It’s a scenario no one wants to encounter, but losing your device and having someone you don’t know looking through your data is pretty scary.
The first step to prevent prying eyes from reviewing your data is to set a device password, which is something I cannot recommend enough. If you haven’t done this already make sure you do because Media Card Encryption requires that you set one.
While a device password prevents someone from accessing your device memory, what about your media card? What’s to stop someone from simply removing your media card and inserting it into their device or computer and viewing your media card content?
The solution to this problem is Media Card Encryption, which prevents this scenario from occurring. I use this feature personally and today I’d like to show you how to enable it on your device.
Before enabling Media Card Encryption, you must know three important things:
- Media card encryption requires a device password.
- Trying to access data from an encrypted media card if you have USB Mass Storage mode set to On, or by removing the encrypted memory card from the device and inserting it into a card reader on a PC or another smartphone, results in the inability to successfully open the contents of the data. Since this is the case, you must use BlackBerry Link to view files stored on your device if Media Card Encryption is set to On, and avoid using USB Mass Storage mode.
- To use and access data stored on your media card in another device, turn off Media Card Encryption before you remove your media card.
Tip: To learn more about expectations when using Media Card Encryption check out KB25484 – Expectations when encryption is enabled for a media card in a BlackBerry smartphone. If you use BlackBerry OS and want to encrypt your media card, check out KB12999 – How to encrypt files on an installed media card in the BlackBerry smartphone.
How to turn on Media Card Encryption
- On the home screen, swipe down from the top of the screen
- Tap Settings followed by Security
- Tap Encryption
- Set the Media Card Encryption switch to On
- If you don’t have one set already, you will be asked to set a device password
After you complete these steps, your device will begin to encrypt data stored on your media card. A progress indicator will appear within the Encryption settings screen so you can identify when the process is complete. If you have a lot of data this can take a bit of time so feel free to multitask while the encryption process does its thing.
To turn off Media Card Encryption repeat these steps, but set Media Card Encryption to Off at which point your media card contents will be decrypted.
After you complete these steps you can have peace of mind knowing that scenario of someone removing your media card and viewing your stored data can’t happen!
Got a question? Leave a comment and let me know!