Comment by maxsilver | Hacker News Reader

Comment by maxsilver | Hacker News Reader

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> I'd accept this as fine if the bootloader could show an unskippable “This is a rooted device and lacks critical security protections against malware attacks” warning. Sadly, that's not currently on offer.

It is on offer, that is already how Android rooting works on most phones (at least, every Nexus, Motorola, HTC, and LG I've used already does this). You already get that warning you requested and your phone shows some sort of "unlocked" icon on every single startup to remind you your phone has been rooted and your phone auto-wipes all data itself before unlocking too.

Screenshot of the warning message (Motorola) -> http://androidadvices.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/unlocke...

Screenshot of the warning message (HTC) -> https://img.xda-cdn.com/zgUZzE19yICj6wdJm--RJopG_-U=/http%3A...

Screenshot of the every-single-boot reminder icon (Google/Nexus) -> https://fscl01.fonpit.de/userfiles/4774964/image/AndroidPIT-...

We can argue over the particular clarity of the wording and icons and such. But generally speaking, the functionality you are asking for has already been Android standard default for many years now.

The Motorola one is partially acceptable. I had no idea, thank you! It’s unfortunate they fail to mention the threat of spyware, since that would make more sense to a typical consumer than “you’ll shoot your eye out, kid” as shown here. More work to do here, Motorola.

Do all manufacturers offer that sort of clear warning text, or just Motorola? The unlock icon alone is meaningless.

Samsung phones also warn you if there security features of Knox (their security platform) have been bypassed or turned off in red letters at boot.

Do they warn non-technical users on every boot that their device could be used to spy on them in language plainly understandable to a consumer?

I’m glad they have any warning at all - but warning in tech developer terms and warning in consumer-understood terms are entirely separate problems, as Motorola’s insufficient developer-focused terminology demonstrates.

You have moved the goalpost quite a bit by expecting such high standards from Android. As in you're asking for a message that absolutely every user can understand, while for iOS you've been totally fine with power users being necessary to identifying threats.

My Sony and a Huawei I set up for a family member show similar warnings after unlocking them, btw.

Oneplus tells you that the bootloader is unlocked and that the entire device is not to be trusted

At least on my Motorola phone (which isn't the very very latest model, but still), the warning can certainly be bypassed by simply swapping out the boot logo animation (and personally I'm glad about that).

Ha! So much for useful preventions :( That makes it just as ineffective at warning people as any other Android device.

> and your phone auto-wipes all data itself before unlocking too.

This is something I hate with a passion, at least until Google manages to provide a solution that allows me to do a full device backup including all media, game data, Authenticator tokens, whatever, and restore it to another device with nothing missing, and that does NOT work via uploading everything in clear to the cloud.

Apple does this, Android requires rooting via hacks to do a real backup.

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