With Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google decided to enable data encryption by default on the Nexus 6. Data encryption means that everything on the Nexus 6 is encrypted making it almost impossible for others to steal information.
You might think that this is a good thing. Yes, it is a good thing. It makes everything on your phone safe from other people and no one is able to steal your private information like accounts, passwords and credit cards. If you are a person who has a lot of accounts and credit card information stored on your Nexus 6, data encryption is perfect.
Also Read: How To Install TWRP Recovery on Nexus 6 and Nexus 9
But there is a downside of having this option enabled all the time. Data encryption is a SW (Software) layer and it is enabled with one flag in device’s fstab. When all devices are mounted in Android with forceencrypt option, a flag is sent for encryption.
This process is known to noticeably slow down smartphones. Data encryption has been available for a while now on Android devices as an optional setting. It was disabled by default and you could enable it anytime you want.
On the Nexus 6, it is turned on by default and when you get your Nexus 6, everything is encrypted. This means that your phone is safe but the performance is much slower. Follow the guide below to disable encryption on your Nexus 6.
How to disable data encryption on Nexus 6 and make it faster
- Unlock your Nexus 6 if it is locked. This will wipe data.
- Download boot_noforceencrypt.img file.
- Boot into bootloader and flash the img file using the following command [quote_box_center]fastboot flash boot boot_noforceencrypt.img[/quote_box_center]
- Reboot your phone. go to Settings -> Backup & Reset and make a factory reset.
Also Read: How To Enable LED Notification Light on Nexus 6
Reboot your phone again. This will disable data encryption on your phone and will make the Nexus 6 noticeably faster because there is no SW layer.