Samsung rolls out One UI 5 ‘Maintenance Mode’ to keep your data safe during repair

Andrew Romero | Oct 25 2022 - 8:25 am PT

Handing your phone off to be repaired can be a little anxiety-inducing, given that it contains your valuable info. Samsung has a new “Maintenance Mode” that keeps your data locked away so technicians can do their job without compromising your data.

Unfortunately, data breaches are a possibility when handing over your device to a trusted company for repair or service. Most of your important data is likely stored on your phone, including credit card numbers, personal addresses, and other sensitive material. With that, Samsung is rolling out a solution to give a little peace of mind.

Samsung officially released a brand-new “Maintenance Mode” for Galaxy devices. This new mode allows users to put the device in a safer state before handing it in for repair. Since appearing in the One UI 5 beta, the feature is now becoming widely available.

As a core function, Maintenance Mode creates a separate user profile with a set of restrictions so any third party can’t access vital info. Apps like your messages, photos, and local documents are all out of reach and locked behind your original user account. On top of that, apps downloaded by the owner are inaccessible. When in Maintenance Mode, any accounts created will automatically be deleted after returning to the device’s original state.

This comes as an additional privacy add-on finds its way to Samsung’s Android 13 arsenal. Previously, Samsung had released a smart feature called “Privacy Detection” that automatically scans your images prior to sending them, so you don’t accidentally share private information.

How to turn on “Maintenance Mode”

On your Samsung Galaxy device, you might have the option to turn Maintenance Mode on. If so, here’s how you can find it:

On your Galaxy device, head to your settings.
Find Battery and device care and click it.
Select Maintenance Mode.
Reboot your device.

From there, your Galaxy phone should be ready to hand over to a technician or other third party for repair or service.

Maintenance Mode will be rolled out to “select models” of Samsung’s Galaxy phones running One UI 5. With that, the first devices to see the new mode will be Galaxy S22 phones. Samsung will continue expanding the lineup that can make use of this new feature, with the rollout continuing into 2023.