Re: Unusable Android J5(6)

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-05-15 14:17, Frank Slootweg wrote:

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-05-14 17:36, Frank Slootweg wrote:

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

[...]

He uses a different identity on each phone? Normally, people use the
same account when they buy a new phone.
>
He could login into google in a computer, and there find the list of
devices, and drop the one. The old phone should accept this, if it gets
internet.

>
    Do you know how to actually "drop" the old phone? The only thing I
see, is a 'Sign out', but AFAIK if a device is signed out, it is still
linked to the Google Account, because you can just sign back in).

>
I haven't actually looked, because I do not want to actually unlink any
of my devices by accident.
>
But google finds it. :-)
>
How to Remove a Device from Google Account on Desktop
>
     1 Go to the "Security" page in your Google account settings.
     2 Locate the device you want to remove under "Devices you trust."
     3 Click on the three-dot menu icon next to the device name, then
select "Remove."
     4 Google will ask you to confirm removal of the device.
     5 The selected device will now be removed from your Google account.
     6 Repeat steps 2-4 for any other devices you want to delete by
removing trust.
     7 Once done, recheck your devices list to confirm the removed
devices no longer appear.
>
Following these steps allows you to easily prune and declutter your
connected devices list from a desktop computer.
>
<https://reolink.com/blog/how-to-remove-a-device-from-google-account/>

 
   These instructions are - at least currently - not quite correct.
 
   In step 2, there is no such "Devices you trust" list (and the account
search facility only points to help articles, not to account items with
that name.
 
   If you search the help facility ('(?)') on 'trust', you'll find the
help item 'Add or remove trusted computers'. But the 'Remove computers &
devices from your trusted list' part of that help item just refers to
Security -> Manage all devices, where you can select a device, but can
only select '[Sign out]', *not* "Remove"!
 
   Bottom line: This procedure only allows you to sign out - *if* the
device is still listed, i.e. not unused too long -, but not to remove
it. (And, AFAICT, not even remove it from your trusted list, because
you can sign out and back in on a trusted device. A trusted device is a
device where you don't have to perform the 2-Step Verification.)

 
I tried on "Find my device". For two seconds there was an entry that
said "factory reset device", and something else, but it got replaced
with another text.
 
It displays a map, and three options:
 
Play a sound
Secure device
Ah, now I see factory reset again! It appeared after "play a sound".
worked. Initially it could not find it, but play a sound worked.
 
 
It has changed where, but the option is there.

  Yes, but this only works 1) if the device is still in your list of
recently active devices [1] (which means it must also logged into your
account) and 2) it is 'live', i.e. fully booted.

  For example, I have two old devices, which aren't even listed in this
list, because they have not been used for a long time (and to add insult
to injury, I can't use them again, because they fail to sign-in to the
Google Account, because the password changed and they don't accept the
new password, probably because the browser or web engine is out of date
(and that can not be fixed, because I can't login. Catch-22!)).

  And a third somewhat old device *is* still listed but its 'Find
device' function only offers 'Sign out' [2], because it's not
powered/booted up.

  But yes, for an *active*, *logged on* and *fully booted* device, the
'Play sound', 'Secure device' and 'Factory reset device' options are
available. Hopefully with help of his friend, Rudy can use the last
option.

[1] <https://myaccount.google.com/device-activity>

[2]
"Sign out of your Google Account <redacted> on your
 lost phone so that no one else can access it."

N.B. So that no one else can access *your Google Account*. Of course
they still can have physical access to your phone and can get into your
phone if it's not PIN/password/biometrics protected.