[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] EmileLonghart:
Moto G7 Play(MetroPCs)"Bad Key?"Problems-WARNING-I'm a beginner to smartphone repair!

Okay.

First, hello. Hope everybody is having a nice day. If I hope it gets better.

Second, I don't know much about smartphone flashing, locking, unlocking, backflipping, holahopping, or anything else.

Now, I understand computers just enough to build my own for gaming and editing or messing with Linux, Windows, etc. However, smartphones are relatively out of my comfort zone.

Anywho, I'm looking for better compiled and straightforward information and most likely help with this smartphone called a Moto G7 Play.

So, I got this smartphone a week or two ago from Walmart clearance, and it has been running fine. *Except* Every, single, time I cut on this phone it used to say, "N/A". I had no idea(and probably still don't) understand anything about it and decided to look into it. Turns out this phone has an "unlocked bootloader" meaning it can be "rooted" and "custom rommed". This similar to installing Linux on a Windows PC or one of the Google Chromebooks. right?

Anywho, I did take it back to the Walmart section and left it with them for two days where they said they would "fix it" only to give it back and them saying "Igot no idea". It's absolutely fine for them not figuring it out cause I've gone in and fixed there computers, some broken televisions, and alot of there forklift equipment.

Back to the topic at hand, I decided to try and fix this small issue only to dive headfirst into an unknown field of electronics beyond my education. So, I learned about Developer Options, ADB and Fastboot, Custom Roms(which I'm okay with not doing right now in life), and how to renable the bootloader.....

....Turns out. The Moto G7 Play happens to be pretty difficult to flash or reflash because of "stock firmware" which is supposedly unprovided by Lenovo/Motorola. And, when trying to finds ways to renable the bootloader, turns out many others had this problem and I discovered this site. Anywho, I found this post saying to use this program called "LMSC" or "Lenovo Moto Smart Assistant" and it said that all I need to do is follow the programs instructions and the Moto G7 Play would be fixed.

So, I used this LMSC and used the "rescue" function which is supposed to bring the phone back to it's original factory state. And, this would've been great.....if it actually worked. BUT, it didn't. And now, the Moto G7 Play will cut on saying "bad key" instead of "N/A" and of course it still has a "unlocked bootloader".

I know very little on "ADB/Fastboot". So, I've been using it and only learned of "adb devices", "adb reboot bootloader", "fastboot devices" and "fastboot oem lock". Each time I do this, the *bootloader* is still *unlocked*? and the *bad key* is still on every, single, time.

So, if anybody could please describe to me or help me in any way on this Moto G7 Play(MetroPCS Model: XT1952-6)....

1.) What is "bad key", and how do I fix "bad key"? Or, remove "bad key"?

2.) Is having a "unlock bootloader" a bad thing? If so, how do I fix it?

3.) I have tried entering "Recovery Mode" on the Moto G7 Play and each time it says "No command". I assume that this is also bad and wondering. How can I fix "recovery mode" and get passed "No command"?

I would be very grateful to anyone who can spare any part of there time in helping a fool like me understand these problems. I see a lot and I mean A LOT of individuals experiencing and asking similar based questions to mine. Yet, I have no idea what each person goes on about considering I've never done any of this before. Nothing wrong with others wanting to fix or customize phones that still have good use in them. I am still updating and upgrading PCs all the time around many school districts and even do local builds of PCs for others in editing and gaming. I understand when OEM providers lock units( or in a phone's case, devices) in order to make sure the user can't bridge off there own path by customizing or enabling features not covered under their limited warranty policy(my nicest way to put it). I am just looking for either information or help on this smartphone which seemed great and was even *unopened* yet was sent straight to clearance for "unknown reasons"(which is problems that came with the phone). I can't send the phone back to Walmart. I can't get help from Motorola or Lenovo cause I'm somehow the one who "damaged" the phone. So,....I need help, please. And, thank you :)