Are on wind- and kitesurfing holidays in Western Ireland, Brandon Bay. Even here, there are thiefs that break into cars. They have stolen my two months old Galaxy S3.
Had a PIN protection on the phone. Have also disabled the SIM Card and changed the password of the Google account. After buying the phone, I had registred it at SamsungDive at activated the options on the S3.
However, I was not able to find the phone with SamsungDive. The phone was stolen six days ago. But after a Google Search, I found that everyone can easy perform a factory reset holding down all physical buttons, and I suspect that SamsungDive will not "survive" a factory reset.
- So, all this "Find my phone" applications seem to be useless when a thief can switch them off with pressing some buttons. Is this really true?
- Is there any possibility to "protect" a new phone better so that a thief can not use it?
- Have the IMEI Number of the stolen phone, but it seems that most carriers do not block individual stolen phones.
- Does anyone knows if Samsung or anyone else can disable a stolen phone worldwide according the IMEI number?
Thank you all in advance for any hints.
Franz
If you contact your network and give them your IMEI they can block that mobile on any network in UK so when that person who took your s3 try any simcard it will not register in the network.You will not be able to track it with any software if that s3 was reset to factory state someone can use this mobile abroad but not in UK.hope this explain your situation
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I'm sorry to hear that franzschenk, but yes, it's true. The anti-theft apps are just good marketing (on android and ios also). The samsung dive will not survive the hard reset, so unfortunately is useless.
You should check with samsung, but afaik carriers can block a stolen phone based on IMEI, but you should contact the police. I friend had his phone stolen and the police took care of everything, and got the phone back (but in 2 months), so your best bet is the police.
Regards,
Crysis21
With regards to theft protection apps being nullified with factory resets, some come as a CWM-flashable zip, which installs the apk to the system partition . This means even with a factory reset it remains, with the only way of removing it being manually uninstalling using a root file explorer or flashing a new rom, both of which I'd imagine the average thief not to be smart enough to do.
I recently bought an anti theft app called Cerberus which during my tests has proven to be realiable so far, even after a factory reset.
Most probably the phone will be sold on a flea market. You should call the police and give them the IMEI. Once someone powers it on and starts using, you will get your phone back.
prank1 said:
With regards to theft protection apps being nullified with factory resets, some come as a CWM-flashable zip, which installs the apk to the system partition . This means even with a factory reset it remains, with the only way of removing it being manually uninstalling using a root file explorer or flashing a new rom, both of which I'd imagine the average thief not to be smart enough to do.
I recently bought an anti theft app called Cerberus which during my tests has proven to be realiable so far, even after a factory reset.
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Click to collapse
Cerberus is awesome, installable as a system app so it survives a factory reset. Glad I got it when they made it free to download for a few days
DramatikBeats said:
Cerberus is awesome, installable as a system app so it survives a factory reset. Glad I got it when they made it free to download for a few days
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It's now 2 weeks since the Galaxy S3 was stolen. The Samsung Dive Service is a joke, a thief can put it out of operation with about three keystrokes (see hard reset dot com website for example). So, no wonder that Samsung dive was unable to perform any remote operation on my stolen phone since two weeks. Unfortunately, the police here in Ireland seems also be not capable to block a phone with a specific IMEI number.
I feel betrayed by Samsung. If Samsung Dive would work, I would have good chances to find and recover my phone in this rural area of Western Ireland and would probably not have a loss of 600 Euros. I think Samsungs goal is that the thief can perfectly use a stolen phone, and that the victim has to buy a new one as well. They can't be so stupid, because the S3 is a great phone. But I will not buy a S3 again, in turns my stomach to spend money for Samsung again.
Have seen that this type of reset (easing all data and PIN protection with just some keystrokes) is not possible on the iPhone, for example. Does anyone knows recent Android phones that are better protected (in my opinion, there is absolutely no need to erase all data without entering in the operating system) and thus less attractive for thiefs?
Thank you in advance for any feedback
Franz
franzschenk said:
It's now 2 weeks since the Galaxy S3 was stolen. The Samsung Dive Service is a joke, a thief can put it out of operation with about three keystrokes (see hard reset dot com website for example). So, no wonder that Samsung dive was unable to perform any remote operation on my stolen phone since two weeks. Unfortunately, the police here in Ireland seems also be not capable to block a phone with a specific IMEI number.
I feel betrayed by Samsung. If Samsung Dive would work, I would have good chances to find and recover my phone in this rural area of Western Ireland and would probably not have a loss of 600 Euros. I think Samsungs goal is that the thief can perfectly use a stolen phone, and that the victim has to buy a new one as well. They can't be so stupid, because the S3 is a great phone. But I will not buy a S3 again, in turns my stomach to spend money for Samsung again.
Have seen that this type of reset (easing all data and PIN protection with just some keystrokes) is not possible on the iPhone, for example. Does anyone knows recent Android phones that are better protected (in my opinion, there is absolutely no need to erase all data without entering in the operating system) and thus less attractive for thiefs?
Thank you in advance for any feedback
Franz
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Click to collapse
I read some time ago that CIA or some similar intelligence agency asked Google to unlock a phone locked by a Lock screen pattern for them because they were unable to. So a simple pattern can prevent anyone from using the device unless it is formatted before booting which means your private data is safe.
Also don't blame Samsung for not being able to restore your phone. It is Android security measure not to allow anything to activate GPS directly without prompt, and if it could Wifi or Mobile data is needed to transfer the Location coordinates back to you. So if internet is accessed when you use the Samsung restore future you will immediately get device location. Surely it would have been better if Samsung made the app wipe-proof which I think is also blocked by Android as a security measure.
Its easier on the iPhone! U just restore it through itunes
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CIA would access the data on the phone. Security is not the question here. I don't care abaout the data.
When I'm doing a Google search for "iPhone factory reset", I can find how to reset the phone, but without erasing all data. In my opinion, that is the real problem with the Galaxy S3. Why does Samsung implement a function for erasing all data with some keys strokes without knowing a PIN? (had PIN protection and face unlook on my stolen S3) Can someone tell if this is possible with other Android phones as well?
Franz
Just a thought; but maybe you shouldn't have disabled the SIM if you were planning on tracking it. If they can't unlock the phone, how can the phone connect to WiFi and report your location?
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franzschenk said:
...Why does Samsung implement a function for erasing all data with some keys strokes without knowing a PIN? (had PIN protection and face unlook on my stolen S3) Can someone tell if this is possible with other Android phones as well?
Franz
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Click to collapse
All android phones can enter recovery mode with 2 or 3 buttons combination to reset the phone without password. It is not Samsung proprietary.
Iphones are just as easy. Put it into dfu mode and restore it on iTunes!
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roogerrisboredd said:
Iphones are just as easy. Put it into dfu mode and restore it on iTunes!
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I've got the point now. It's all about selling phones and making money. Phone manufacturers and Telecom operators make money on each stolen phone. What is disapponting me very much is that Samsung pretend to offer a anti theft soulution. They even write in the users guide that Samsung dive can unlock a locked phone and activate the GPS receiver, but this is probably a lie as well.
Mobile phones have unique IMEI numbers since at least 10 years and I suppose that it would be very easy to take a stolen phone out of operation. But our Telecom provider tells me that this is not possible. I guess it's about money again, when thiefs cannot use stolen phones, less phones are stolen and less phones are sold.
@Mister_Mxyzptlk's: I think it's a bad idea to leave and Android phone unprotected. The thief could then buy a lot of expensive objects from the Android market. At least this didn't happen to me, I was able to change the Google account password before that happen.
Franz
Hi all. I plan on buying a Samsung galaxy note offline but in the description it says it has a password lock on it. I wanna buy it, but only if there's a way to get rid of I it. Any ideas?
Go into recovery and wipe data.
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I have an idea.... you're buying a stolen phone
Ask the seller for the IEMI so you can see if at&t blacklisted it. If its listed you won't be able to activate it.
Don't quote, reply. If you quote, edit.
Hi. I have a Galaxy Note 5 from Sprint (eeww) that was given to me, and has been completely paid off and everything. Of course, because its sprint, I rooted it. But after I did that, I realized it was locked to sprint only. So I went searching through google and found that it is supposed to auto-unlock after it has met the requirements (which it has). But, in the rooting process, I presume, the app in charge of unlocking it, Self Service for some reason, decided to completely not function, instead showing a generic title and just a big EXIT button, with no functionality at all. I even redownloaded the apk, moved it to system and such but still no luck. After that, I tried the "modem reset" thing by typing that number "**????*" (I forgot most of it now), and it helped slightly, but not with the Self Service app.
tl:dr Self Service App on my Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 5 does not work to carrier unlock the phone after root.
I'd really appreciate help because its getting annoying having to google voice everyone.
Switching from a Galaxy s8. Installed Gear S app which prompts to Gear S plugin and also Samsung Accessory Service plugin. Once installed, phone connects to Gear s3 Frontier fine. Transfers seem to be using WiFi Direct (not bluetooth). Once configured, notifications come across fine. The issue is when you try to use Samsung Pay (from either the Gear S app on the phone or from the Gear s3). When trying to launch from Gear s3, it prompts you to check your phone. It's suppose to download/install Samsung Pay for Gear. Instead it crashes on the phone. Then, in some instances, the Gear S plugin continues to crash over and over (a pop up appears every 10 seconds or so), even after closing the Gear s3 app. Have to reboot phone or battery drains quickly.
I had to uninstall/re-install components (which resets the Gear s3) and NOT try to start Samsung Pay to get the watch to be functional.
I know that it worked on my HTC One fine (was using while waiting for LG V30 to arrive).
Is anyone else experiencing this or gotten Samsung Pay for Gear to work on the LG V30?
Thanks!
You probably won't get Samsung pay to work on a nonsamung device. But good luck to you
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Works fine on my LGV20. Im waiting for V30 to arrive. Samsung may need to just push out an update. They've been surprisingly good with supporting non Samsung phones.
So I got it to work. Samsung Gear app/plugin kept choking on Samsung Pay Plug in install. Searched and found the apk. Samsung Pay for Gear 1.5.2005. Installed it and all is working!
Hope this helps someone.
bkeaver said:
You probably won't get Samsung pay to work on a nonsamung device. But good luck to you
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It's been working on other Android devices for a long while now. Not from the phone itself, but from the Gear s3. The issue was that the Gear s3 needs an android phone to register to. Still doesn't work on iOS.
Had to soft reset my Gear S3 and it looked to hang during initial setup with the v30 -- But I set it up again and everything works (including Samsung Pay)
LG G7 Thinq and Samsung Pay
I was having the same issue. I have used SP in the past with my gear S3 with non Samsung phones and on Samsung phones. I have always got the rewards and I have had full functionality of the app using my watch only. To use the app from the phone without the watch does require it be a Samsung phone, but not for full functionality from the watch. After getting this new phone however, the watch synced up fine, but SP would not finish installing. I noticed the earlier post about installing the older version of SP, it installed and immediately told me to update to the most recent version to continue. I selected OK, and it updated and the app installed and I was able to add my credit cards and it is now working again. I found the older version I installed by searching for;
samsung-pay-for-gear-1-5-2005-android-apk
Hi,
I bought a samsung s7 off ebay used for my daughter to play games on at home. "Wifi only no SIM". The phone is locked and requires original owners samsung account to allow me to use. I'v already factory reset but still have samsung account activation due to abnormal factory reset. My guess is the phone was stolen or never removed account? How to I get around this? can i just load a custom rom on it to get around? If so could you point me in the correct direction? Phone is SM-G930V. Thank you all in advance.