What happens if you lose or reset your phone that was used for the Sense setup?



I was just wondering about what happens if you lose or reset your phone that was used for the setup? Or just delete/clear data of the Sense app by accident.

Do you just need to pair some new phone with the sense and all the configurations are there?

Or do you need to setup the whole sense network again after soft reseting the device and clearing app data?


Accepted Answer


  • Thanks for the answer.

    I thought as much, well this and all the other weird decisision on the development of Sense makes me think that you guys really did not think nor test things through.

    People change their phones like every year and some even more often.

    Also people break their phones often.

    Nobody likes to setup their whole home network every time they switch phone or break it or even just accidentally clear an phone app's data.




    Any eta on when the feature is implemented on android? Since i am going to reset my phone to fix some issues soon.

  • UkkoUkko Posts: 3,198 Superuser

    @FormerMember wrote:

    Thanks for the answer.


    Also people break their phones often.

    So I don't know anymore who is the target audience for this product, I thought it was something for the bit more advanced and "security worried" people, but seems that they are not the target audience and not sure who is??



    I'm also only F-Secure user (home solutions, but not SENSE-solution);

    As my own feelings about situation:


    I did not change phone too much often - but it anyway will be not helpful for me with using F-Secure SENSE;




    - my phones is normal mobile phones (cell phones);

    - my smartphone is Windows Phone;

    - I do not love Android platform (and not friendly with iOS), but I able to be with access for some android-devices - but this ones with not supported android-build (as I able to understand);


    WIth such situation (even if I will be able to try F-Secure SENSE) -> For me there required to get fresh certain device... just and only for F-Secure SENSE (or kind of this);

    I able to think that "portal" (or website) denied based on some potential vectors or potential security-troubles; And also - as potential "cool feature" with controller-device (where can be much more abilities); Since there can be expected that if someone have requirements to use things like F-Secure SENSE - there should be Android or iOS device "in use" (and maybe which not often changed - at least - certain one);


    But - if there Android device (or iOS) marked as "trusted" platform for "ruler/controller" of SENSE (even there all of this potential meaningas as device start be broken, not accesible, misconfiguration, updated/upgraded or other)...


    I able to think: strange that F-Secure SENSE just do not bundled with certain "device"-controller from box; Even it can be just "simple" device (even if based on Android-platform) with certain "required" features and abilities only;


    Or even more.... kind of "promotion" (not sure - what if it already not actual things) and bundled SENSE with 'improved' Jolla-device (designed to be such controller);

    or any of certain devices as "SailfishOS"-based device;


    Maybe it take much more resources for introduce that (but if there can be cooperation or even.... if there not required 'a lot' from certain device abilities - maybe it not so "difficult" or "expensive");

    Such design also with 'potential' ability -> to kill potential "not compatibility" troubles with devices; Since device already designed/tested to work (something like TV Remote Control);


    Sorry for my opinion;



  • Wow, this was not well-thought out AT ALL.  I have to re-setup my router from scratch now that I got a new phone?!!!

  • And wait... does this mean I am going to lose all of my customized device names and icons that I assigned to all 32 of my devices, too?!

  • I agree that it is a very stupid design in the age of smart phones where you usually change your phone in 1 year time.

    Or you drop and break your phone.

    Or even accidentally uninstall or clear the app data.

    But they are working on a multiple master device feature.

  • I don't think they are taking the issue seriously.


    There should at least be a way to export and import the settings from one phone to another, like by saving a settings file to Google Drive or e-mailing it to yourself.

  • +1 to either the lack of testing or being frank with known limitations up front. There are a number of weird and quirky things that have me annoyed but this is the one that has resulted in me turning off SENSE and reverting back to Google Wifi. I'm all for rapid prototyping and putting functional but unfinished things out there, but I would suggest y'all collect all of these into a "How this will be a different user experience (and more secure) than any other router out there and might annoy you for now, read before using/purchasing" document. If nothing else, just a curated list to the posts here. All the same, good luck. I love the premise of SENSE and think highly of F-Secure.

  • FS_SimoFS_Simo Posts: 256 Former F-Secure Employee



    Thank you for sending us your feelings, we DO read this feedback on daily basis and we do take these issues seriously. We may not always have time to address them all every day, apologies for that.


    The current design relies on unique encryption between the SENSE and the control device and we made a conscious decision to disable pairing after setup to avoid just 'anyone' with physical access to the router gaining control of your router as they may be able to see sensitive information through the app once it's paired. This becomes particularly necessary if features like parental controls would be implemented, but now it is primarily a security thing. We do understand that this also is an enormous inconvenience when the phone is lost, broken or stolen or just replaced.


    We are currently working on multiple admin support which should allow you to pair other phones in a controlled manner. I don't have a specific timeline when it will be ready but this should help scenarios where the user is in control over what happens to their device. One possibility could be also to allow the user to make this choice between convenience and security.


    The suggestion for saving your settings and restoring them is a good one and has been discussed before. We will consider that. There are some challenges as some secure items (like your encryption key) may not be transferrable through this backup method which means you may not be able to restore full functionality.


    All in all, we are listening and we appreciate your input. Changing the design of core functionality like this takes some time so please bear with us.

  • Thank you for the feedback.


    Why not just add the sync from F-Secure Key into this environment?


    If you can store all my password in cloud safe ,you should also be capable to do so with my router configuration, or I'm I wrong?

  • Thanks for the response.


    Like I said in another thread, if you could just build a way to export the list of our network's MAC addresses, custom device name, and custom device icon that we chose for each device, and allow us to re-import them into the new phone,  that would save the majority of time recreating the setup on a new phone.


    Recreating the same SSID and passwords took 2 minutes.  I don't think that's a real priority.  It was identifying all of the device names and icons that took me forever to redo.

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