• Prohibited by the administrator, encryption policy, or credential store. Android encryption

    Often, users of mobile gadgets running on the Android OS are faced with the problem of disabling the screen lock. Installed graphic key, password or PIN code, but the owner of the device wants the protection to be removed with a simple movement of a finger, or the screen is not blocked at all. Trying to simply go to the menu and remove restrictions, the user sees that he cannot access the necessary options, since the necessary lines are inactive. This error has a fairly simple solution, and now I will tell you what needs to be done to remove restrictions if these actions are prohibited by the administrator, encryption policy, or credential store.

    Settings menu with error message "Prohibited by administrator, encryption policy, or credential storage service"

    Why does the administrator ban error occur?

    Besides that mobile gadgets on Android platform have built-in programs that ensure data security, many users install additional funds protection and, without knowing it, trigger the administration or encryption policy. As a result, the owner of the device turns on such protection that he himself does not gain access to certain settings tablet or phone.

    Also, the error message “Forbidden by the administrator, encryption policy, or credential store” may pop up when installing any useful software that has a certificate that changes the settings mobile device. In this case, the application requests permission to activate the device administrator, and if the user confirms the action, after installation is complete, a message pops up stating that the administrator has been activated.

    Administrator activated

    The third reason is corporate security policy. That is, if you use your device to access information from your employing organization, and your email remotely connected to the company network, the error may be caused by the actions of IT specialists. In this case, before solving the problem, you should contact them and together try to eliminate the “Forbidden by the administrator, encryption policy, or credential store” error.

    How to fix the “Forbidden by your administrator, encryption policy, or credential store” error

    If the problem occurs after installing an application that provides additional protection device, then if this program is not needed, it must be removed. If you do not want to delete the application, you can disable the administrator so that no one can control the phone third party programs. To do this, in the gadget settings you need to go to the security menu and go to the “Device Administrators” item.

    Device Administrators

    If there are any programs in this menu, especially ones that are unknown to you, you need to click on their name. If a message pops up stating that the administrator is activated and allows the application to lock the screen, this means that these rights need to be removed from this program - uncheck the box or move the button. If necessary, you can go back to this menu and again give the application the right to block the screen.

    Programs located in the "Device Administrators" menu

    The next step is to clear the device certificates that do not allow you to reduce the security level of the device. The required item is located at the very bottom of the “Device Administration” menu. Depending on the gadget, it is called “Clear credentials” or “Clear certificates.” In both cases, the same action is assumed - deleting all certificates. Select it and confirm the action.

    Cleaning up certificates

    If you are afraid that you will lose personal data in the process of deleting certificates, create them backup copy. Important files you can send them to the cloud, and then download them again to your phone. Nothing bad will happen to the device itself. TO a big plus Android OS can be synced with a Google account. In this case, all contacts are stored on the cloud by default. If in doubt, check the synchronization. To do this, in the settings, go to the “Accounts” or “ Accounts” and click on Google. There you will see all the necessary information.

    Google account

    For normal operation Restart your smartphone or tablet, go to the security menu again and check whether the lines that previously contained the error message “Forbidden by the administrator, encryption policy, or credential storage” have become active. If yes, then feel free to disable the screen lock or activate simple unlocking finger.

    This method should give the desired result - unlock inactive fields. If this does not happen, then the last option is to reset to factory settings. Before performing these steps, save important information: personal photos, videos, files necessary for work, since all data will be lost when resetting.

    By default, any smartphone or tablet, after pressing its power button, prompts you to swipe across the screen. Only after this you will be taken to the desktop. This is done to prevent the device from performing any actions on its own while in your pocket. Google Company does everything to make the lock screen as convenient as possible. But sometimes people still wonder how to disable the screen lock on Android. This can be done very simply.

    But first, a little theory. If you disable screen lock completely, it may cause some problems. It’s not without reason that Google increases the functionality of the screen, allowing you to go directly from it to taking photos, making calls, and sometimes some other functions. If you don't like the traditional way of unlocking your device, then why not try a different one?

    At the time of writing, the following types of screen locks were standard for Android:

    • Swipe across the screen- the same traditional unlocking method.
    • Entering a PIN code- Very old method, which is sufficiently secure. The simplest selection of a PIN code does not work here, since after several unsuccessful attempts a timer appears - a new entry will be available only after it has expired.
    • Graphic key- ideal for those who remember visual information better than a set of numbers.
    • Fingerprint- most reliable way protect the information contained on your smartphone. It is almost impossible to outwit the fingerprint sensor.
    • Iris- its scanning has been implemented in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. In the future, this unlocking method will be implemented in other flagship devices.
    • Entering your password- the longest unlocking method. A password differs from a PIN code in that it can contain letters and other symbols.

    IN Google Play You can find many other lock screens. They may use other methods - for example, solving a math problem. But this is more of an indulgence than a real improvement of the existing system.

    Removing the lock screen

    If you want to remove the lock screen, you will have to dig into the settings. However, there is no need to be afraid. If you follow our instructions, the whole process will only take you a couple of minutes:

    Step 1. Go to " Settings».

    Step 2. Go to the section " Safety" Some devices skip this step.

    Step 3. Select " Screen lock».

    Step 4. Here click " No" or " Absent».

    This way you can disable the pattern or remove any other types of screen lock. However, do not forget that the system may require you to enter a password or PIN code, if one has been set. This was done for security purposes - what if you now have someone else’s smartphone in your hands? Therefore, it will not be possible to remove the password from the lock screen without entering it.

    What to do if the pattern key or password is forgotten?

    Everything is much more complicated if you have forgotten your password, PIN code or pattern. In this case, you won’t even get to the settings section. Fortunately, the problem can be resolved on some devices. Graphic lock screen after several unsuccessful attempts to enter the key may offer to get to the desktop in a different way - by entering data from your Google account .

    If Internet access is disabled on your smartphone, you will have to reset settings to factory defaults, using Recovery mode. User files In this case, all settings will be deleted from the phone. At the same time, the screen lock will be eliminated - it will return to its previous appearance when you need to swipe your finger across the display.

    Sometimes when you try to change the screen unlock pattern or other actions, you see the message “Prohibited by the administrator, encryption policy, or credential store.” Before considering the procedure for removing such a restriction, it is necessary to understand where it comes from.

    1. Why is this message visible?

    To put it simply, there is some kind of certificate installed on the phone or tablet that is directly or indirectly related to security. Certain parts or the entire certificate prevents the user from lowering the security level.

    Unlocking with a graphic key is considered the most secure and hack-proof system. It is much easier to open a password and PIN code - they can be easily guessed based on knowledge about the user.

    For example, you can try using numbers from your date of birth, the name of your favorite music artist, and so on. Such psychological characteristics do not apply to a graphic key.

    It is for this reason that a certain certificate does not allow you to reduce the level of security by changing the type of screen lock removal.

    This certificate may apply to the following software products:

    • Samsung Pay;
    • Samsung Billing;
    • Android Pay;
    • Microsoft Outlook and others.

    Now that you know what causes the problem, you can imagine how to solve it.

    2. Ways to remove restrictions

    Here's how to remove the pattern:

    • Disable services such as Samsung Pay, Samsung Billing, Android Pay and Outlook. To do this, go to settings and open the list of applications (“Application Manager” in the “Applications” menu). Then open the desired program and on its page click the “Turn off” button. After disabling each service, try to do what you wanted from the very beginning.

    • Disable administrators. To do this, go to the “Security” menu and the “Device Administrators” item. If there are any applications that you doubt, feel free to disable them. After that, again, try to complete the task you originally wanted. Most likely, the restriction will disappear from the phone and tablet.

    • If all else fails, remove all possible certificates. To do this, in the “Security” menu, click “Clear certificates” and confirm the action.
    • Clear your login credentials. In some smartphones, you can also go to the “Security” menu in “Other security settings” and “Registration data storage”. There will be a “Clear credentials” option. Click on it and confirm the action.

    Important! After you have tried each method, reboot your device. Perhaps nothing will change before then.

    • Execute full reset devices. Before doing this, be sure to copy all important data to cloud storage or flash drive. How to reset the device is described in detail in this article (method 5).

    But you are unlikely to come to the latter method. This is only possible if you have some unique case and the first solutions on the list do not work.

    In most cases, it’s all about the certificate and resetting them helps remove all sorts of restrictions. If not, it means there is some kind of glitch in your smartphone or tablet. If you are still under warranty, it is better to contact a specialist.

    Starting with Android 4.2, you can encrypt your entire device using the most operating system Android. However, you do not need to purchase or install any additional applications. Everything is done using the operating system itself, and Internet access is not required for this. You can encrypt data at any time you deem appropriate.

    Android encryption

    Encryption works like this: after enabling encryption, all data on the device and on the memory card will be encrypted. Of course, if someone unlocks your device, they will still have access to the data, however, this will save your data if someone tries to steal the memory card or read the data without turning on the smartphone from it internal memory. He won't succeed, since the data will be encrypted.

    When you turn on your smartphone, you will need to enter a password to decrypt the data. Without entering the password, the smartphone will not boot further. This is not just a PIN code, it is a key that encrypts your data.

    There are some things you should know about device encryption:

    • Encryption is only possible in one direction. Once encrypted, the device cannot be decrypted. You can only reset it to factory settings, but in this case you will lose all data.
    • Encrypting the entire device slows down your smartphone. In principle, in the era of 8-core processors and with the volume RAM from 1 GB it will not cause you any trouble. On weaker devices the “braking” will be noticeable.
    • Encrypting your device will not save your data in the event that someone asks to view your smartphone, and at that moment either installs a Trojan, or simply manually sends some data of interest to their phone. Only a crypto container can protect against such cases: after all, to access the data inside the container, you will need to enter another password that the attacker does not know.

    If you want to encrypt your entire device, go to Settings, Security, then click the Encrypt phone (or Encrypt tablet) button under Encryption. Then follow the instructions.

    Hello! As I understand it, you know the graphic key itself, you just can’t turn it off. So your situation looks something like this:

    You can change your pattern to a password or PIN, but you can't choose the simpler, unsecured options because it's "Disabled by your administrator, encryption policy, or credential store." Usually the problem is that you have some kind of certificate installed on your smartphone, which, according to its internal policy, does not allow you to reduce the security of the phone, that is, disable the unlock password. Please note that if you have work email configured on your smartphone, remote connection to your organization's network, then this may be your company's security policy. In this case, you should first consult with your IT specialists. If you don’t have anything like that on your phone, the method described below will help you.

    How to turn off a graphic key if it is prohibited by the administrator

    Go to your phone’s settings and select “Security” -> “Device Administrators”. There shouldn’t be any applications enabled that you don’t recognize; if there are, try turning them off.

    Next, the most important thing, scroll to the very bottom and click on the “Cleaning certificates” item. Confirm your action by clicking the "OK" button. After this, go to the menu for disabling the pattern, the blocked items should now be available. You may have to restart your smartphone.

    There is another method, it should be used only if the method above does not help (that is, you have some kind of unique situation) - completely resetting your smartphone to factory settings (we have detailed instructions). But keep in mind that all data will be lost. How to save them - read our article

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