Factory Reset Causes Encryption?

[Android Central Question]

So i have an issue - I encountered an error where my settings kept force closing on my Samsung J4 Plus. I couldn't reset through the settings menu so I forced a hard factory reset through the power and volume up button. It freezes on the formatting /data part, so I restarted the phone with power and volume down - now it is asking for an encryption password, I have never set one of these up and I was the first owner of the phone - does anyone know if samsung have their own standard passwords?? I have spoken to samsung and they have said i can have the phone repaired if i have proof of purchase, which I don't have anymore

 

[mustang7757]

It must of been encryption u set up , this only done by user . What andriod version you on?

I'll leave a Link to register so you can communicate here as a guest account you can only post questions but can't reply
https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[MrsClem90]

Hiya, thanks. No I have never set up an encryption. I have had the phone since last July (roughly) and I can't even remember what android version it was. I had the phone brand new so I know it had never been encrypted before. I did read somewhere that they can encrypt themselves if you have a pin lock or screen lock set - however I didn't have one of those either as it was a phone I let my daughter use. She has also never added an encryption because she is fully supervised when using it

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! You mentioned getting it brand new, but sometimes a supposedly new phone sold through a 3rd party seller can be a return or a refurb. Where did you buy it from?

 

[mustang7757]

Hiya, thanks. No I have never set up an encryption. I have had the phone since last July (roughly) and I can't even remember what android version it was. I had the phone brand new so I know it had never been encrypted before. I did read somewhere that they can encrypt themselves if you have a pin lock or screen lock set - however I didn't have one of those either as it was a phone I let my daughter use. She has also never added an encryption because she is fully supervised when using it

Hi, welcome to AC!
So you tried to factory reset in recovery?

 

[MrsClem90]

Welcome to Android Central! You mentioned getting it brand new, but sometimes a supposedly new phone sold through a 3rd party seller can be a return or a refurb. Where did you buy it from?

I had it as a company phone (not my company though, they had spares), brand new and sealed in a box. My mom has the same phone and I have had a look on hers today and the only encryption you can put on the phone is on the SD card or the SIM card. This phone I am trying to sort out has neither inserted and the message is saying the phone itself is encrypted. I have tried to re-install factory firmware from an SD card (that I downloaded) but it wouldn't read it.

 

[MrsClem90]

Hi, welcome to AC!
So you tried to factory reset in recovery?

Yes I had to as I couldn't access the system settings when the phone was functioning, it kept force closing my settings menu, so i tried a factory reset in recovery mode, which just froze up and wouldn't complete.

 

[mustang7757]

Yes I had to as I couldn't access the system settings when the phone was functioning, it kept force closing my settings menu, so i tried a factory reset in recovery mode, which just froze up and wouldn't complete.

Only at this point is try flashing the firmware again

 

[B. Diddy]

Although this all could just be a glitch, I think it's significant that the phone was intended as a work phone. Even though it appeared brand new and was in a sealed box, it's still possible that the IT department for the company that furnished the phone had access to the phone beforehand, perhaps to install MDM (multiple device management) software. This is common with work phones, since the company needs a way to manage all of the phones remotely and to ensure that sensitive company-specific data is protected. Something like this could very well explain the situation you're in right now.

When you say it was a sealed box, do you mean that there were holographic Samsung stickers taping the box shut, or that there was cellophane plastic wrapping the box up? The latter is very easy for anyone to obtain.