Fix: Turned off by administrator, encryption policy…

Some features of the Android Operating System, especially screen locks that leave the user vulnerable to third-party access, may sometimes be denied access to by certain credentials or applications that have administrative privileges.

The same may occur in the event that an Android device’s storage is encrypted by the user and an encryption policy is put in place.

The “Disabled by Administrator, Encryption Policy, or Credential Storage” issue occurs when certain features of the operating system are considered insecure.

This issue can prove to be quite troublesome; therefore, the following are the three best-suited methods that can be used to eliminate it entirely:

disabled by administrator

Method 1: Disable All Non-Essential Administrator Accounts

a) Navigate to your device’s ‘Security‘ settings.

disabled by administrator1.jpg

b) Scroll down to the device administration settings, and tap on ‘Device administrators’ to view and manage the applications on your device that have administrative privileges.

disabled by administrator3.jpg

c) Remove administrative privileges from any and all nonessential apps by unchecking their boxes. Make sure not to remove administrative privileges from essential apps, such as the Android Device Manager.

disabled by administrator4

Method 2: Decrypt Your Device’s Storage.

a) Open your device’s Security Settings.

b) Find the settings related to encryption.

c) You will be able to see an option titled ‘Decrypt Device,’ where the ‘Encrypt Device’ option appears in the screenshot. Tap on it.

encrypt device

d) Confirm the action and wait while your device’s internal storage is decrypted.

e) There will be a ‘Decrypt external SD card’ option where the ‘Encrypt external SD card’ option appears in the screenshot. Select it.

encrypt external sd card

f)  Confirm the selection and wait for the device to decrypt its external SD card. This step, and the step above, can be skipped if your device does not have external storage.

Method 3: Dump All of Your Device’s Credentials.

a) Go to Settings.

b) Find and open your device’s ‘Security’ settings.

c) Scroll down to the settings pertaining to Credential Storage.

d) Tap on ‘Clear Credentials’ or the equivalent.

clear crednetials

e) Press ‘OK’ when prompted to confirm the action.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Comments

21
    JA
    Jane Feb 2, 2016

    I tried all of those methods, however none of them worked for me. My phone won’t even allow a pin, it will only allow fingerprint and password.

      FA
      farooq afridi Jul 9, 2016

      My problem not solved still same problem with all only password key is working even credentials option is not available what should I do please help me in that

    AM
    Amira Jun 23, 2016

    Thank u very much the third method works.

    KA
    K. Arrows Author Oct 26, 2016

    Welcome.

    AD
    Adam Drago Dec 29, 2016

    I cleared my credentials and unchecked my administrators but it won’t allow me to decrypt the phone and I still can’t get rid of my lock screen

    AD
    Adam Drago Dec 29, 2016

    I have tried all 3 methods. My phone won’t allow me to decrypt it, and now my swipe and none options in lock screen have disappeared

    SA
    Sajeev Mar 17, 2017

    I have tried all the things you mentioned, but no use, still it is coming as “Disabled by Administrator, encryption policy, or credential storage”. and encryption is also greyed in that phone encrypted is coming not able to decrypt. Please help. I am using Infocus Bingo50 M 460 Phone, Marshmellow

    SM
    Shajeev M Mar 17, 2017

    I have tried all the things you mentioned, but no use, still it is coming as “Disabled by Administrator, encryption policy, or credential storage”. and encryption is also greyed in that phone encrypted is coming not able to decrypt. Please help. I am using Infocus Bingo50 M 460 Phone, Marshmellow

    KI
    kawwai IA Mar 21, 2017

    nothing happen

    EB
    Encik Bear Aug 30, 2018

    this is may funny to you ..
    i did try the other way .
    Mine was pattern lock . make it wrong for 5 times . key in the backup PIN .
    Walla … it back to NONE !!!

    Funny ehhh ?

    Reply
    SC
    Scott Nov 3, 2018

    THANK YOU!!! Removing all credentials worked. Been trying everything and unsuccessful until I found this page. Thanks again!!!!!

    GI
    gianyangges Nov 5, 2018

    i have tried method 3 and it worked! thank man

    TK
    Travis Kinnett Mar 1, 2019

    The last option worked for me thx. When I tried to view saved passwords in google chrome, chrome made me lock my phone. When I tried to change it back to none…I got the error message. Clearing the trusted credentials is the only thing that worked.

    Reply
    FR
    FreezeGame Mar 7, 2019

    Clear Credentials FTW! Thanks!

    TV
    Ty Viroth Jul 2, 2019

    thanks it works for me samsung a3

    DP
    Dougal Patey Dec 20, 2019

    Oppo Reno Z2 had this issue. It appears that if you have Outlook on the phone with an account linked to work, the workplace administrator may configure the ‘auto off’ function to be say 15 seconds (in this phone’s case). Basically, Outlook was overriding the user’s preferences with the grey sign saying ‘auto off function disabled by administrator.’ Potentially a good security practice, but it does it all the time (not just under Outlook). I uninstalled Outlook, and the problem stopped.

    Reply
    AT
    Aware Tube Jun 4, 2020

    Clear Credentials alone did it! Glad!! Lenovo Tab 7

    IM
    Ibrahim Hassan Muhammad Aug 3, 2020

    It worked. Thanks.

    TG
    That Guy Feb 8, 2021

    Thank you , It worked

    EK
    EMMANUEL KINYERA Mar 29, 2021

    It worked, thanks!

    EK
    EMMANUEL KINYERA Mar 29, 2021

    Clearing all credentials is the best