this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2025
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Privacy

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This is a list of phone manufacturers that lock their bootloaders to prevent people from installing custom operating systems (LineageOS etc) to remove bloatware and spyware/tracking.

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[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 65 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They care about your data, which is why they’ve taken steps to ensure they always have access to the data that they care so much about.

[–] PiraHxCx@lemmy.ml 44 points 1 week ago (1 children)

they are collecting it to protect it, like a British Museum

[–] bhamlin@lemmy.world 40 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And like a British museum, they won't let you have it back.

[–] philophilsaurus@sh.itjust.works 31 points 1 week ago (1 children)

But they will let visitors come and check it out!

[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago
[–] ThunderLegend@sh.itjust.works 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So..almost every company.. It would have been easier to make a list about the companies who do allow bootloader unlock

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago

even companies that don't sell phones anymore; who's still buying windows phones?!

[–] QuestionMark@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Samsung? I'm pretty sure I saw bootloader unlocking in developer options though...

DO NOT UPDATE to OneUI 8

Checks System Info

OH SHIT.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The Amazon Fire Phone is conspicuously absent from this list.

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

i see it mentioned as a brand to avoid though

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Yeah but it would be funnier if they listed it

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago

Wait what, Energizer makes phones?

[–] Minimac@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago