Is encryption worth it?

[anon(5709734)]

Is encrypting my phone actually worth it? Just curious if anyone on here encrypts there phone and if so why and what do you use to do it?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[wizzrah]

Is encrypting my phone actually worth it? Just curious if anyone on here encrypts there phone and if so why and what do you use to do it?

Posted via Android Central App

I don't encrypt my phone to its entirety, but I do encrypt specific files.

There are many reasons to encrypt your phone. Here are just a couple:

1. Personal privacy
2. If you work for a corporation and you carry sensitive data, encryption is a must.
3. If you lose your phone, your data is protected.
4. Depending on where you live, a police officer will need a warrant to search your phone if it is encrypted.

The downsides to it are that the phone will run slower than it would in an unencrypted state.

 

[CeruleanBlue58]

I used the Android-provided encryption on my N4 last month. I was feeling a little paranoid about losing my phone and the personal info accessible from the phone. I can't tell it runs any slower. Here's what I absolutely do not like about it:

* The same key is used on start-up and waking from sleep. Why, friggin' why! I had to immediately change my long password to a short one, partly defeating the purpose of encryption. There's no way I'm putting a long password in every time I want to wake the phone up. What are you thinking, developers, when you did this? Are you that lazy and this is all you could come up with?

* I find the start-up keyboard cumbersome to use, again pushing one toward the use of a shorter, less secure key. Maybe I'm spooled by Switfkey.

Can't undo now without a factory refresh. If I had it do over (without losing my phone), I wouldn't do it again. Of course, if I lose my phone, I feel better having done so.