“Your device has been unlocked and can’t be trusted” What does this mean?



The exact message you see might vary with device. The error might also appear as:

Your device is corrupt. It can’t be trusted and may not work properly

Your device software can’t be checked for corruption. Please lock the bootloader

The bootloader is unlocked and software integrity cannot be guaranteed. Any data stored on the device maybe be available to attackers. Do not store any sensitive data on the device

This is an Orange State warning.

What is Orange State

This is a persistent warning (every boot up) that informs you that the device’s bootloader has been unlocked. You’ll also get similar warnings when the software has been modified by flashing unofficial images.

Do I need to be concerned?

The only two scenarios where you should be concerned are:

  1. You did not make or authorize any attempt to modify your device’s software
  2. Your device is stuck in a bootloop or is bricked

If the bootloader unlock or software modifications wasn’t done or authorized by you then its unsafe to use such a device because you don’t know if malware / spyware have been introduced into the device.

I should mention that an unmodified software doesn’t guarantee that the device is malware free. Some brands are notorious for releasing devices which ship with malware.

If the device can’t boot to home screen or is stuck in a bootloop then its bricked. You first need to re-flash the factory-signed firmware after which you re-lock the bootloader. How you find the factory firmware and re-lock the bootloader varies with model so feel free to contact our tech. Support Team or post at the Hovatek Forum

How do I remove this error message

You can either:

  1. Hide this warning message
  2. Revert the software to unmodified state

You can hide the warning by modifying the LK (in Mediatek) or Uboot (in Unisoc or SPD). You can also mask the warning by changing the boot image’s background color to match the text color (this doesn’t work on all devices).

Reverting to unmodified software on the device entails flashing the official, factory or signed firmware for the device then re-locking the bootloader. This guarantees that you’re running on the software officially released by the device’s manufacturer.



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