Factory reset protectionNew

A stolen phone stays a brick.

Factory reset protection is a NounDesk security policy setting that stops a factory-reset company Android phone from being set up again until one of your company's Google accounts signs in. You choose up to 10 trusted admin accounts per security policy. If a thief wipes the phone, setup asks for one of those accounts and goes no further without it. When you erase a phone from NounDesk, the protection stays on by default.

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What happens when a stolen phone is reset?

Say a technician's phone is taken from the van. The thief factory-resets it, and the setup screen asks for one of your company's Google accounts before it will go any further.

  • No trusted account, no setup. The phone can't be used or resold as a working phone.
  • Erase from NounDesk keeps the protection on by default, so a remote wipe never undoes it.
  • Your data is already gone with the reset, and the phone stays useless.

How do I choose who can unlock a reset phone?

You add trusted admin accounts to the security policy. Any one of them can sign in on a reset phone and set it up again.

  • Up to 10 trusted admin accounts per security policy.
  • Use Google accounts your company controls, like the owner and the office manager.
  • Update the list when someone leaves, so it only holds accounts you still own.

Turn it on in a security policy

Factory reset protection is one setting in the security policy, next to screen lock and encryption. Publish the policy and every phone on it is covered.

  • Different policies can have different trusted accounts, for example one per site.
  • The publish preview shows how many phones the change affects.
  • Pair it with blocking employee factory resets, so a phone can't be wiped by mistake.

Does erasing a phone remove the protection?

No. When you erase a phone from NounDesk, factory reset protection stays on by default. The data is wiped, and the phone still asks for a company account at setup.

  • Erase needs the device name typed, so nobody wipes a phone by accident.
  • Erase is one phone at a time. There is no bulk erase.
  • The erase is recorded in the audit log with who did it and when.

A thief who takes a work phone usually does one thing first: wipes it, so it can be sold or used. Without protection, that works. With factory reset protection, the wiped phone asks for one of your company's Google accounts and stops there, so a stolen phone is worth nothing to anyone but you.

When a phone goes missing

Factory reset protection is the last line. These steps come first, and together they cover a lost or stolen phone from start to finish.

  • Turn on lost mode

    Lock the screen with your message and number, and see where the phone last reported.

  • Erase if it doesn't come back

    Wipe it with a typed confirmation. The protection stays on.

  • Keep a PIN on every phone

    A security policy can require one, so a thief can't open the phone before it is reset.

  • Keep a record

    Enrollment and wipe history shows which phones were erased and when.

Lost-device recovery →Remote actions →Security policies →Security at NounDesk →

Related features

Lost-device recovery

Lost company phone? Lock it in lost mode, show your number on screen, see where it last reported and erase it if needed. Location only in lost mode.

Remote actions

Remotely lock, reboot, erase, reset the password or clear app data on any company Android phone from your browser, with bulk actions and honest status.

Security policies

Android security policies in plain English: pick a template, set screen lock, updates, camera, Wi-Fi and encryption, and preview changes before publishing.

From the blog
ArticleWhat Happens When a Stolen Work Phone Is Factory Reset?A thief who wipes a company Android phone usually gets a working phone. Factory reset protection stops that. Here is how it works and how to turn it on.ArticleEmployee Lost a Work Phone? What to Do in the First HourA calm, ordered checklist for the hour after a company Android phone goes missing, whether or not you have device management in place.ArticleHow to Factory Reset a Company Phone for a New EmployeeYes, you can factory reset a company phone, but do it in the right order or factory reset protection can lock it for good. The steps, in plain English.

Read the complete guide to Android MDM for small business →

User guide
Guide · PoliciesFactory reset protectionKeep a stolen or reset company phone locked until one of your company Google accounts signs in, and keep that protection when you erase a device.Guide · DevicesRemote actionsHow to lock, reboot, reset a password, clear app data, put a phone in lost mode or erase it from NounDesk, and what each status means.Guide · PoliciesPolicy settings referenceEvery setting in the NounDesk policy editor: the options, what each does, which Android versions support it and the Standard Business default.

Browse the full user guide →

Factory reset protection: questions answered

What is factory reset protection on Android?

It is an Android setting that stops a wiped phone from being set up again without an approved Google account. In NounDesk, the approved accounts are the trusted admin accounts you add to the phone's security policy.

Who can set up a company phone after a factory reset?

Only someone who signs in with one of your trusted admin accounts. You can add up to 10 per security policy, and any one of them is enough.

Does erasing a phone from NounDesk turn the protection off?

No. Erase keeps factory reset protection on by default. The phone is wiped, and it still needs a company account to be set up again.

How do we reuse or hand on an old phone that has the protection?

Sign in with one of your trusted admin accounts when the reset phone asks. After that it sets up as normal, and you can enroll it again or pass it on.

What if a trusted admin leaves the company?

Remove their account from the security policy and add someone else. Keep at least one account on the list that you will always control.

Can NounDesk track a stolen phone that has been reset?

No. NounDesk reports location only while a phone is in lost mode, and a reset phone is no longer managed. Factory reset protection makes the phone useless to the thief. It does not find it.

Ten phones. Ten minutes. Protected.

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