Samsung’s new ‘repair mode’ keeps phone technicians out of your personal data

Gadgets break all the time, it’s unavoidable. Whether it’s a cracked screen or a failing battery, a trip to the service centre is inevitable. Therein lies a conundrum, however: technicians need to get into your device to troubleshoot the issue, but our phones, tablets and computers are a treasure trove of personal information that we don’t want to fall into the wrong hands.

Thankfully, Samsung is introducing a new feature that will give repair personnel the required access while also keeping them out of your privileged information. The company is rolling out a ‘repair mode’ to its previous-generation Galaxy S21 flagships, essentially presenting a blank slate without users having to perform a factory reset. The catch? It’s currently only available in its home market of South Korea.

According to a translated press release, ‘repair mode’ can be accessed under ‘Battery and Device Care’ in the phone’s settings. Once selected, the device will reboot and lock out personal data such as such as photos, messages, and accounts, only allowing the default apps to be used. You can return your phone to normal after the repair by exiting ‘repair mode’ and entering your unlock pattern or using your fingerprint.

Samsung says the feature will be added via a software update and will be rolled out to other devices in the future, although it didn’t mention if other markets will get it. ‘Repair mode’ follows a number of recent security features, it added, including the Knox Vault that stores encrypted personal data in its own separate and secure storage.

This is a great feature that we’re surprised it’s taken this long to implement, given how often devices need to be repaired. What do you think – are you a fan of ‘repair mode’, and do you do a hard reset of your phone every time it needs to be fixed? Sound off in the comments below.