Samsung pilots a new Repair Mode for its smartphones in South Korea

There are a number of ways to wipe all personal data from an Android smartphone; then again, there are some conditions under which the user may not be able to enact them or make sure that they work, a broken and unresponsive screen being one of them. For customers with this kind of concern, Samsung is making an effort, starting with its new Repair Mode.

The new option is located under Settings > Battery and Device Care within One UI, and blocks access to all personally-added information on the phone in question, images, files, and app settings included. Samsung claims that only the user can reverse it by exiting the mode again, rebooting the device and unlocking it using the fingerprint or lockscreen pattern as appropriate.

Therefore, an owner may feel more secure in sending a smartphone off for repair if necessary. Then again, Samsung has only rolled the new Mode out to Galaxy S21-series devices in the South Korean market. Therefore, it might need positive reception (and good feedback on how well it works) for it to hit more units from additional generations in further locations.

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