Traveling to China: Re-install across the border

ChinaTraveler

Is it possible to somehow bundle my existing GrapheneOS setup sort of like an image and just re-install it when I'm on the other side of the Chinese border?

I'm worried they will demand me to unlock my phone but re-installing everything manually would be a pain in the ass.

Also, anyone with experience of traveling to China with a GrapheneOS phone?
I'll have a separate phone entirely dedicated to the trip without sensitive information on it.

newbie24689

ChinaTraveler An interesting proposition.

I have no experience backing up and restoring my P7; other threads discuss the best way(s) of doing this. But the answer to the first paragraph is most probably yes. E.G. You could keep the backup on a flash drive (which you presume they will seize and copy) or you could perhaps keep a backup online at home somewhere and download it after entering China.

Were I traveling to China I'd back up my Pixel at home and install a new copy of GOS (thereby scratching any possibly objectionable material) with only apps necessary to have a good visit (there would be many).

When there, be totally up front and honest; no swapping OS's; consider the possibility that your phone will be examined upon entering; while in country; and possibly even during exit.
Upon returning home, copy out photos, recordings, addresses of new friends, etc. and then install GOS and your backup (presuming the phone may have been compromised). Of course you're running verifications.

fjfj7654

ChinaTraveler
I traveled to China with a GrapeheOS phone quite recently. It was not a problem. Why are you concerned they will force you to unlock your phone?

我前两天带着我的GrapheneOS手机去了中国，一点问题都么有。你为什么担心他们会强迫你打开手机？

raccoondad

fjfj7654 "Why are you concerned they will force you to unlock your phone?"

I think its very fair, seeing its the Chinese government

As for you, OP, I would suggest either buying a throw away device or factory resetting your device w/ a backup at home. Not many other options :/

missing-root

raccoondad afaik factory reset relies on Trust in the existing OS. So you need a seperate trusted device and reinstall.

But withour carrier malware, google Play services etc, the chance of getting Malware would be small.

ChinaTraveler

Just paranoid over Chinese authorities. The trip went fine and no-one checked my phone during any of the checkpoints.

raccoondad

missing-root I imagine a factory reset is handled by firmware, tho the operating system does have to call a factory reset

Regardless, I don't think Google Play services or carrier software could effect this, since factory resets are done either in recovery or after a restart (which would most likely disable most of these applications)

Even then, the weaver would be lost, memory would be cleared, so what would they really be able to do? The data by all accounts is gone as soon as that weaver is dropped (and memory is flushed) and that's done on a firmware level

Not to mention the user data is then marked as free, meaning its free game for overwriting, which would further harm the possibility of a 'fake factory reset'

N3rdTek

missing-root umm last I checked performing a factory reset does not requires a secondary Device, that doesn't make any sense.
Are we talking about the same kind of factory reset

de0u

N3rdTek Pressing the "factory reset" button does not require a second device. But, as missing-root wrote, trusting what happens when you press the button involves trusting some software on the device.

missing-root

N3rdTek afaik a factory reset simply cleans all user data. This is about a compromised OS (system partition) on old, unsupported devices. So it may be necessary to clean flash it again.

Also its not hard at all. Setup is hard, and thats the same with factory reset. Getting your Laptop fit for the first flash is important.

Windows: drivers, browser
Linux: udev rules, group membership, various other problems, browser

This is already done so its really just

enabling data over usb connection in the android settings
Developer Settings, unlock bootloader, enable debugging over USB
reboot to recovery with adb after accepting ADB from the device
click some buttons in the browser