It is common practice to reset your phone when you bring it in to the service center for repair, otherwise you run the risk of sensitive data (photos, accounts, etc.) falling into the wrong hands. This creates the extra hassle of having to back up your data first and then restore it.
Samsung has introduced a solution to this problem – repair mode. This can be accessed from the Battery & Device Care screen in Settings. After activation, the phone will reboot.
The mode hides all personal data, including photos, messages, accounts, and even apps (only the apps installed by default are active). Basically, it will be like the phone has been reset.
After the repair is done and you pick up your phone, you can deactivate the repair mode with a fingerprint or pattern lock. This will reboot the phone, this time with full access to all your data. Any settings changed by the technician during the repair will also be restored.
An additional option allows the phone to create a log that records recent issues and which apps were in use when they occurred. This will help diagnose the problem. Of course, no personal information is recorded in this log and you have the option to enter repair mode without creating a log.
Repair mode is first enabled on the Galaxy S21 series via a software update. Samsung writes that it plans to “expand it to some other models in the future”.
Note that the press release has only been posted to Samsung’s Korean site as an update, so the feature will initially be limited to Samsung’s home base. This seems like a dry run to test the new feature before expanding to more regions and phones.
However, it is a universally useful feature because it solves a common problem. We expect it to become standard on One UI, at least for select models. “Technology is connecting the world more than ever, but the risks are also increasing. Samsung’s top priority is customers,” said Shin Seung-won, director of the security team at Samsung Electronics’ MX division.