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ZDNET Highlights
- Android includes a special mode specifically for repair.
- This mode is available for Pixel and Samsung phones.
- Your phone must be running at least Android 14.
Over the weekend, something fascinating happened – and not in a good way.
This happened on Saturday, when I found out that the March security fix had been released. I immediately checked the update and, lo and behold, it was ready to be applied. I’m always excited when it’s time for an update for Android.
This time I should have hesitated.
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After the update downloaded, I restarted my phone so it could be applied. When the phone finally rebooted, disaster struck. Android couldn’t recognize my SIM. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the OS to see that I did, in fact, have a working SIM card installed.
I could connect to the wireless network, but not to my carrier. I rebooted. I disabled and re-enabled networking. I did everything I could think of.
And then I remembered repair mode. Suddenly, I booted into repair mode, but found that Android could see the SIM card when running in this particular mode. Once I found out that the SIM was actually visible, I rebooted into repair mode. Android recognized that a SIM card was installed, and everything was back to normal.
About. Google still needs to work out some issues in this poor upgrade. That’s not the point here.
What I want to talk about is Repair Mode. What is it, and what does it do?
What is Android Repair Mode?
Have you ever taken your Android phone to a third-party service for repair? The last time I did this was a few years ago, when my Pixel’s screen broke. Before picking up the phone, I did a factory reset, because I wasn’t going to hand my device over to someone I didn’t know and give that person the “keys to my kingdom.”
Upon getting my phone back, I had to start the process of setting everything back up, which isn’t difficult. It’s just exhausting.
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Now, imagine that Android has a special mode you can boot into that will allow the repair shop to do its job, without you having to factory reset the device. You boot into that mode, and you don’t have to worry that anyone will be able to access your installed apps or data.
This is the gist of Android’s repair mode.
Repair mode (or, as it’s called on Samsung devices, maintenance mode) sets up a sandboxed, temporary profile on your phone (on a separate, newly created partition) that protects your personal information by locking down your data, while allowing a technician to access all of the phone’s functionality. With Repair Mode on, your phone can be used normally, except without access to your personal files and data.
If you ever have to hand your phone in for repair, consider this feature.
requirements
To use Android Repair Mode, your device must be running Android 14 or later on a Pixel or Samsung phone and have at least 2GB of available storage space. If you use repair mode when sending or dropping off your device for repair, I would strongly recommend that you remove your SIM first.
Even though repair mode doesn’t give Android access to your data, if you put your SIM in, it will have access to your carrier network. You wouldn’t want someone to use your phone number for nefarious reasons.
When should you use repair mode?
Repair Mode’s primary use case is when your device needs repair, which includes both drop-off and mail-in options. The good thing about this mode is that even a repair technician cannot switch back to normal mode without your PIN or password.
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You can also use repair mode if someone needs to borrow your phone for a long period. Although this was not the purpose of this mode, it is an option.
How to switch to repair mode
Before doing this, I recommend backing up your data to be safe.
How you switch to repair mode depends on whether you have a Pixel or Samsung phone. Here are the steps for each:
- Pixel: Go to Settings > System > Repair Mode and tap Enter Repair Mode. You will be asked to enter your PIN or password.
- Samsung: To enable Samsung’s Maintenance Mode, go to Settings > Battery & device care > Maintenance Mode.
Once you get your phone back, disable the Repair or Maintenance mode by pulling down the notification shade and tapping Exit. You will be asked for your PIN or password before the phone returns to normal mode.
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Use Repair Mode whenever you need to hand your phone in for repair, so you don’t have to worry about your data being viewed or stolen.
