[MobileMadness002]

I feel great about still owning a BlackBerry in 2015. Actually I own and use many. My point, which you seem to have missed completely, is that the 99% of average android users are not going to know or even understand that there is a problem with data and personal information being left behind when they factory reset their device. This is totally inexcusable. The 99% of average android users assume factory reset/erase means just that.
I see in your profile that you use many android devices and your Q10 is "somewhere in a drawer". Real nice thing to write in a BlackBerry forum. Why are you posting here then? Nothing better to do than irritate BlackBerry fans. Does it make YOU feel better using android?

He posts here cause he has an opinion. If you don't like it take it up with management. I use an N5 myself because I like apps now. You got a problem with that?

[lift]

He posts here cause he has an opinion. If you don't like it take it up with management. I use an N5 myself because I like apps now. You got a problem with that?

No need to get all defensive. I do have a problem with people coming to a BlackBerry fan forum and praising android and putting down BlackBerry. I play around with android devices here and there just as a learning experience. I don't go to the android forums and praise BlackBerry and put down android.

[LazyEvul]

That screenshot clearly states "Internal Storage". That does not include an external SD Card, nor does it apply to separate partitions that are not specifically labeled "Internal Storage".


Via Tapatalk

Would you not agree, though, that this is a distinction very few Average Joes are able to make? Maybe classifying this issue as a vulnerability is the wrong way to word it, but it does certainly seem a little misleading. I'm fairly certain that anyone who isn't well-versed in tech would simply assume that a factory reset is all that's necessary to safely clear their data before getting rid of their phone. It seems to me that it would be prudent of Google to provide clarification and/or offer the ability to securely wipe the device.

Having said that, I will concede that the lack of a security wipe is not necessarily an issue for the majority of Average Joes - it's highly unlikely that anyone out to purchase your phone is hoping to find valuable data on it. There are far more efficient ways of stealing people's data than buying secondhand phones one-by-one. But as a consumer, I'd certainly appreciate if a company took that extra step so that I can be sure my data is safely erased.

[RyanGermann]

Maybe all devices need plan-language options:

"If you need to start over with your device, do this..."
"If you are going to give up the device completely and want it to be completely erased, do this... but it could take a while..."

and the user can click the first for a simple factory reset and the second for a full security wipe.

If a reset doesn't securely wipe the device, it should be clear about it. That's all. Most of the billion smartphone users aren't technically savvy and the software designers who should know about such issues like these should build software UIs with this in mind.

I have an android Galaxy Nexus S that is dead, but I couldn't wipe it before it died, and no, I'm not going to just recycle it as is, it is going through a hard-drive grinder... but I wouldn't expect a 'civilian' to worry about that, because they don't know.

Posted via CB10

[Tsepz_GP]

I feel great about still owning a BlackBerry in 2015. Actually I own and use many. My point, which you seem to have missed completely, is that the 99% of average android users are not going to know or even understand that there is a problem with data and personal information being left behind when they factory reset their device. This is totally inexcusable. The 99% of average android users assume factory reset/erase means just that.
I see in your profile that you use many android devices and your Q10 is "somewhere in a drawer". Real nice thing to write in a BlackBerry forum. Why are you posting here then? Nothing better to do than irritate BlackBerry fans. Does it make YOU feel better using android?

And what they should do is check after the factory reset if all was whiped. In my experience my Samsungs asked me to sign out of my Samsung account before the whiped, but I always go the extra mile to ensure all data is gone after the whipe. BTW Sony Androids have a whipe button just under the SIM tray (I know Z1, Z2 and Z3 have it there) to do a complete whipe, so its all down to what Android you have really, going back to my point WRT articles like this being for people who don't totally understand how Androids work.

I came back here as I was planning to try BBM for Android again, was hoping it had been updated with Material Design UI, unfortunately it has not and is still a battery hog, anyway, figured I'd check the General section while here as this place always has the most entertaining and engaging threads, more than most forums I browse.

As for the Q10, it quite literally is in the drawer somewhere, it was given to me by a family member who got a iPhone, as a tech lover I figured I'd take it and give BB10 a go but work has been hectic...keep meaning to get it out and give BB10 a good go, but just don't have the time and/or patience.

[grover5]

He posts here cause he has an opinion. If you don't like it take it up with management. I use an N5 myself because I like apps now. You got a problem with that?

Lol. Don't have a stroke.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[grover5]

And what they should do is check after the factory reset if all was whiped. In my experience my Samsungs asked me to sign out of my Samsung account before the whiped, but I always go the extra mile to ensure all data is gone after the whipe. BTW Sony Androids have a whipe button just under the SIM tray (I know Z1, Z2 and Z3 have it there) to do a complete whipe, so its all down to what Android you have really, going back to my point WRT articles like this being for people who don't totally understand how Androids work.

I came back here as I was planning to try BBM for Android again, was hoping it had been updated with Material Design UI, unfortunately it has not and is still a battery hog, anyway, figured I'd check the General section while here as this place always has the most entertaining and engaging threads, more than most forums I browse.

As for the Q10, it quite literally is in the drawer somewhere, it was given to me by a family member who got a iPhone, as a tech lover I figured I'd take it and give BB10 a go but work has been hectic...keep meaning to get it out and give BB10 a good go, but just don't have the time and/or patience.

It might quite literally be in a drawer but on a site like this it is antagonistic. I use a Nexus 6 but I have BB10 devices and appreciate them. It can be difficult to have civil and entertaining discussions when antagonism is exhibited before a word is even typed.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[thymaster]

Yeah I always wonder where these Android trolls are coming from. They bring such a negative vibe to the community and create a hostile environment. Personally I don't like Android but I don't go on their forums to talk down on their choice of phones.

I have to wonder if the Droid defenders on here would be so vigorous in their defense if Chen hadn't basically made the Blackberry platform reliant on a second tier Droid appstore for its apps and saddled users with unalterable access rights for those apps in the process.

Posted via CB10

[J Quimson]

People should understand what they are doing to their phones.

If the screen says it's just reloading the OS and not doing anything to the external memory then it's just that; don't expect a security wipe. Blowing up something simple isn't really helping them.

Those of us that use BlackBerry phones already know a security wipe on our phones is exactly that; we don't have to worry about any kind of data left after the operation is complete.

I believe that the phone is also only as good as its user. If a user does not understand what the phone is doing then that's entirely on the user.

The reason I have stayed with BlackBerry is the simplicity of the whole system. Messaging, calls, calendar, and the OS. No half-baked this or that. Either it can do it, or it can't. When it the screen says "all your data will be lost", that means to me it'll all be gone after the operation. No reading between the lines.

I'm not sure about what Android systems display since I have not used Android OS for a long time, but if it says anything else, then an Android user should be smart enough to figure it out.

Keeping things simple is what I like about my BlackBerry phone. I know what it can and can't do, and it's not trying to sneak around my back giving away my information.

I hope Android users smarten up and realize what's going on in their phones. I'm not saying they should all dissect their phones and go through every detail, but at least get an idea of what it is and what it's doing.

Posted via CB10

[TgeekB]

No need to get all defensive. I do have a problem with people coming to a BlackBerry fan forum and praising android and putting down BlackBerry. I play around with android devices here and there just as a learning experience. I don't go to the android forums and praise BlackBerry and put down android.

Who's " praising Android"? We're attempting to have a conversation with different opinions. I even acknowledged the article was true. That doesn't mean millions of people are having their identity or information stolen. BlackBerry does a much better job of security wiping a device. That doesn't mean everyone should use one. I do. Big deal. Let's get back to having a conversation without making things up.

Z30something

[TgeekB]

Would you not agree, though, that this is a distinction very few Average Joes are able to make? Maybe classifying this issue as a vulnerability is the wrong way to word it, but it does certainly seem a little misleading. I'm fairly certain that anyone who isn't well-versed in tech would simply assume that a factory reset is all that's necessary to safely clear their data before getting rid of their phone. It seems to me that it would be prudent of Google to provide clarification and/or offer the ability to securely wipe the device.

Having said that, I will concede that the lack of a security wipe is not necessarily an issue for the majority of Average Joes - it's highly unlikely that anyone out to purchase your phone is hoping to find valuable data on it. There are far more efficient ways of stealing people's data than buying secondhand phones one-by-one. But as a consumer, I'd certainly appreciate if a company took that extra step so that I can be sure my data is safely erased.

Totally agree. Very well said.

Z30something

[TgeekB]

Maybe all devices need plan-language options:

"If you need to start over with your device, do this..."
"If you are going to give up the device completely and want it to be completely erased, do this... but it could take a while..."

and the user can click the first for a simple factory reset and the second for a full security wipe.

If a reset doesn't securely wipe the device, it should be clear about it. That's all. Most of the billion smartphone users aren't technically savvy and the software designers who should know about such issues like these should build software UIs with this in mind.

I have an android Galaxy Nexus S that is dead, but I couldn't wipe it before it died, and no, I'm not going to just recycle it as is, it is going through a hard-drive grinder... but I wouldn't expect a 'civilian' to worry about that, because they don't know.

Posted via CB10

This is an awesome idea.

Z30something

[TgeekB]

Yeah I always wonder where these Android trolls are coming from. They bring such a negative vibe to the community and create a hostile environment. Personally I don't like Android but I don't go on their forums to talk down on their choice of phones.

And I wonder why people like you have to attack people with a different opinion. Care to answer?

Z30something

[J Quimson]

While we all agree that an OS reload on our BlackBerry phones are just reloads without losing our data, Android, in any and all versions of their OS, should make it clear to their users. If a user's data gets out, it'll be the user who will be on the losing end.

BlackBerry users are lucky that our OS focuses more on security but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned about other OS users. Some of us have friends and family members that use other systems and if we don't keep up with this like we should, it might come back to bite us.

Posted via CB10

[vrud]

And what they should do is check after the factory reset if all was whiped. In my experience my Samsungs asked me to sign out of my Samsung account before the whiped, but I always go the extra mile to ensure all data is gone after the whipe. BTW Sony Androids have a whipe button just under the SIM tray (I know Z1, Z2 and Z3 have it there) to do a complete whipe, so its all down to what Android you have really, going back to my point WRT articles like this being for people who don't totally understand how Androids work.

I came back here as I was planning to try BBM for Android again, was hoping it had been updated with Material Design UI, unfortunately it has not and is still a battery hog, anyway, figured I'd check the General section while here as this place always has the most entertaining and engaging threads, more than most forums I browse.

As for the Q10, it quite literally is in the drawer somewhere, it was given to me by a family member who got a iPhone, as a tech lover I figured I'd take it and give BB10 a go but work has been hectic...keep meaning to get it out and give BB10 a good go, but just don't have the time and/or patience.

It's wipe not whipe. I am surprised that such advanced OS does poor job in auto correct.

Posted via CB10

[TgeekB]

It's wipe not whipe. I am surprised that such advanced OS does poor job in auto correct.

Posted via CB10

I've seen many, many grammatical mistakes from BlackBerry devices on here. I've wanted to say what you said but refrained.

Z30something

[vrud]

I've seen many, many grammatical mistakes from BlackBerry devices on here. I've wanted to say what you said but refrained.

Z30something

I wonder if those are coming from physical keyboard devices such as q10 and passport.

Don't be shy next time, together we will make these forums a better place

Posted via CB10

[MobileMadness002]

Lol. Don't have a stroke.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Brain aneurysm. Annoying seeing people still whining about others posting using their other devices.

I'm feeling much better now......

Posted via CB10

[TgeekB]

I wonder if those are coming from physical keyboard devices such as q10 and passport.

Don't be shy next time, together we will make these forums a better place

Posted via CB10

Lol. I'm not sure. I have both the Classic and z30 and do make mistakes from time to time . Mistakes can be made by humans on any os.

Z30something

[TgeekB]

Brain aneurysm. Annoying seeing people still whining about others posting using their other devices.

I'm feeling much better now......

Posted via CB10

Especially when many of us use more than one device.

Z30something

[MobileMadness002]

Did anyone notice the version of Android tested.

<snip>
The researchers tested the factory reset of 21 Android smartphones that ran versions 2.3.x to 4.3 of the mobile OS and were sold by five manufacturers. All of the phones retained at least some fragments of old data, including contact data stored in the phone app and third-party apps such as Facebook and What'sApp, images and video from the camera, and text-based conversations from SMS and e-mail apps. In 80 percent of phones, the researchers were able to extract the master token Android uses to give access to most Google user data, such as Gmail and Google calendar.
</snip>

Personally, I would love to see them test 5.X to see how bad or good it is in this regards. If I knew how they did the data collection I would wipe my device in heart beat for the test, but alas, I know not how they retrieved data.

[TgeekB]

Did anyone notice the version of Android tested.

<snip>
The researchers tested the factory reset of 21 Android smartphones that ran versions 2.3.x to 4.3 of the mobile OS and were sold by five manufacturers. All of the phones retained at least some fragments of old data, including contact data stored in the phone app and third-party apps such as Facebook and What'sApp, images and video from the camera, and text-based conversations from SMS and e-mail apps. In 80 percent of phones, the researchers were able to extract the master token Android uses to give access to most Google user data, such as Gmail and Google calendar.
</snip>

Personally, I would love to see them test 5.X to see how bad or good it is in this regards. If I knew how they did the data collection I would wipe my device in heart beat for the test, but alas, I know not how they retrieved data.

I noticed that too. It doesn't mean Lollipop is any better but it would be nice to know.

Z30something

[mnc76]

Look, this is a clear #fail for Android, but it's also not the end of the world by any means.

1. People need to be educated about this since it goes against the expectation of the vast majority of Android users who expect a full erasure of data (otherwise this article wouldn't even be news at all -- no one would care).

2. Google will almost certainly fix this in an update.

3. Once people are educated and the issue remedied, then it's time to drop it and move on.

But don't *defend* it for heaven's sake.

Posted via CB10

[howarmat]

Play Nice, Be Helpful, and have Respect!

This means keep the language clean, keep your posts polite, and don’t get into arguments over dumb things. If somebody responds to a thread you posted in poor fashion, ignore it, and the moderation team will quickly clean it up (you can always message or email a moderator at any time if you observe anything that is in poor taste/against the rules). Think back to what your parentals and teachers used to lecture - if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Always remember that we are all unique and at different levels here - some of us are experienced BlackBerry users and forum junkies, while others are just starting out. If you’re on the experienced side, have patience for those just joining in on the fun and be helpful. With a little patience and a little help they won’t be newbies for long. Also remember that it is our differences that keeps this place interesting. If everyone was from the same place and at the same experience level it would be boring. This is a worldwide community united by a common interest - our love, or addiction as some would call it, for the BlackBerry!

[TgeekB]

Look, this is a clear #fail for Android.

1. People need to be educated about this since it goes against the expectation of the vast majority of Android users who expect a full erasure of data (otherwise this article wouldn't even be news at all -- no one would care).

2. Google will almost certainly fix this in an update.

3. Once people are educated and the issue remedied, then it's time to drop it and move on.

But don't *defend* it for heaven's sake.

Posted via CB10

I agree with all of your points. I don't think anyone is defending Google, just exploring it's content. Thanks for the respectful way in which you phrased your comment by the way.

Z30something