Samsung Electronics begins the global rollout of Maintenance Mode today. This is a new privacy feature available on some Samsung Galaxy devices after a successful pilot program in South Korea and an initial rollout in China. Samsung has released a new feature called Repair Mode for Korean users. New privacy features will gradually roll out to Galaxy devices starting with the Galaxy S22, allowing users to block access to data while the device is in service.
(Credit Image: Samsung)
What is Samsung Maintenance or Repair Mode?
Maintenance or Repair Mode is a feature developed by Samsung for Galaxy devices to make the device more secure when offered for repair. As the name suggests, Repair Mode helps users keep their data safe when handing their device over to a technician for repair. This feature addresses issues related to unauthorized access to data while the user is away. From now on, Samsung Galaxy S21 users will be able to enable repair mode before sending their device to a service center for repair. Maintenance Mode is a companion to giving someone a personal device for repair by allowing users to block access to personal data such as photos, videos, documents, messages, contacts and other files. Once the user selects what they want to hide, the device will reboot and start showing only the data the user needs. By this User’s anxiety can be reduced.
Service center technicians can’t access your hidden data, so you can put your worries to rest. Once the user gets their device back, they can enter their enrolled password/fingerprint to disable repair mode and have access to all their files and data. As mentioned, this feature is available for Samsung Galaxy S21 users in South Korea. In the future, the company plans to release this feature to users in other countries.
How to turn on Maintenance Mode?
Maintenance mode is a way to create a separate user account when you send your device for service. This allows only core functionality to run without access to personal information. Users simply select maintenance mode in the Battery & Device Care menu in Settings and reboot their phone. After restarting, all personal information including photos, documents and messages will be restricted.
When sending your Galaxy Device for repair service, enable maintenance mode before running your Galaxy device. This feature can be enabled in a few simple steps.
- Go to Settings on your Galaxy Device
- Click on Battery and device care.
- Scroll down, and the Maintenance Mode is at the bottom, tap on it.
- Restart your device and that’s it.
How to turn off Maintenance Mode?
To turn this feature off, you need to follow the same steps to go to your phone’s Settings app and tap the Battery & Device Care option. Select a maintenance mode and tap Finish or Exit. You will be asked to confirm this when it’s done. The device will reboot again.
How do I use Maintenance Mode?
First enable maintenance mode in the device settings. After that, you will not be able to access your personal data such as photos, messages, accounts, etc., and you will only be able to use default installed apps. You can now send the device for repair.
To exit this mode, restart your phone with pattern or fingerprint recognition. So before you get your Galaxy smartphone repaired, you don’t have to worry that your mobile data might have been leaked because Samsung offers you a new option. users will not be able to retrieve user-installed apps. Data or accounts created in maintenance mode are automatically deleted when the owner exits maintenance mode. You can download the app from the Galaxy Store, but it will be automatically deleted along with any data and accounts created once the owner exits maintenance mode.
Surprisingly, this feature only works for default installed apps and it has not added support for 3rd party apps at this time. Once done, you can always disable this feature to access all your personal information.
Availability
Maintenance mode was successfully tested in South Korea on Galaxy S21 series in July and launched in China in September 2022. It launched globally today and will gradually roll out to select models running One UI 5 over the next few months. The rollout will continue throughout 2023 and will be made available to more Galaxy devices.