Phone Flash Encryption: Why Chip-off Gives You Ciphertext
Removing the NAND from a phone and reading it is technically straightforward. Getting plaintext out of that image is where the encryption chain decides for you.
iPhone
Every file key is wrapped by a class key, which is entangled with the device UID (in the Secure Enclave) and the passcode. No passcode, no class key; no working SEP, no UID. NAND content stays ciphertext.
Android
File-based encryption since Android 7 binds keys to the TEE/Keymaster and the user credential. Raw dumps of userdata are encrypted. A few older or engineering devices deviate, which is why each unit has to be assessed rather than assumed.
What actually works
Get the device into a state where it can be unlocked, then do a logical extraction. Board-level repair exists to reach that state. Chip-off is for forensics and for devices that are already unencrypted or whose keys are available.
FAQ
Is there any bypass for a modern locked phone?
No general one. Older SoCs with bootrom flaws have forensic routes, constrained by iOS version and SEP behaviour.
Does a screen replacement help?
Only if the device still works with an external display/input; the data depends on the lock state, not the panel.
Can a locked phone's data be recovered after water damage?
Only if the board can be repaired to a bootable, unlockable state.
Boundary: without the lock credential or a working key unit, encrypted phone data cannot be decrypted. Any service promising otherwise is not telling the truth.
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