What exactly does the 'Wipe Data' function do under the Android Virtual Device Manager

Issue

I want to know what steps Android Studio takes when the action 'Wipe Data' is clicked within the Android Virtual Device Manager.

I have an app (third-party app so I don't have access to its source code and I won't mention its name) that brings up a registration page which you can sign up with an email address. But once you have installed the app --> registered on the app --> then delete the app --> re-install the app --> register again with a different email address then the the app does not allow you to do so, as it says you have created an account with the same device already.

but if I click the action 'Wipe Data' on my AVDM for my emulator, then re-install the app on a clean version of the same emulator and register with a new email, it allows me to register without the error message which denied me in the first place.

I want to know what steps 'Wipe Data' does that enables me to bypass this feature on the app. I thought that deleting the app and 'wiping the data' would do similar things..

Does it change the MAC address?

Is there some device sessions that is stored by the app that doesn't get deleted when deleting the app, but only when the emulator is 'Wipe Data'.?

Solution

The official Android Documentation states:

-wipe-data Delete user data and copy data from the initial data file. This option clears the data for the virtual device and returns it to the same state as when it was first defined. All installed apps and settings are removed. For example: $ emulator @Nexus_5X_API_23 -wipe-data

By default, the user data file is userdata-qemu.img and the initial data file is userdata.img, both residing in the data directory. The -wipe-data option doesn't affect the sdcard.img file. For more information about user data, see Understanding the default directories and files.

Look here: https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator-commandline

Answered By - LoopsGod