Following a successful pilot program in Korea, Samsung is now makingMaintenance Modeavailable on select Galaxy devices globally. This will help users protect their sensitive data when taking smartphone in for service.
The purpose of this new system is to reduce user anxiety and reinforce the belief that no one can access or copy their personal information, even if they have physical access to the device.
“ Our entire lives are on our phones, from credit card information to family photos ,” said Samsung’s vice president and head of security , Seungwon Shin.
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Samsung says that the privacy of Galaxy device users is a priority for the company. “With ‘Maintenance Mode’ users can rest assured that their information will always be protected.”
You can find the new feature in the “Battery and device care” menu in Settings. Once you enable it, restart your device to activate the feature.
This process creates a separate user account on the device, which is completely isolated from all applications, data and files belonging to the owner. This separate account will be used by the service technician who has been assigned to repair the smartphone.
The new user will not have access to photos, documents, or messages associated with the owner's account.
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To ensure that your personal data is not lost during the repair, Samsung still recommends backing up to another storage medium.
It is worth noting that with “Maintenance Mode”, service technicians can complete any necessary task to repair the device, such as testing device functions, running system applications, or downloading software from the Galaxy Store.
Once the device is returned to its owner and they enter their regular account password, the account, all apps , and data installed during Maintenance Mode. Maintenance Mode won't be available to every Galaxy phone user right away. Samsung plans to roll out the new feature gradually.
series models running One UI 5 will be the first to get the new feature.
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The rollout will be gradual throughout 2023, with Samsung expanding it to more Galaxy models. However, the company has not yet published a list of models that will receive the update.
It's no secret that our smartphones contain a lot of personal information about us. From our contacts and messages to our photos and social media accounts, our phones contain a wealth of data that could be used to exploit us if it fell into the wrong hands. That's why it's important to take steps to protect ourselves, and Samsung's "Maintenance Mode" makes it easier than ever.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
