Enter password to shutdown phone

[TMOJ]

Thought if Samsung or say all phone manufacturers/ software manufacturers can implement a step of entering a password to shut down a phone that may stop phone thieves from stealing phones?

They may have to wait till battery run out and during this period phone can be tracked?

To remove a sim card as well a password or the same phone screen password to be used.

[KevP79]

If my screen is locked and I hold the power button and select shutdown, my s21fe requests I unlock the phone using my pin / fingerprint first. I'm not sure if it's still the case when performing a hard reset.

I'm not sure how you could prevent someone from removing the sim card.

[arianwen27]

To prevent sim card theft you can enable the sim lock. It won't stop someone physically taking it but if someone were to steal it, they wouldn't be able to use it.

[KevP79]

Doesn't that just lock your sim requiring you to enter a pin (to unlock the sim) before using your regular phone pin/print.

It doesn't do anything to protect your device in the event your sim is swapped for another one (after a theft), for instance.

Personally, i find the sim pin lock super inconvenient. If I lost my phone, I would much rather contact my provider and have them block it as I would need to order another (sim) anyway and start my number switch over again.

If it actually prevented another sim from being used (in the device) until the pin was entered, I would consider activating it.
(Maybe it does. To be honest, I've not used the feature for around 15 years), lol.

Thanks for the reply, All the best!

[arianwen27]

If a locked sim is in your device, yes your device will ask for a pin before unlock. The main idea of a sim pin now in my eyes is to prevent 2fa codes. Say someone steals your phone and works out who you are. They could pop your unlocked sim into their phone and recieve 2fa codes sent to your device. From the time it takes you to contact your provider, they could have gotten a few codes from it. Yes it's a bit inconvenient entering a second code each time you reboot but the idea of blocking all sms codes as soon as a sim is stolen is a good thing in my eyes. Also stopping someone sending messages using your number to impersonate you. And for preventing another sim being used in the device, esim can be set to requre a password to change the sim in the device, though my provider doesn't even support esim yet.

[KevP79]

Nice one, I wasn't aware it blocked other sims from being used. I'll have to activate it and have a play with it in a while. I've just relied on the thought of falling back on the find my phone block and erase feature if I ever lost my device.

[arianwen27]

If you have an e-sim you can disable new sims being used. A normal sim lock still only locks the individual sim, sadly not a way to lock the physical slot. Good thought with the erase feature, though that wouldn't affect the sim meaning it would still be usable in new devices. Maybe also look into auto factory reset? If someone fails your unlock method 20 times your phone self erases.

[KevP79]

I have a routine setup that takes a front facing photo captures location data and emails it to me when my pass is incorrectly entered,
Unfortunately my s21fe is not esim enabled so that's a route I cannot take,
I can however order a new SIM and immediately shut down my current SIM from any internet enabled device,
I'm on my phone a unhealthy amount of time through the day and my watch reminds me when my phone is not in range so unless it's stolen it's unlikely I would forget it.
My 2fa backup codes are stored on the cloud (bitwarden) should I need to login anywhere to revoke my device.

(I'd primarily be worried about my banking and Google account above all else when it comes to 2fa however with only my SIM and no device my login details and bank name could be anything lol a phone number isn't enough for the imaginary thief to go on)

I appreciate you input nonetheless, thanks.

Hope you have a nice Christmas!