What to do if getting Blocked by FRP error on your Galaxy Note 8

Hello and welcome to today’s #GalaxyNote8 troubleshooting episode. This brief article will detail the steps that you can do when faced with “Custom Binary Blocked by FRP Lock” error on your Note 8.

What does Factory Reset Protection (FRP) mean?

“Custom Binary Blocked by FRP Lock” error is a security check for Android devices. It’s usually triggered when you perform a factory or master reset. However, some other circumstances such as rooting a device or flashing custom ROM or unofficial Samsung firmware are known to trip “Custom Binary Blocked by FRP Lock” error as well. FRP was put in place to protect a device from unauthorized access. With FRP activated, only a legitimate owner can unlock the device, which means that data in said device can not be accessed at all unless FRP is bypassed after entering the correct Google account credentials. As long as you are the owner of the device, there’s no need to worry as FRP lock can easily be fixed by simply putting in your Google account and password.

FRP was introduced with Android Lollipop (Android 5) so it should be activated in millions of Android devices at this time.

What if FRP lock was triggered by rooting or flashing?

If you did not attempt to factory reset your Note 8 and the FRP lock was displayed on the screen, you must have either

tried to root your device
or manually installed a firmware on it (flashing).

In any of these situations, there are solutions that you can try. These solutions were successful in removing FRP Lock a couple of years back but Samsung may have already strengthened FRP feature at this time. Still, they’re worth trying in your device if you have the time. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Solution #1: Master reset

There are two ways to wipe your Galaxy Note 8 — factory reset via Settings and factory reset via Recovery. Some users on older Galaxy devices before were able to “mysteriously” bypass FRP lock. This claim makes no sense to us since Master reset is basically the same as factory reset via Settings app. We also don’t see the logic why it would be able to fix a problem like this when factory reset is usually the one that triggers FRP lock in the first place. Still, if you happen to trip FRP lock by rooting your device, we suggest that you try master reset to see if it will make any difference. There’s a slim chance that it will but crazy things can sometimes occur in Android environment. To perform a Master Reset on your Note 8, follow these steps:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe data / factory reset.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until Yes — delete all user data is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Solution #2: Flash stock firmware in Odin Mode

One known solution that we’ve personally tried to work before is flashing a stock firmware via Odin (this was about a year ago so Samsung or Google may have already found a way to block this solution as well). Flashing any firmware to your device should work as well so this means you can also use your favorite custom ROM to do the job. We’ll not provide the details on how to flash a firmware in this post as there are a lot of literature and videos in the internet to help you with that. Just remember, flashing is basically changing core system files, folders and customizations so if you mess this up, you’ll most likely have an expensive brick. When searching for a flashing guide, make sure to follow the one for your specific phone model so that you’ll avoid downloading incorrect firmware or doing inappropriate steps.

Solution #3: Enter the correct Google account credentials

If you are the owner of the Note 8 having the “Custom Binary Blocked by FRP Lock” error, this should be the easiest and most effective method that you can use. Whatever the reason for the error, entering the correct Google account and password associated with your device should help. Keep in mind that FRP is a security feature that’s meant to revalidate access to your device. Whether it’s been triggered after rooting, flashing, or attempting a factory reset, the problem should be easily be taken care of by inputting your username and password.

Forget your Google account username and password? Reset!

Ideally, you’re supposed to remove your Google account from the device before performing a factory reset but a lot of Android users don’t know this. If you’re one of them and you happen to forget your Google username and/or password, you can use another device or computer to go to www.google.com and perform any of the following:

Reset your password

If you forgot your password, go to https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery. You’ll be asked to confirm if you have the right account by entering the email address or phone number associated with that account.
Choose a password that you haven’t already used with this account.

Recover username

If you forgot the username for your Google account, go to https://accounts.google.com/signin/usernamerecovery?hl=en. Just like in resetting your Google password, you’ll need to enter the recovery email of your forgotten account. This can be another email or phone number.
In your recovery email (the other email Google will send recovery instructions to), find the email from Google and follow the steps.

Once you’ve identified your Google account credentials (username and password), use them to gain access to your Note 8 again.

If you have several Google accounts and can’t figure out which one was used in your Note 8, go to https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager. Then, log in with your Google username and password and check the list of devices associated to that account. do the same process for each and every Google account.

Solution #4: Bring your device to Samsung

If all the solutions above won’ t work at all or if you can’t remember your Google account, the only chance you got is to ask Samsung for help. Bring the device to your nearest Samsung service center so they can reset the device using a special tool and remove FRP lock. In order for this to work though, you must present your device together with the proof of purchase. Hopefully, you kept your receipt when you bought the device. Otherwise, we’re afraid you just have to accept the fact that your Note 8 has just become a brick.