Some ideas are so obvious that people never think of them. Samsung’s upcoming ‘Repair Mode’, a feature that locks down a phone so that it can be remotely repaired, is one of them.

Let’s be clear here. You don’t have to lock up your phone in order to repair it. Folks have sent unsecured computers and phones in for repairs for decades. But the people working on your stuff are probably also poking around in there. It’s human nature to want to see what you’ve got stored. Maybe that missing Futurama episode is on there.

Repair Mode engaged

Samsung is launching its new Repair Mode in South Korea. At first. That’s according to documents found by SamMobile, which spends loads of time tracking what the company does. The feature allows users to choose which data to mark as off-limits — say, images, videos, and messages — before it’s sent for repairs.

That way, technicians have access to the software bits they need. The temptation to scroll through your photo roll is also eliminated. Not that they were going to do that, anyway. They’re not the CIA, FBI, or the USBP¹.

How the feature will work is: Users can navigate to Settings and then Battery and Device Care. The option to set certain bits of the phone off limits is there. The phone reboots and is then safe to send in for a screen or camera replacement, secure in the knowledge that your knowledge is secure.

Just don’t expect it on your phone. Not yet, anyway. It’ll come to the Galaxy S21 first. It’ll also come to South Korea first. Broader availability will become known at a later stage.

Source: SamMobile