No password required to start Android on an encrypted device???

[anon(9638631)]

As the title states, am I missing something here? On every single device I've owned, I always set this so I'm asked for the device password to start Android when the device is rebooted. Is this an Oreo thing because I swear it was an option when my device was on 7.1 as it is on all of my 7.x devices.

Of course, it asks for the password when I try to use the device for the first time after reboot but not the "start Android" password.

Please enlighten me as to if this is an Oreo feature or lack thereof.

 

[anon(9638631)]

Secure Startup. That's what it's called. The option in 7.1 and below that if offered to you when you make a screen lock password. Missing in Oreo, at least on my Essential.

When my OTA for 8.1 rolls out for my Honor 7x on Monday, I'll check to see if the option is there. It currently is there on 7.0.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

I have 3 phones on Oreo. None of them have the secure startup option but it still asks for PIN or password after restart.

 

[anon(9638631)]

Yes, mine will ask for the password after restart, but not on the black (darker gray) screen when it first boots up, before the secured lock screen. The option for Secure Lock is gone as well when you create a secure lock screen password.

Funny thing, my Honor 7x running 7.0 currently is the same way as the Essential so apparently it's not an Oreo thing.

I guess I'm used to my BlackBerry KEYone and Moto e4, both running 7.1.1. With the both of them, after reboot, I enter the password on that black screen then when it is booted into Android and my lock screen is shown, I cannot unlock with biometrics. I have to enter the password for the first time. Can unlock with biometrics after this. So in essence, it is basically a redundant password entry I'm seeing but that's just what I've been used to with all the devices I've owned sans the Essential and now, the 7x.

 

[mzman]

Yes, mine will ask for the password after restart, but not on the black (darker gray) screen when it first boots up, before the secured lock screen. The option for Secure Lock is gone as well when you create a secure lock screen password.

Funny thing, my Honor 7x running 7.0 currently is the same way as the Essential so apparently it's not an Oreo thing.

I guess I'm used to my BlackBerry KEYone and Moto e4, both running 7.1.1. With the both of them, after reboot, I enter the password on that black screen then when it is booted into Android and my lock screen is shown, I cannot unlock with biometrics. I have to enter the password for the first time. Can unlock with biometrics after this. So in essence, it is basically a redundant password entry I'm seeing but that's just what I've been used to with all the devices I've owned sans the Essential and now, the 7x.

That's because starting with newer Android versions, only the basic OS boots unencrypted. The user data and most functionality is hidden in an encrypted partition. I can't remember the exact name of the feature. You'll notice you basically can't do anything before entering the PIN. Notifications won't fire either, since the apps aren't visible to the OS while encrypted.

 

[anon(9638631)]

That's because starting with newer Android versions, only the basic OS boots unencrypted. The user data and most functionality is hidden in an encrypted partition. I can't remember the exact name of the feature. You'll notice you basically can't do anything before entering the PIN. Notifications won't fire either, since the apps aren't visible to the OS while encrypted.

I've heard the same with versions of 6.0 and higher (or 7.0 and higher, I cannot remember) but like I previously said, my BlackBerry KEYone and Moto e4, both running 7.1.1 out of the box, have the Secure Startup option offering what I'm assuming is full disk encryption while my Honor 7x which is still running 7.0 for the time being does not have the Secure Startup option and in turn, is what I'm assuming is file based encryption. And then of course the Essential, does not have this option as well. Perhaps it's dependent upon the OEM as to why some 7.x devices offer that option and some 7.x devices do not?

It's just different to me since I've only had my EP-1 for two weeks and my 7x for a few days. I guess I'm just used to seeing that screen pop up upon reboot that asks for my device password to start Android.

If security remains the same, if not better, than it's all good in my book.

Thanks guys and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[mogelijk]

I have 3 phones on Oreo. None of them have the secure startup option but it still asks for PIN or password after restart.

I'll second this; that includes a couple of Google Nexus phones; none of them have the "secure boot" password any longer.

 

[tech_head]

My wife's Moto Z has the secure start feature.
My LG G6 did not.
My daughters Samsung Galaxy S8 doesn't do it. Although it has a password to shut off feature, which I think is great. A stolen phone can't be turned off.
The Essential has neither.

But for phones with encrypted storage (Essential); the filesystem does not get decrypted on boot. The data partition will not decrypt until you provide your password. An example is TWRP. It will start but cannot decrypt the data partition until you provide a password. (7.x). Under 8.x the old version of TWRP won't even decrypt with the correct password.

 

[edu_sc]

That's because starting with newer Android versions, only the basic OS boots unencrypted. The user data and most functionality is hidden in an encrypted partition. I can't remember the exact name of the feature. You'll notice you basically can't do anything before entering the PIN. Notifications won't fire either, since the apps aren't visible to the OS while encrypted.

Is there any way to start at least the "Google Find My Device" app before entering the PIN in an encrypted phone?

I just noticed that just after restarting the phone, I cannot find my phone (trough google.com/android/find ) before entering the PIN -- what turns the functionality completely useless if you loose your phone and somebody restart it...