I have basically the same question as Bootloader Relocking on SHIFT8.1 with iodéOS except it doesn’t seem possible for me, as the phone will not boot if i (re)enable OEM lock in DL mode. Fortunately it boots fine as long as the bootloader remains unlocked, albeit with some Big Fat Warnings in Korean when it boots. The boot error points at the signature on vbmeta
so it sounds a lot like the Shift8.1 issue, but I’d like to hear more followup on the issue in general. Thanks in advance.
I think relocking is not supported for your device:
1 Like
Thanks, that was my assumption as well, and I have decided to terminate my experiment with A52s.
Do you really need to enable that?
I have used unlocked smartphones for years without problems. I also had to ditch apps, which wouldn’t work.
1 Like
This is mainly for other family members, so “yes” (otherwise I wouldn’t really care if it was just me).
Bootloader relocking is limited to Fairphone, Brax, Shift, Google, and lower-end Moto devices only due to poor manufacturer support. It is a sad state of affairs, but I see more people that simply don’t want a Google branded device in their pocket regardless of it being “de-Googled”, and as smaller / boutique manufacturers such as Shift, Fairphone, and Brax are all not approved for Verizon or AT&T in the USA it means that really there aren’t any other options.
I now include this disclaimer on devices I sell on OpenMobile with an unlocked bootloader:
NOTE: Due to manufacturer or build limitations, these devices are sold with the bootloader unlocked. There may be a message at boot to this effect, but never fear: your personal user data is always encrypted and secure with modern Android! It can only be decrypted using your login pattern or password.
While an unlocked bootloader by itself does not expose your data, a malicious actor with some programming skills could, in theory, tamper with the system to access your data after you login and start using the phone again.
If you feel that your system may have been subject to an attack and do not trust using your device without resetting it, contact us to assist with reinstallation.
I am always open to a bit of feedback to help refine that message. But so far people buying OnePlus and Motorola devices from me have not been concerned.
Here is how iodé themselves put it in their FAQ:
A message concerning the bootloader and the security of the device appears at each boot of some iodé phone models. This message indicates that the bootloader is unlocked. Indeed, the bootloader is a program used to launch or install an alternative operating system, and must be unlocked by iodé beforehand. Certain manufacturers allow bootloader relocking, and we automatically relock the bootloader on any Fairphone or Pixel phones you order from us, as well as the Motorola Moto series.
Your data on your iodé smartphone is encrypted using ‘File-Based Encryption’. This can only be decrypted using your lock password or schema to access your data, even if you lose your phone. A malicious actor with access to an unlocked bootloader and some programming skills can access ‘fastboot’ commands or the ‘recovery’ program. While a new operating system can be installed, the data on the device will not be accessible.
Thoughts?
Actually both of those blurbs look fine, and I like the refurb phone store/idea. I’m still disappointed EU seems to get most of the good phone options and it’s been a looong time since I first saw a Jolla phone at embedded conference.
1 Like