Samsung is making the process of giving your phone for repair a lot more stressful with an innovative new functionality. The company’s new Repair Mode will protect your phone’s data from prying eyes and technicians by restricting access to certain functions and apps on the phone when it’s sent for repair.
Handing over a phone for repair is an unsettling experience that can leave private data exposed in the hands of repair technicians. Oftentimes, if it’s something like a software fix, a technician asks you to leave your phone unlocked – and that really leaves you vulnerable to your data being stolen. Samsung’s new mode gives you peace of mind the next time you drop your phone. At least for Samsung Galaxy users.
Samsung will be rolling this out in the Galaxy S21 series in an update and it will come to other devices as well. Samsung hasn’t said when exactly it will roll out the update, although we know from the past that they will roll it out one area at a time.
What is Samsung repair mode?
Repair mode will allow users to block social media accounts and access to photo galleries and any other app of their choice so that strangers cannot access it. Once the repair mode is activated, the phone restarts and Samsung says (Opens in a new tab)“You will not be able to access your personal data, such as photos, messages, and accounts, and only use the default installed apps.”
To enable repair mode, you will need to go to Settings > Battery & Device Care menu. To get out of repair mode, you will have to restart your phone and then unlock it with your fingerprint or pattern recognition.
Android and Apple don’t have a specific mode of putting your phone into some kind of lockout – but you can lock certain apps in Settings with just your password or other authentication to unlock them.
Apple also allows users to do this, but it seems to be intended more for “Lock Screen Time” than anything else (accessible in Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time passcode).
Having one mode to switch before you send your phone in for repair is a nice plus from Samsung. In fact, the company has been rolling out several useful new updates for users in 2022. This includes the latest Enhance-X app, which allows you to use artificial intelligence to edit photos. Our best guide to Samsung phones can help you choose which one to buy if you are considering a Samsung phone.
Good momentum for self-repair
Speaking of phone repairs, Google recently linked up with iFixit for a DIY repair service for their pixels. Samsung has also partnered with iFixit Back in March for Samsung Galaxy S21, S20, and Tab S7 phone and tablet repairs. Apple also has their own iPhone Self Service Repair Kits It works in a similar way, but is a bit more expensive than using a third-party repair.
If you’re eager to see what happens next, check out our Samsung August Unpacked event preview and check out our rumor centers around the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 ahead of the big launch on August 10.
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