Help My S5 recently reset while my screen was locked and i had a ton of pictures on the phone's storage. I would love to retrieve that and find out how it is possible to reset a phone while the screen is locked.

[joseescm]

This past sunday My son got a hold of my phone and some how reset it while the phone was locked.  No he does not know how to unlock it.  As a result all my pictures and videos that were stored on the memory have been lost.  I am looking to see if there is a method to recover those.  I was able to check the SD card and all that was there seems to be recovered.  I just don't know how to do it with the phone itself.  Unfortunately i got the phone recently and therefore had not change the camera to use the SD card.   Please help

[vzw_customer_support]

@joseescm

I can understand the desire to retain all of your memorable photos saved to your device memory!  I wish I could provide better news with regards to retaining those pictures.  However, if they weren't already saved to the SD memory card or previously backed up to your Verizon Cloud service, they would not be retrievable once the device is reset.  Here's a link with more information about the Verizon Cloud service for future reference: http://vz.to/1rMLVqn.

AnthonyTa_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[joseescm]

question still remains how the heck did my phone reset.  If my phone is locked how can it be reset.  

[tikibar1]

Unless you unchecked it (and it sounds like you didn't), there is a setting for the lock screen to automatically factory reset the phone if the password is entered incorrectly 10 times.  My guess is that your son pressed the unlock buttons enough times that the FDR occurred.

[joseescm]

where is this setting at?

[tikibar1]

settings > lock screen, then scroll to the very bottom and uncheck where it says Auto Factory Reset.

[acraftylady]

When I go to settings, lock screen I see dual clock, clock size, show date, camera shortcut, owner information, unlock effect, additional information and help text and that's it no auto factory reset, what am I missing? Mary

[tikibar1]

You aren't using a PIN or pattern to lock your screen.

[tikibar1]

tikibar1 wrote:

You aren't using a PIN or pattern to lock your screen.

I forgot to include password.  In other words, you won't see the factory reset option if you're using swipe or fingerprint lock, or if you aren't using a lock screen at all.

[B33]

acraftylady

Here is the Link For the Galaxy s5 Manual if your needed it..  Hope this helps b

Samsung Galaxy S® 5 16GB in Black Support | Verizon Wireless

[joseescm]

The weird thing is that my background image was able to be restored along with my favorites on chrome.  all other material was gone.  just seems very wrong that it would do that.  I agree with you Jwrusher  why give anyone that might have stolen my phone the ability to immediately have a brand new phone to use by wiping it.  lock it completely or something similar to where no one else can use it. sheeez.

[joseescm]

well i have been reading about this but it seems that only Verizon devices do this.  Now if this is the fact Verizon better have a means to restore the data.  Saying there is no means of restoring is false.  If that this is a legal matter as anyone committing something illegal can just do this and they would be in the clear.  Since nothing can be restored. Doesn't make any sense.

[Jwrusher]

This same thing happened to me this weekend.  When the phone is locked, if someone tries or attempts to try to unlock the phone it will reset to factory default wiping the phone and the SD memory card.

I carry my phone in my pocket.  Apparently I was active enough that the screen thought I was trying to unlock it. When I pulled it out of my pocket, it said it was erasing my SD Card.  I turned it off and back on.  Then it said the pass code had been tried 10 times and was resetting to factory default. No way to stop it.   I had years of data on my SD Card.  All gone.  Called Verizon Tech support.  They said oh yeah that happens.  They were no help at all.  The tech just wanted to tell me about his experiences with data loss.  I could give a flip about him. 

This is an android issue. Who ever thought this was a good idea should be beat with a stick.  I can always remotely erase my data from the phone if and when I need to.  Don't need some programmer making these decisions for me. It is Bull Crap!

[vzw_customer_support]

joseescm, this is a mystery to us too! It is possible that your device may have hard reset after several unsuccessful attempts to access your device with the wrong password. Did you have a chance to restore your device with Verizon Cloud http://vz.to/IsygQ6 and Gmail? 

LasinaH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[Jwrusher]

This factory reset erases the SD Card.  If the Verizon experts aren't familiar with this then it needs to be escalated to the top!  I have never seen an update or factory reset that erases all of your SD Card.  Pics may be on the cloud, but all data saved from apps is gone.  All apps are gone.  I had an app for just about everything.  Now I look at my phone and Verizon service in confusion and disgust!

[Jwrusher]

That Auto Factory Reset option should not be on by default. 

[Jwrusher]

I also wanted to mention that if your pictures aren't saved to the cloud, there are several free software programs that can recover them from your SD Card.  If they were saved to your phone's memory they are most likely gone.

[Digitrev]

I like how every response from Verizon on this topic is either replied with incoherent idiotic responses or are just deleted.

This is a stupid feature because: If it's LOCKED they aren't getting your data ANYWAYS. There is no need to give them the option to delete your data like a ink bomb does to money stolen from a bank.

If people are so freaked out the thief is going to crack it then give them the option to use this feature. Otherwise it's just as harmful as beneficial in 90% of our normal lives and situations we use the phones. Which basically leaves you with NO security for the phone owners option.

Again completely idiotic logic by Verizon.