For most smartphone users, encryption is an important thing and if you are wondering how to encrypt your Android phone then there are multiple ways based on the manufacturer, model, and the version of Android it runs. Device encryption is not a one-stop solution for protecting all of your data and information from prying eyes, even more, when you are sending data over the internet. However, device encryption converts all of the data stored on your smartphone into a format that can only be read with the correct credentials.
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This goes above and beyond the basic lock screen password provided as data can still be accessed from behind the screen with some specialized knowledge and the use of bootloaders, recoveries, or the Android Debug Bridge. Once the device is encrypted, all your data including music, photos, apps, and accounts can’t be read without unjumbling the information using a unique key. A user password is converted into a key that is stored in a “Trusted Execution Environment” to keep it secure from software attacks.
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This key is required to encrypt and to decrypt the files, somewhat like an alphabet cipher that scrambles the letters. This is very simple on Android from a user’s standpoint, you just need to enter your passcode each time you boot or unlock the device and all of your files will then be accessible. This means that even if your device falls in the wrong hands, no one will be able to access the data without knowing the password.
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It is important to know that opening encrypted files requires additional processing power and this will take a slight toll on the performance of the device, the memory speeds can get a little slower especially on the older devices but the performance hit for the majority tasks is only minor and generally not even noticeable. Only a few smartphones offer an option to remove encryption without performing a complete factory reset, in most device Encryption is a one-way process.
If your smartphone doesn’t offer an option to decrypt the entire phone, then the only option is to perform a complete factory reset removing all of your personal data from the device, so it is important to check this before you proceed with the encryption.
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How to Encrypt your Android Smartphone?
The concept of device encryption works in a similar way across most Android devices but there are methods of enabling it that are different across devices. Most new smartphones now come with Encryption enabled by default, especially, the devices running newer versions of Android. If you do not have it enabled already follow the guide below.
