Samsung’s New ‘Maintenance Mode’ Blocks Your Data While Your Phone Gets Repaired

Leaving your phone out for repairs can be a little frightening, especially if the internal issue requires the people working on it to have access to all of your data.
 
Understanding people’s fear of leaving their devices unattended, Samsung’s latest ‘Maintenance Mode’ is here to save worrywarts from chewing on their nails when their phones go out for servicing.

The feature comes in a new update with the One UI 5 beta, and it essentially creates a new user profile that restricts external users from snooping around. This blocks people from accessing data like messages, photos, contacts, addresses, legal documents, and even apps.
 
It can be found under Settings > Battery > Device Care. Once turned off, you’ll have to restart your phone, and it will be ready for the person repairing it.
 
Maintenance Mode allows for the device’s core functions to still be operated, and the new user will also be able to create data and accounts. However, once handed back to the owner and the feature is turned off, all of this will be deleted.
 
The update launched in South Korea in July, but the company will now be rolling it out to select Samsung devices—though it did not mention which ones—before reaching more phones in the coming months.
 
 
 
[via GSMArena.com and Android Authority, images via various sources]