The Nightmare of Google's Factory Reset Protection (FRP)
DISCLAIMER
If you are a tech pro looking for the magic answer to resolve FRP issues, there is no answer here. This post is for those who are unfamiliar with FRP. It is a rant.
You would be forgiven for thinking that no one company or entity ‘owns’ the Internet.
The reality is that Google does ‘own’ the Internet and is present in many aspects of your life including your digital life whether one wants to acknowledge that or not. Today’s rant is on its FRP or the Factory Reset Protection feature that it implements on the Android operating system. It is also referred to as Device Protection.
Each phone manufacturer decides whether to implement the feature on its devices with the noble thought being that if you lose your device by theft or otherwise, no one can use the device unless they have the login information for the Google account that was used to set the device up. Now, imagine that you bought a smartphone a couple of years ago and then got another phone. In the meantime, you loaned the original phone to your dog’s first cousin’s owner who happily used it and then returned it to you. Then, in a pinch, you need to use that device and turn it on after charging it. You see that the former user of your device shows logged in to the device. No worries. You don’t care to invade their privacy and look at their naughty images or text messages. You just want to set the device for your use. So, you Google the solution and discover that you need to wipe the device to its factory settings which essentially wipes out all the data, login credentials, etc.
So far, so good. Now, you reboot the device and go through the motions of setting it up like when you first unboxed it. As you go through answering initial phone setup questions including WiFi and whether you are inserting a SIM card, etc., a Google email login type screen shows up asking you to enter your Google account information. You happily enter your email address and password and casually notice the description on the bottom of your phone screen that it is asking for account information of the account you have used to sync the phone. Huh? You successfully enter your various Gmail accounts and passwords but, none of them allow you to login in.
At this point, you would be excused for being frustrated. So, you think - well, let me contact my phone manufacturer. In my case, it was the otherwise stellar Android device maker OnePlus. Stellar but, for its Technical Support folks. Folks that are oblivious to FRP issues. Folks that don’t follow through on actions they say they will take. But, let me not spoil it for you. Go ahead, read the transcripts below and judge for yourself.
In summary, I provided them the proof of purchase to establish ownership of my OnePlus 5T. In other words, by requesting support for bypassing FRP, I wasn’t asking them to commit the crime of making a stolen phone usable. No call back as promised. I called them and was told that I needed to contact Google! Right! As though Google is just a phone call or email or a chat away. My initial contact with the OnePlus Technical Support folks was on Thursday, March 5, 2020, and the next contact on Friday, March 6, 2020. They sent me an email after my repeated contact on March 6 with an email telling me that in order to prepare for the remote session to flash my phone - bypass FRP - I needed to have a Windows 7 or higher computer available. Yes, you heard that right. No Mac, no Linux. Download the software they emailed the links to on a Windows 7 PC and then schedule a remote session.
It is at times such as these that I regret ever moving away from Apple’s iPhone as my primary phone. But, the cost since the introduction of iPhone X put it out of my reach or budget so, here I suffer. I use a Google Pixel 3 XL as my primary phone. After the charging port caught fire while I had it plugged into my car charger, I had it replaced with a refurbished unit under warranty. Of course, the refurbished unit had the charging port go bad while I was traveling abroad - nothing to do with a car charger this time. So, when I contacted Google Pixel support, I was informed that the warranty had expired on the refurbished phone 90 days after it was sent to me. Wow. I use Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search, Google Home, and many other Google products. Being in the Google ecosystem, it only makes sense to use a Pixel 3XL or another Android phone for seamless integration. You get updates to the apps for the phone first. Not to mention the stellar camera on the Pixel 3XL.
But, this whole interaction with the respective Technical Support teams of Google and OnePlus has me wondering about moving back to Apple. Not to mention that I bought and love my Apple Watch and the notification feature along with health tracking are much missed by not having my Apple iPhone as my primary phone.
SO WHAT IS THE MORAL OF THE STORY HERE?
Well, there are several of them:
Think twice before enabling the feature. Yes, the manufacturer of the phone decides whether to implement it on their phones but, you get to decide - as of March 6, 2020 - whether to enable it or not. Google tells you how to disable it. Even proving legitimate ownership won’t help you.
Just don’t loan your phone that is laying around to someone else. Just saying…
As much as buying a Google or Android phone appeals to you because you were thinking like I did - how deeply I enjoy using products from the Google ecosystem and how well they integrate with their phones - don’t be tempted. What good does it do to a) have a fine device such as a Pixel 3 XL have repeated charging port problems and the company won’t stand behind the product? b) have a company that manufactures Android not even provide a means to contact them to verify your ownership of the product (in this case, my OnePlus 5T phone) and legitimately unlock it? Now, it might as well serve as a paperweight. At least in the case of Apple, one can contact them for iPhone issues as well as iOS issues. Try Googling ‘FRP removal support from Google.’
Technical Support from OnePlus is incapable of working on anything but Windows 7 and above as evident by their requirements outlined by their Remote Flashing Team’s email. So, have a spare Windows computer if you plan on buying an Android phone.
Google’s growing arrogance based on its dominance of the Internet and the global markets via Android is plainly evident here and all indications are that the arrogance will continue to grow.
UPDATE March 17, 2020
While reaching out to OnePlus Technical Support via phone, I also opened a ticket on their website. That proved to be a better option! When I opened the ticket, I included my proof of purchase/ownership. After about a week, I got a service request approval back from them indicating that I should ship my phone in to their repair center. They sent me a pre-paid label. I shipped the phone to them and received it back today - unlocked. Presumably, they could have done this remotely had I had a Windows computer which most of you folks out there have.
