When we talk about security, be it on mobile devices or platforms or even apps, “encryption” is a word that gets thrown around quite often. While people are familiar with encryption in different apps, not many people even know that they can encrypt their Android device. While encryption has been part of the Android platform since 2.3 Gingerbread, this feature has now gained attention as the whole world takes security and privacy seriously. So, if you are someone who uses your Android smartphone to store sensitive information or private data, you should consider encrypting your device. First, let’s talk about why you should encrypt your Android device.
Why Should You Encrypt Your Android Device?
For the unaware, encryption is one of the most effective ways to secure any data. In simple terms, encryption converts all data into a secret or arbitrary code, in ciphertext that cannot be deciphered by unauthorized persons. Encryption on an Android device ensures that only people with a password or PIN can access data.
You might wonder how this differs from your regular PIN or password protection. Well, data saved on an Android device can be accessed in different ways even if you have set a lock. If you have an encrypted device, data cannot be accessed or decrypted without entering a PIN or password. For example, if you lose your device, the thief can access the data, but if you have an encrypted device, decrypting the data requires serious skills, considering all the data is in random form i.e. ciphertext.
What You Should Know Before Encrypting Your Android Device
Now that you know why you need to encrypt your Android device, there are a few important things you should know before starting the encryption process:
- When you encrypt an Android device, all personal data Photos, music, videos, files, messages, contacts, Google account data, app data, etc. encrypted on the device. However, some applications also store unencrypted data on their servers in the process.
- After encrypting your Android device, only remove encryption via factory reset. There is no other way to remove the encryption.
- You can also choose: Encrypting the contents of the SD card Using the Adoptable Storage feature introduced with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This feature allows you to use a portable storage card as part of the internal storage.
- When a device is encrypted, all data is encrypted every time you lock your device, and the data goes through the decryption process when you unlock the device. Now, as you can imagine, this process takes some resources from your device. So don’t be surprised if you encrypt your device Slightly affects device performance. You probably won’t notice the difference in performance on a high-end or mid-range device today, but if you have an older Android device with low-end or modest specs, you should prepare yourself for a slightly slow device after encryption. .
- Google Pixel series, newer Nexus device etc. many Android devices, such as encrypted by default and although Google has made encryption mandatory by default on Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later, manufacturers may choose to ignore it, citing performance issues on low-power devices. You can check if your device is encrypted. Settings->Security->Encrypt Phone.
- Last but not least, if a rooted Android deviceencryption process cause some problems. So, if you really want to encrypt your Android device, make sure to unroot your device first.
Steps to Encrypt Android Device
The steps to encrypt an Android device are pretty simple, but you need to make sure of a few things before you get started:
Prerequisites
- The encryption process may take an hour or longer or less depending on the amount of data on your device.
- Your device needs to be fully charged (or 80% on some devices) and you need to keep the charger plugged in throughout the process.
- If you unplug your device during the process, the data on the device may be deleted, so you should be careful.
- Also, as we mentioned, if you have a rooted Android device, you will first need to unroot your device.
Well, let’s start with the process now:
1. First, go to: Settings-> Security. Here, you will find the dubbed option “Encrypt phone” (or encrypt tablet).
2. Tap on it and you will be presented with all the details about the encryption process. At the bottom, find the option that says “Encrypt Phone” and tap on it. If it is not plugged into the charger, the option is greyed out.
3. Then, you will need to Enter PIN, password or pattern. After entering, you will be asked to do it again. to approve that you really want to encrypt your device. Here, tap onEncrypt Phone“To start the process.
4. Then the encryption process will start and your device will reboot several times. Once finished, your device will start and you will need to unlock the device, then the device will reboot.
5. After completion, you can unlock your device and start using it normally. You can also go to: Settings-> Security“Encrypt phone” says “encrypted“.
SEE ALSO: Best Ways to Protect Your Privacy on Android
Protect Your Data by Encrypting Your Android Smartphone or Tablet
Well, these were the easy steps to encrypt your Android device. All your private information may not seem so important to you, but it really is. So, encrypt your device and stay safe from all the security scares out there. Let us know if you have any doubts or questions about the process or just encryption in general in the comments section below.