[Google Pixel 5 Questions & Answers] wehramausi:
Hi everyone,

I just bought a Google Pixel 5 with Android 11 that was declared "new" and when I got it, from the first time powering it on, I got the security alert that the bootloader is unlocked, see photo attached. For several personal reasons I cannot easily send it back, so I tried to understand what this means but I am no developer. I tried an entire day to install ADB, put the phone in developer mode and download the firmware image from the official source, I got to the point where the ADB devices command showed the phone as connected but then nothing else worked. In every video or guide online, the steps varied from what I had in front of me, or did not yield the same results, or how the files looked was different (I downloaded the same firmware version that is installed on the phone from the official Google page but never had an image file, just various other very non-descript files in it). As I am pretty clueless, I tried googling my way around the error codes I got but everything I tried didn't work. I either got more error codes, answers like the ADB server is already killed, or that flashing command that just returned something like "waiting for available device" and got stuck on it, or nothing happened at all. Then I figured out that the option in the developer menu "Allow OEM unlocking" is greyed out and I read then that there are phones where you simply cannot lock or unlock the bootloader. However, all online guides I see are from people who have a locked bootloader and want to unlock it, and in my case it's exactly the other way around, it came unlocked and I want to lock it. I also tried a normal reset of the phone from the settings menu, deleting all data, and it didn't work. When I got into fastboot mode, I only could choose between Recovery Mode, Rescue Mode and Restart Bootloader, I tried all of them and none worked, and often the last thing that happened was that the screen turned into a small Android with an open chest, and a line "No command" and the only way to get the phone out of this was by pressing the power button for more than 10 seconds. Every time it restarts, the bootloader unlocked safety advice is showing.

After reading all day long about this, I suspect that the phone was probably refurbished. I wondered whether they maybe accidentally forgot to lock it or whether it was intentional, and in case it was intentional, if there is any way someone would have digital access to the phone. I want to understand if it would be possible for me to keep it without having security issues. I read that the unlocked bootloader is a physical problem, if your phone gets stolen or you physically lose it, someone might hack your PIN easier, or get easier access to your data. However, the PIN code and the standard data encryption also seem to protect my data enough. And tbh, as soon as my phone would be lost or stolen, I would delete all data via Find My Device. So I wondered... if it's impossible for me to lock the bootloader, can I still safely keep the phone and use it, with all standard security apps installed like an anti virus app, Google Play Protect and standard security features like PIN and fingerprint unlock and encryption and be safe, or is there any danger I am not aware of? Or is there any way to enable OEM lock or fix this somehow that I would be able to get done as a non-developer? As mentioned before, sending it back is too difficult at the moment so I am just trying to understand what this bootloader unlocked means for me and if it poses a threat to my security as a normal user? (Watching videos, online banking, emails, sending work-related but not highly data sensitive documents, paying with NFC..)

Thanks in advance! I really appreciate any insights to help me understand what this is, if there is any solution to it or if it actually poses no danger if I secure my data another way.