Although difficult to generalize, in a pretty good number of cases, using a lock screen PIN/password is not going to be sufficient to prevent someone from wiping your phone and/or flashing it with a new ROM. It may be an effective enough deterrent to prevent them from accessing your personal data, but there are a few considerations that go along with that, as well. Show
Firstly, if the bootloader is unlockable, then there is effectively no way to prevent someone from
reflashing the device. The Some devices have other ways of accessing fastboot/recovery, some more esoteric than others. It's not terribly uncommon for there to be a key combination that will boot a device into its stock recovery system, which will provide some means of performing a factory reset, thereby removing any lock screen security that was configured on the device. Another complication can be if the device recognizes a factory cable. The Kindle Fire, for example, would let you flash an unsigned image with a factory cable, meaning you could actually get a custom recovery installed without wiping the device. This would put all of your data at risk if the attacker was properly equipped and technologically savvy. There are probably other concerns that I'm not considering here, as well, but these are the basic ones aside from bootloader exploits and the like, which are not really predictable in the long-term. In general, though, there is a saying about security which Microsoft sums up as such:
...and that's a pretty accurate way of putting it for an Android device. If your concern is securing your data then userspace security like a lock screen password, locked bootloader, and keeping USB debugging off are going to be great defenses. If you're looking to secure your device such that no attacker could make use of it, then you've got a significant uphill battle, and the odds of winning are going to be very slim (and quite possibly zero). NB: For your specific scenario: the Moto G is supported by Motorola's bootloader unlock program. Therefore, userspace security will not prevent someone from resetting or reflashing your device. There’s only one thing worse than losing your Android phone, and that’s losing your phone when you have a lot of personal stuff on it. If the thought of somebody else accessing your apps, email or secret plans for world domination scares you silly, we have the solution. If you make sure you take all of these steps, you can have peace of mind when your phone goes missing. Here are the steps necessary to protect your data remotely. Shortcuts:
While you still have your phone, do thisIf you want the ability to remotely wipe your phone, you need to install the Find My Device app and check your settings. It should be enabled by default, but check to make sure:
 If you have an older device, you might also need to take these steps with the old version of Find My Device (Android Device Manager):
Find My Device works for tablets as well, but if you have multiple user accounts, only the person set as the tablet owner can set these features. Google's own video explains how to use Find My Device in the event of a lost phone: It’s also a good idea to take a few other precautions too: don’t store anything sensitive on microSD cards (remote wiping can’t erase them), make sure you have a decent lock code or pattern, and consider investing in an app such as AirDroid or Lookout. Both apps offer remote wipe features, but they can also transfer crucial data before pulling the plug. How to find your Android phoneNote: All the options discussed below not only require you to install apps like Find My Device beforehand but also expects that the thief will keep your smartphone switched on and let it connect to a data network. Most thieves can easily circumvent this loophole by switching the phone off immediately, removing the SIM card, or worse, by performing a hard reset. Oh no! Your phone’s gone! It’s time for action, and by action we mean Find My Device. You can access Find My Device in two ways: via the Find My Device app on another Android device, or via the website here. Once you’ve logged in, Find My Device will attempt to locate your missing device. If it’s on and can get a signal, you’ll see the location on a map. You’ll also see three options: ring it, lock it or remotely wipe it. If the device isn’t on or can't get a signal, Find My Device will report its location when it switches on and connects to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. At that point, you can erase all the data from your phone, but we’d strongly recommend trying the less-serious options before you go nuclear and delete everything. Try them in this order: Before you do anything, make sure it isn't just lostLost phones are often mislaid rather than permanently missing or stolen. You can use the Find My Device to make the phone ring loudly for a full five minutes. This enables you to find your phone if it’s fallen onto the floor of your car or, been hidden in a slipper by one of your children - these things happen! Change the lock screenThere’s a second non-nuclear option available to you: changing the lock screen so that when the phone is next switched on, your message is displayed. “GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK” is likely to be counter-productive, but a “Please call me” message, possibly backed with a modest reward, might just work. Tried that? Still no joy? OK. It’s time to destroy your data. If all else fails, erase your dataYou will have the option to erase your data, but keep in mind that data on SD cards may not be deleted, and if it turns out it wasn't stolen or permanently lost after all, then you will likely need your Google password to use it again after erasing. You also won't be able to use the Find My Device app after this process. Choosing the erase option will remotely wipe your phone or tablet on some devices. That’s the same as performing a full factory reset, so it’ll delete all of your settings, your music, your photos, and your apps (but of course, not the SD card). As with locking, if the missing phone is off then selecting this option will remotely wipe it once it comes back online. If you’re worried enough to take this option, you should also go into your Google Account and revoke access for your missing phone. You want to take extra precautions because very determined hackers may still be able to access your data, even after a factory reset. We’d also recommend changing any passwords to your online services. The likelihood of a lost phone leading to baddies accessing all your stuff is very remote, but it doesn’t take long to remove that possibility altogether. What if Find My Device can’t connect?If Find My Device can't connect, there are two more things you can try. Google Maps tracks your phone's location history – or at least, it does if you haven’t turned that feature off in your Google Account – so you can sometimes discover where your missing phone has been by visiting the Location History page and checking the timestamps. It won’t necessarily tell you where your phone is now, but it can tell you where it’s been. Another option is to use an app such as Android Lost, which works well on older Android devices. It is one of the few solutions that you can install remotely, so it's a good option if you hadn't enabled the Find My Device options specified above. The app and website look terrible but work well, although the device needs to be online via the cellular network or Wi-Fi for it to work. Have you used Find My Device or another method to successfully find or wipe a lost phone? Let us know in the comments! Can you factory reset a stolen Android phone?You can use Android Device Manager to remotely lock your device, erase everything on it, or change the lock screen passcode. Touch the box next to “Allow remote lock and factory reset.” When the “Activate device administrator” screen appears, read the text and touch Activate to turn on the device administrator.
Can a stolen phone be factory reset?NO you can't stop your phone from getting factory reset. EVEN if you LOCK IT through google's FIND MY DEVICE. thief can simply factory reset it and use it . but your phone can be still tracked even if your phone is formatted ( factory reset ' ed) through IMEI.
What do thieves do with stolen Android phones?The moment you can't find your phone, you should assume the worst. Phone thieves often go straight for your personal information after stealing your phone. They'll try to access banking and investment apps, social media and email accounts, photos, and passwords.
Can someone unlock my stolen Android?Unfortnately, if you lost your phone, the person who fnds it, if doesn't return your phone, will be able to unlock it and later on use it. All that person needs to do is a factory reset and bypass Google's account veryfication. However, it is strongly reocmmneded to report your phone's IMEI to your local authorities.
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Can someone factory reset a stolen Android?
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