Last modified: October 06 2022 03:13:23.
What's to stop someone disabling the app?
If Faraday is activated with "lock my screen before deactivation"** enabled then it cannot be turned off, uninstalled or otherwise disabled without your credentials. To prevent changes to the app settings themselves please make sure the "prompt to authenticate..." option remains enabled.
Why have a timeout option?
This is useful for times when you are in an area where cell coverage isn't great. It is on by default and we recommend that you leave it on.
What can invoke Faraday to lock my device?
Depending on your combination of settings, turning on airplane mode, anything that causes a loss of cell signal*, turning off the mobile data connection*, disabling the app itself or removal of the SIM card will lock your device. SIM card events are not bound to the timeout option - i.e. if either the "loss of cell signal" or "loss of data" options are enabled then removal of the SIM card will result in an immediate lock.
What does lock my device mean?
It means you'll need to enter your passphrase or other credentials before you can continue using your device.
If you have password protection and biometrics (fingerprint/face/iris) enabled, you'll need to enter your password to unlock.
If you have pattern or PIN enabled, you'll need to enter those to unlock as usual. We recommend using the password option (with a secure passphrase, not word) + biometrics.
When is the erase functionality triggered?
Erase functions will be triggered if they are enabled and their respective conditions are met:
After the specified number of failed unlock events OR
The specified number of hours since the device was locked by Faraday, and remains locked.
In both of these instances the erase will only proceed if there is no connectivity at time of trigger. Connectivity means the ability to access the internet using the current active connection as determined by the operating system. This includes Wi-Fi if it's enabled and connected. If there is connectivity available then Faraday doesn't need to take any further action as you should be able to locate and/or wipe your device remotely using a service such as "Find my Device" or similar.
*** Be mindful of this if you do not have a data subscription or typically have mobile data disabled. ***
How to prevent inadvertent erase of your device
To prevent your device being erased unexpectedly make sure you have appropriate settings for your usage patterns.
We suggest you leave the erase function off for several days and monitor whether your device gets locked during your day to day activities, then set an appropriate erase timeout. This is particularly important if you are often in areas without cell or data coverage, or expect to be intermittently offline for longer periods and don't often use or unlock your device during those times. Take note that erase isn't triggered if you either unlock your device before the set timeout or are connected to the internet when the timeout is reached. Erase will not be triggered while your device is switched off or Faraday is disabled.
What happens after my device has been erased?
Your device will restart and remain unusable until verified by connecting to the internet and signing-in with an account it previously synced with. This would likely be the Google account that you use for the Play Store, Gmail and so on.
Data recovery
It is not generally feasible to recover your data after any of the erase functions are triggered, particularly if you've followed best-practices and enabled encryption (including for any removable media) using a secure passphrase. These function the same way as performing a factory reset of your device. If cloud backups are enabled then it is possible for anyone, with the appropriate credentials, to access and recover data that has been backed up. This is true even if the device itself has been erased.
Notes:
*unless currently connected to the internet using some from of transport, such as Wi-Fi with validated internet capability (as determined by the Operating System: NET_CAPABILITY_INTERNET && NET_CAPABILITY_VALIDATED).
** this feature is not available on the Google Play Store version due to Google's policies.