, so haven't had a chance to work with ODIN too much on the ROM flashing side of things.
this is by far the best guide on sideloading apps for Gear S (for your average noob like me):
denvycom.com/blog/how-to-install-wgt-files-gear2
A few wrinkles they don't go over:
Make sure your Java is up to date. If it isn't, Tizen won't install. However, more problematic for me, was getting the developer.samsung.com website to work correctly with my default browser. I uninstalled it and re installed it (and all versions between 6 and 8) quite a few times. If you have the same problems and the website isn't loading java correctly, it's going to be virtually impossible to get your author cert or device profile licenses. I hope you don't run into this problem.
Once you get all of that working, you can scour the Gear S and Gear 2 forums for .wgt files (these .wgt are the "application" files that Tizen uses). There are a lot here on this forum. just download them, copy them to the SDB folder, open up your CMD prompt, find sdb foler, type sdb install xxx.wgt, the press enter.
I'm still not happy with what I've been able to find, pretty much the only .wgt files I've found that are nice are opera mini and a few calculators. Opera mini can't even load flash, so kiss listening to Pandora over your Bluetooth headphones while running.
which brings up another good app request... if anybody is listening... a pandora.wgt would be really really cool!!
Hope this helps
mghtymse007 said:
I just bought a cheapo compatible sammy.
Buy a used galaxy running 4.3 (s3 mini on ebay, used ~$50-70) and use it as a relay. Just copy all the apps and mail accounts from your daily driver onto the S3, connect to Wi-Fi, set the notifications, disconnect from Bluetooth, and use the remote as the tether.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's called "getting tricked by the biz"! It's like buying a $50 t-shirt! At least you can wear the t-shirt
Sorry man, not trying to be negative, I know it would be easier to do it this way. The fact that they're making me buy one of their phones to make my watch work makes me want to buy a Samsung even less!
weedenrw said:
That's called "getting tricked by the biz"! It's like buying a $50 t-shirt! At least you can wear the t-shirt
Sorry man, not trying to be negative, I know it would be easier to do it this way. The fact that they're making me buy one of their phones to make my watch work makes me want to buy a Samsung even less!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying I don't disagree with you. It's a real BS game these guys play! These two devices are the first and only Sam tech I have, and never found their forced ecosystem tactics tasteful. In the end, i REALLY did try to find a possible alternative...From LG to Umeox to ZGPAX. I struggled with an Omate TS for almost a year...to get what the S does out of box (w/compatible Sam, or course) and more.
For me...i needed a reliable device...function beat out emotion and personal feelings in this case.
weedenrw said:
Hopefully someone will come up with a standalone_email.wgt soon.
Right now I'm looking into the feasibility of flashing an Android ROM onto my Gear S.... if that's even possible. Given the limited apps available for Tizen, and all of the built in mess that samsung has provided with this phone, I'm thinking that is the way to go. But, I'm a noob, so haven't had a chance to work with ODIN too much on the ROM flashing side of things.
this is by far the best guide on sideloading apps for Gear S (for your average noob like me):
denvycom.com/blog/how-to-install-wgt-files-gear2
A few wrinkles they don't go over:
Make sure your Java is up to date. If it isn't, Tizen won't install. However, more problematic for me, was getting the developer.samsung.com website to work correctly with my default browser. I uninstalled it and re installed it (and all versions between 6 and 8) quite a few times. If you have the same problems and the website isn't loading java correctly, it's going to be virtually impossible to get your author cert or device profile licenses. I hope you don't run into this problem.
Once you get all of that working, you can scour the Gear S and Gear 2 forums for .wgt files (these .wgt are the "application" files that Tizen uses). There are a lot here on this forum. just download them, copy them to the SDB folder, open up your CMD prompt, find sdb foler, type sdb install xxx.wgt, the press enter.
I'm still not happy with what I've been able to find, pretty much the only .wgt files I've found that are nice are opera mini and a few calculators. Opera mini can't even load flash, so kiss listening to Pandora over your Bluetooth headphones while running.
which brings up another good app request... if anybody is listening... a pandora.wgt would be really really cool!!
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice...hopefully I can get to installing some later today. After purchasing the gear and soon learning all its limitations I went to Walmart and purchased a prepaid Samsung phone for the first time pairing before returning the phone. While I managed to get a few apps I quickly found out that most are useless without a paired device.
I do have opera install but found after rooting the gear the app opens to a black screen and that's all.
Long story short, until a new rom is created I'm pretty much stuck with a phone and messaging device (which is nice and all...but not for the price we paid)
Thanks again for all the info!
mghtymse007 said:
I just bought a cheapo compatible sammy.
Buy a used galaxy running 4.3 (s3 mini on ebay, used ~$50-70) and use it as a relay. Just copy all the apps and mail accounts from your daily driver onto the S3, connect to Wi-Fi, set the notifications, disconnect from Bluetooth, and use the remote as the tether.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the info
mghtymse007 said:
I just bought a cheapo compatible sammy.
Buy a used galaxy running 4.3 (s3 mini on ebay, used ~$50-70) and use it as a relay. Just copy all the apps and mail accounts from your daily driver onto the S3, connect to Wi-Fi, set the notifications, disconnect from Bluetooth, and use the remote as the tether.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there!
I am in the same boat as you. iPhone 6 is my primary phone but i also have a twin SIM card that i want to use with the Gear S (standalone). However i still need a (cheap as it can get) Samsung phone for setting up the watch, installing apps and the remote connection.
Can you please confirm that the S3 mini is indeed compatible with the Gear S; What version of Android does it have? Can you post the exact FW name? I was not sure it supported BT 4.0 hardwarewise.
Thank you so much!
gidi said:
Hi there!
I am in the same boat as you. iPhone 6 is my primary phone but i also have a twin SIM card that i want to use with the Gear S (standalone). However i still need a (cheap as it can get) Samsung phone for setting up the watch, installing apps and the remote connection.
Can you please confirm that the S3 mini is indeed compatible with the Gear S; What version of Android does it have? Can you post the exact FW name? I was not sure it supported BT 4.0 hardwarewise.
Thank you so much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, this is a great one. Did this for a friend a few weeks ago...an iPhone 6 playing nice with a Samsung! (Think I heard something about Hell and freezing on this subject But all kidding aside, she does get a lot of comments about the phone/watch combo.
To be honest, I think there's a lot more phones that are compatible with the S that Sammy is letting on. At our Main OFFICIAL AT&T store...their little tablets show maybe 7 or so Samsung models that are "officially" compatible. However, I've heard, and read of some folks trying cheap, simple pre-paid models...and all is working.
After doing some quick research, it seems that it's more important to have Android 4.3 or higher to ensure full functionality. It's the additional Gear Mgr software that will handle the S's functions... And their 4.3+/TouchWiz combo seems to be the key.
Hope this helps... Good luck!
Oh, and BTW, I don't have an iPhone... I do have an android based phone, the HTC One M8. I just have never cared for TouchWiz, nor Samsung's designs.
(Please no OEM wars, just stating my personal opinion)
e-mail
Hi! I do not have a Samsung smartphone. I want to send and receive mail at the clock. Need advice.

[Q] Why is rooting a phone forbidden?

Can someone explain to me why root on a phone is forbidden?
I ask this because certain apps do not run when a phone is rooted.
But if you run something equal on Windows or Linux it's allright if you have administrator or even Enterprise rights...
I do not understand this...
Regards,
Phoenix007
well if they had the choice and foresight they probably would have created a restricted account for you even on a PC... but it's like oh shucks.... we give them full access to the OS well now let's not do it for mobile phones.
there are many reasons why rooting is restricted
-- reasons justified by the the manufacturer.
is that rooting changes their propriety apps and other information on the phone to the extent that modifying the system could hose the phone completely and therefore is a basis of denying warranty
-certain financial apps and other apps actually have code built into them that look for rooting and will stop working if the phone is rooted with the message that they will not work with rooted phone. there are workarounds in terms of fooling those apps that the phone is not rooted
-rooting gives user full access and if he does not know what is doing that can completely brick the phone which is in many cases is a v valid reason.... search for bricked phone threads on this forum and you see so many of them... though not all of them come from rooting the phone
now the real reason from user perspective
--a lot of Chinese phone manufacturers or even otherwise keep low level system apps running that collect your personal information
if you root a phone you have complete control of disabling any kind of app that's out there that you don't feel is working in your interest and you can basically throw away all those garbage apps that you don't feel have any value but the phone manufacturer wants to keep them
glaring example is Knox in Samsung phones. that app keeps running all the time and most of the time people don't need it.
-if you root a phone you can completely wipe out the stock OS supplied by the manufacturer and put in any kind of OS you want that is compatible
- phone manufacturer like Samsung has tied up with your carrier example t mobile and many a times business model needs that phone should work only with those certain carriers and not with any other carrier or outside that region so it becomes necessary to limit your access to the phone
-it's like the phone company is telling you you pay the cost of the phone and you rented from me. how much is the monthly rent ? $0 pm.... but you still rent it.... phone is not yours (=rooted )
Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk

Serious ways to bypass a screen lock without data loss

Hello all,
In my circle of friends there was a suicide case and I was asked by the family if I would be able to remove a screen lock from a Samsung Galaxy S21. The family can't explain why their son killed himself and would like answers to all their questions. They assume that there is information on the phone or reasons for the suicide.
Are there any serious ways to get around such a block? I don't have much information about the device yet, nor do I currently have it with me. Maybe there are exploits or bruteforce toolkits to bypass the lockscreen. Programs like Tenorshare 4uKey or PassFab Android Unlocker are probably scam or?
I will get the device in the next week and could provide more information then.
Currently the following information is available:
Device Model: Samsung Galaxy S21 5G | Samsung SM-G991B | Android 11 | One UI 3.1
Mobile contract: active
SMS PIN & PUK: available
Google account credentials: available and valid and linked to the device but no backups available in Google Drive
Samsung account credentials: present and valid but not associated with the device so no backups available
Does the approach via Kali Nethunter and a HID keyboard attack work with a current Android Samsung Galaxy S21 bruteforcing or do you always get into the temporally increasing lock?
A data recovery $pecialist might be able to, ask the police for assistance.
Find the password for the lockscreen, or maybe through their Gmail or Samsung accounts, again passwords needed.
I think if they wanted you in the phone they would have unlocked it...
blackhawk said:
A data recovery $pecialist might be able to, ask the police for assistance.
Find the password for the lockscreen, or maybe through their Gmail or Samsung accounts, again passwords needed.
I think if they wanted you in the phone they would have unlocked it...
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This is not a helpful answer.
The police in this country does not help in such matters if it is assumed that no outside influence was involved.
A data recovery specialist also only executes toolkits or exploits. I am also able to do this if someone gives me a hint which toolkits or exploits would come into question for this model. I work as a sysadmin myself and therefore I am not completely untalented technically. I just lack information about which approach would be the best.
This is a community of people who like to hack their phones, not hack into other people's phones... which is considered unethical.
Are you serious?
You really think it's unethical when a 21 year old boy takes his own life overnight and the family just wants to know why their son did it? Sure, the boy was of age at 21 and can do with his life what he wants. Nevertheless, any clear-thinking person can understand that the family wants to know why the son did that.
I have no bad intentions and I am only trying to help the family. This is not about hacking a stolen cell phone. Then I would just do a factory reset and use the phone normally and not write this post here.
Yes, well... be that as it may.
With a screen lock in place you can't simply factory reset as you still be locked out.
I believe my original response was valid. It's not an easy nut to crack... by design.
Hello, i own a phone repair shop and i'm a relation with a person specialized in unlocking phones. He said me that he can bypass the lock screen and keep data on all samsung phones and he can do it remotly. Being in this business i don't trust him a lot about keeping data. One of my customer's son is dead and his family want to access his phone, they gave me his phone and they are agree to loose data if things dont go good so i'm gonna try with this guy and if you want i will give you a feedback.
Hi sorry to hear that this terrible situation happened around you.
I am in a similar situation. My cousin died suddenly and his sister asked be to recover pictures and videos because he filmed himself before try to end his life and she would like to find if there is any video that could help us understand better.
I'm trying to find ways to do that and so far I haven't but I wanted to share some information in case it could be helpful to someone.
I tried the iMobie Data Extractor. It is supposed to help recover data from "broken phone". I guess it's the closest thing I found that didn't look scammy and could work. After about a month of back and forth with their support person, I managed to replaced the OS using Odin (because the official software left my phone in a non-bootable state) replacing all partitions except User Data. Unfortunately, that didn't remove the lock (PIN). I'm not surprised since I didn't wipe the User Data.
From a security perspective, it is good that it is hard (impossible) to access data of a locked phone, but from a family emotional perspective, it is hard to have to tell my family that I failed.
I wish you good luck and please post here if you find a way.
be safe
Touftaf said:
Hello, i own a phone repair shop and i'm a relation with a person specialized in unlocking phones. He said me that he can bypass the lock screen and keep data on all samsung phones and he can do it remotly. Being in this business i don't trust him a lot about keeping data. One of my customer's son is dead and his family want to access his phone, they gave me his phone and they are agree to loose data if things dont go good so i'm gonna try with this guy and if you want i will give you a feedback.
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What happened
I don't have easy-to-hear information for you. But I offer these words as a way to think about this situation.
I believe Samsung intentionally builds phones which are extremely hard to break into. This is a conscious design decision they make. Why? Because so many users do things like credit card payments, banking, and social media, where, if you lost your phone and a bad person found it, an easy-to-break-into device would have potentially catastrophic results. Aside from the harm to a user who lost a phone, Samsung themselves would be subjected to great reputational damage, too. It's bad press when it's easy to break into and steal something.
Also, you may not be able to break into the device, even with the help of a commercial vendor. Exploits in Android, when found, are patched regularly. A very smart person might have had a way to crack into a phone last week, last month, or last year. But again, Samsung intends to continually patch the software to keep it secure. They make a point to telling people that Samsung phones are patched for several years, so users will feel confident their data will be secure.
One suspects certain governments have police or security organizations who likely could break in, but they are unlikely to help in a personal situation, as you described.
Although this doesn't seem to apply to you, it's worth saying that Samsung phones are also backed up (by default) to their "cloud." It's possible that a lawyer might be able, with proper documentation of the owner's death, to get access to Samsung's (or Google's) cloud backup(s). I don't think it's easy though. Google, at least in the USA, allows the owner of an account to specify how Google should handle their data if they stop accessing their accounts. (I think Google treats an idle account as "dead" and for reasons like this, if you no longer want to use a vendor like Samsung or Google, you should proactively delete your account, not merely let it go idle.)
Anyone reading this post, might want to consider having what can be an uncomfortable conversation with your friends and family: "How would you like your friends and family handle your electronic, financial, and social accounts in the event of your death?"
Please, forgive me if any of this sounds insensitive. My father worked in insurance and as part of his job he knew all to well that all people eventually die. And how hard it is for those left behind to pick up the pieces, especially when secrets are involved. My family knows where to find my keys.

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