Enabling root has always required a device wipe. It’s unfortunate if you want to do it well after receiving your device and using it for months with the stock software.
It definitely didn’t always require a wipe - I think it might be storage encryption by default that was introduced, that made it a requirement, where modifying/replacing system/bootloader components means it can’t decrypt the data anymore.
Not in my experience, but again that was quite some time ago - I think it was Android 6 the last time I did it.
ETA: although now that I think about it, it was technically done in an “unsafe” manner by exploiting vulnerabilities. For the more safety-concerned, maybe a wipe was preferred.
Typically unlocking the bootloader requires a full wipe. It’s a security method intended to keep an attacker from compromising your OS to access your data if the phone is stolen.
I’ve never rooted a phone without requiring a wipe, but I’ve owned mostly Samsung
It’s so that someone else can’t unlock your bootloader and install malware. Like if you’re entering a country and they say “please unlock your phone” and they take it, they could unlock and replace the bootloader without you being able to tell.
Enabling root has always required a device wipe. It’s unfortunate if you want to do it well after receiving your device and using it for months with the stock software.
It definitely didn’t always require a wipe - I think it might be storage encryption by default that was introduced, that made it a requirement, where modifying/replacing system/bootloader components means it can’t decrypt the data anymore.
Not in my experience, but again that was quite some time ago - I think it was Android 6 the last time I did it.
ETA: although now that I think about it, it was technically done in an “unsafe” manner by exploiting vulnerabilities. For the more safety-concerned, maybe a wipe was preferred.
Typically unlocking the bootloader requires a full wipe. It’s a security method intended to keep an attacker from compromising your OS to access your data if the phone is stolen.
I’ve never rooted a phone without requiring a wipe, but I’ve owned mostly Samsung
I’ve owned pixels and Nexus and you could unlock without wipe. Locking required a wipe. Now both do not sure when it changed though.
No now it does. Before you could unlock your bootloader and not wipe. Locking it has always required a wipe. Now both do for some reason.
It’s so that someone else can’t unlock your bootloader and install malware. Like if you’re entering a country and they say “please unlock your phone” and they take it, they could unlock and replace the bootloader without you being able to tell.