How Can I Encrypt My Android Phone

Google introduced full-device encryption back in Android Gingerbread (two.iii.10), simply it has undergone some dramatic changes since then. On some higher-end handsets running Lollipop (5.x) and higher, it's enabled out-of-the-box, while on some older or lower-end devices, you have to turn information technology on yourself.

Why You Might Want to Encrypt Your Phone

Encryption stores your phone'southward data in an unreadable, seemingly scrambled form. (To actually perform the low-level encryption functions, Android uses dm-crypt, which is the standard disk encryption organization in the Linux kernel. Information technology's the same technology used by a variety of Linux distributions.) When y'all enter your Pivot, countersign, or pattern on the lock screen, your telephone decrypts the information, making information technology understandable. If someone doesn't know the encryption PIN or countersign, they tin can't admission your information. (On Android five.ane and higher up, encryption doesn't require a PIN or password, but it's highly recommended since not having 1 would reduce the effectiveness of the encryption.)

Encryption protects the sensitive data on your phone. For case, corporations with sensitive business data on visitor phones will want to utilise encryption (with a secured lock screen) to assist protect that information from corporate espionage. An attacker won't be able to access the information without the encryption key, although at that place are more avant-garde cracking methods that make it a possibility.

If you lot're an average user, you lot may remember you don't accept sensitive data on your phone, simply yous probably do. If your phone is stolen, that thief now has access to your email inbox, your domicile address, and any number of other pieces of personal information. Granted, most thieves would also be deterred from accessing your data by a standard unlock code—encrypted or not. And, near thieves are more than interested in wiping and selling the phone than accessing your personal data. Simply, it never hurts to keep that stuff protected.

Things to Consider Before Enabling Encryption

About newer Android phones ship with encryption already turned on by default. If this is the case for your phone, there is no manner to disable encryption. But if you're using a device that doesn't have encryption enabled out of the box, there are some things to consider before enabling it:

Slower Functioning: Once a device is encrypted, the data has to be decrypted on-the-fly every fourth dimension you admission it. Therefore, you may see a bit of a performance drib one time it's enabled, though it'southward generally not noticeable for near users (especially if you have a powerful phone).
Encryption is one-way: If you enable encryption yourself, the only way to undo the process is by factory resetting the device and starting over from scratch. So make sure you're sure before you beginning the process.
If you're rooted, you lot'll need to temporarily unroot: If you try to encrypt a rooted phone, you'll meet problems. You can encrypt your rooted phone, merely you'll have to unroot it first, go through the encryption procedure, so re-root afteward.

These aren't meant to deter you from encrypting your phone-—only to requite you an idea of what caveats it comes with. For most people, we retrieve the added protection is well worth information technology.

How to Enable Encryption in Android

Before you go started, in that location are a few things worth noting:

Encrypting the device tin can take an hour or longer.
Your device's battery must be at least eighty% charged. Android won't even commencement the process otherwise.
Your device must be plugged in throughout the entire process.
Again, if you're rooted, be sure to unroot your telephone before continuing!

Basically, make certain you've got plenty of time and battery before you start the process. If you interfere with the process or end it before information technology'due south finished, you will likely lose all your data. One time the process is started, it's best to just go out the device alone and let it practise its affair.

With all the caveats out of the manner, you're ready to encrypt your device.

Start past heading into the Settings menu and borer on "Security," over again keeping in mind that the diction may be slightly different. If your device is already encrypted, it volition show upwardly here. Some devices will likewise allow SD bill of fare contents to exist encrypted, simply by default Android only encrypts on-board storage.

If the device isn't encrypted, you can showtime the process past tapping the "Encrypt phone" option.

The next screen will nowadays a warning to let you know what to expect one time the procedure is finished, most of which we've already talked most in this article. If yous're ready to proceed, hit the "Encrypt phone" push button.

I more than alarm will present itself (seriously, they want to make sure y'all know what's happening here), which tells y'all not to interrupt the process. If you're still not scared away, 1 more than tap of the "Encrypt phone" button volition do the trick.

The telephone will and then reboot and start the encryption process. A progress bar and estimated time till completion will show up, which should at least provide an idea of how long you'll be without your beloved handset. Just expect, it'll all be okay shortly. You tin do this. You lot're strong.

In one case information technology's finished, the telephone volition reboot and you're back in business concern. If you lot prepare a lock screen password, Pin, or pattern, you'll take to put it in at present so the device will finish the boot process.

If y'all haven't set upwards a Pivot or password, now is a adept time to do so. Head into your device's Settings > Security menu. From there, select the "Screen Lock" option (proceed in mind that the wording may be slightly different for non-stock Android handsets, like Samsung Milky way devices).

Cull Pattern, Pin, or Password to set your security.

You'll be asked if yous desire to require the PIN, password, or pattern at startup. This is up to y'all, merely we recommend choosing yep, since this increases the security of your device.

Note that even with a fingerprint reader, you can't apply a fingerprint to unlock a device on first boot—yous'll have to put in the countersign, PIN, or design. Afterward the device has been decrypted with the right security unlocking method, the fingerprint reader can exist used to unlock the screen moving forrard.

From now on, your device will be encrypted, but if you e'er want to disable it, you tin can practice so by performing a mill reset. If you accept a newer device that has encryption enabled out of the box, there's no manner to remove said encryption—non even with a factory reset.