The other day, Samsung announced that it would begin the global rollout of Maintenance Mode, a new privacy feature coming to select Samsung Galaxy devices — following a successful pilot program in Korea and an initial launch in China. Maintenance Mode is designed to relieve user anxiety that comes with giving a personal device to someone for repairs, by letting users block access to their personal information, such as their photos, messages or contacts.
“Our whole lives are on our phones, from credit card information to family photos. With Maintenance Mode, we are giving extra reassurance that Galaxy users can keep their privacy, even if they hand their phone to someone,” said Seungwon Shin, VP and Head of Security Team at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics. “This is just the latest example of our constant efforts to introduce new ways to make people feel safe and in control, so they can explore new mobile experiences with peace of mind, knowing we have their back.”
Maintenance Mode does its magic by creating a separate user account when you hand in your device to be repaired so it can operate core functions without being able to access any of your private information. In order to start it, all you have to do is select Maintenance Mode in the “Battery and device care” menu within “Settings” and reboot your smartphone. As soon as it’s rebooted, all your personal information, including their photos, documents and messages, will be restricted. Also, the person repairing your device won’t be able to retrieve the apps you installed on the phone — they will be able to access those apps that come preloaded with the Samsung Galaxy device, though.
On the other hand, any data or accounts generated when using Maintenance Mode will be automatically deleted as soon as the owner exits Maintenance Mode. They will be able to download apps on Galaxy Store, but those will be automatically deleted along with any data or accounts created as soon as the owner exits Maintenance Mode.
Samsung Galaxy devices are already protected by Knox, which is the company’s defense-grade security platform that offers a multi-layered approach to protection. Through collaboration with trusted industry partners, any potential threats can be discovered and neutralized more quickly. Integrated hardware and software security safeguards in all areas of the device, from the chips inside to the apps users download.
In addition, Samsung Galaxy devices enable control and transparency, with features such as Security and Privacy Dashboard and Permission Manager, so users can easily determine what happens to their data.
Last year, the Korean giant introduced Knox Vault, which isolates the most critical information from the rest of the device. This month, they revealed Knox Matrix, its vision for the next level of security across multiple devices.
Maintenance Mode was successfully trialed on the Galaxy S21 series in Korea in July and then launched in China in September 2022. It will be gradually rolling out over the next few months on select models running One UI 5. The rollout will continue throughout 2023, with availability expanding to more Galaxy devices.
All being said, we love how Samsung is making their Android devices more secure but we still think you’ll need a VPN. And for that, you may want to visit our page with Best of the Best VPNs. Check it out.