In the world of mobile repairs, we are constantly playing a cat-and-mouse game with security patches. However, with the transition from Android 15 to Android 16, I have noticed a very interestingāand consistentāpattern that seems to suggest a major shift in how Google is handling Factory Reset Protection (FRP).
The Discovery: Flashing to Android 16 Removes FRP?
Lately, I've been experimenting with devices locked on Android 15. Surprisingly, I've found that flashing these devices with the lowest available binary (or even the latest builds) of Android 16 firmware completely bypasses the Google account requirement. Instead of asking for the previous credentials after the flash, the devices boot straight to the setup screen and allow me to skip the account sign-in.
It appears that the transition to Android 16 might be triggering a reset of the persistent partition or that the new OS handles the FRP flag differently than its predecessor.
Confirmed Devices and Firmware Builds
I have personally tested and confirmed this "glitch" or behavior on the following devices using specific firmware files:
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G (A536B)
Firmware used: SM-A536B_EUX_A536BXXSIGYK3_fac
Samsung Galaxy XCover7 (G556B)
Firmware used: G556B_EUX_G556BXXUBDYIA_fac
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (A546B)
Firmware used: SM-A546B_EUY_A546BXXUFEYI4_fac
Motorola Moto G34 (XT2363-3)
Method: Processed via Software Fix (Rescue and Smart Assistant), which likely pulled the latest Android 16 build.
Is this a "Feature" or a Bug?
In all these cases, the devices were FRP-locked on Android 15. After a clean flash to the Android 16 builds mentioned above, the lock was gone.
This suggests a significant change in the locking mechanism between the two OS versions. It is possible that the way the "Persistent Data Block" is read during the initial setup of Android 16 has been overhauled, leading to this unintentional bypass when upgrading from a locked Android 15 state.
Final Thoughts
Whether this is a temporary oversight by developers or a permanent change in security architecture remains to be seen. For now, if you are struggling with a stubborn Android 15 FRP lock on these models, a jump to Android 16 might be your easiest solution.
Stay tuned as I continue to test more models and brands to see how deep this Android 16 behavior goes.