Find out how the Security and Privacy functions of your Galaxy protect you in case your Smartphone falls into the possession of another person.
Our phones are constantly in our hands, but have you thought about how often they end up in other people’s hands? Whether it’s entertaining a kid, teaching a friend something fun, or sending it in for repair, we hand in our devices with surprising frequency. Every time we do this, we run the risk of allowing excessive access. A potential invasion of privacy, waiting to happen.
With Pin App and Maintenance Mode, you don’t have to worry about anyone snooping around. You decide what people can see and what they can’t, no matter who has your device in their hands. It’s like having a personal intercom for your phone.
Pin app:
There is a feeling when you hand your phone to someone to show them some photos. They can be photos from your vacation or something fun that you have saved. But then they accidentally open another app and see a photo or a message, or something else you didn’t intend to show them. It’s a horrible time, but Pin App can prevent it from happening again.
Think of App Pin as a personal gatekeeper for your apps, keeping people out where they’re not welcome. Instead, it keeps them exactly where they are supposed to be – in the app you activated via a pin – and nowhere else.
Pinning the app also acts as a Do Not Disturb signal, avoiding awkward pop-up notifications that risk showing private information when all you wanted to do was share a funny post on social media.
Setting up Pin App is quick and easy. Just go to Settings, then Security and Privacy. Next, scroll down and find More Security Settings, and you can turn on the switch for the Pin App feature or tap on the text to see more settings. For added security, you can choose “Ask for PIN before taking off,” so whoever has your phone will need a password to exit the pin-activated app.
Next, open the application you want to activate via pin. Tap the Recents button (or swipe up and hold if using swipe gestures), then tap the icon above the app. Select the “Pin this app” option and that’s it.
Settings > Security and Privacy > More Security settings > Pin app.
Maintenance mode:
Many of us, at some point during our device’s lifecycle, will find ourselves sending our phone to a third-party repair service for that cracked screen or damaged charging port. Most of the time, we have to send our device for a long time to get it repaired, which comes with its own risks, including the possibility of third parties accessing private information on our devices.
Not even the most careful people can avoid accidents. When you send your phone in to get that broken screen or damaged charging port fixed, you have no idea who can access your data.
This is where Samsung Maintenance Mode can be used.[1] It is specifically designed to protect and hide your personal data from being accessed when your device is no longer in your hands and is sent for any type of repair.
When you activate Maintenance Mode, you can set up a different user profile, ensuring that your main account and data remain private. This mode can be activated through the device Settings, where you tap Device Care before navigating and checking Maintenance Mode; or can be activated through the Samsung Members app.
Once Maintenance Mode is activated, you can hide all your personal data, including photos, videos, contacts and messages, and prevent any unauthorized access. It also ensures that no data is accidentally deleted from your device, for example by a technical service.[2] If you need to send your device for such repair activities, you can also ensure that those who access it will only have access to the basic functions of the device that allow them to perform the necessary service diagnosis.
Settings > Device Care > Maintenance Mode
Secure Folder:
Samsung Knox offers layers of security and privacy, not only to protect users, but also to give them the option to choose what they want to secure. PairFor those who want to keep their most personal information separate and secure, there is Secure Folder.
It’s a compartment that locks your data so it can’t be accessed through your phone’s normal storage. It allows you to save your most private data, such as calendars and contact information, as well as notes, photos, videos, files and even applications. You can even encrypt Secure Folder to keep your apps and data even more protected until the next time you open the folder.
You can find Secure Folder in your applications. The first time you open it, you will have to configure the lock type: PIN, pattern or password. Additionally, you can add fingerprint access. Anything you create within Secure Folder will automatically be stored here, but you can also move data here at any time.
For example, if you want to save a copy of your driver’s license, you can take a photo of it with the Camera app inside Secure Folder, or you can choose a photo in Gallery, tap the options menu (the three dots), then select “Move to Secure Folder”.
There are many things you can’t control, but when it comes to your privacy, Samsung wants to give you as much control as possible. With Pin application, Maintenance Mode and Secure Folder, you have that extra security from prying eyes.
Settings > Security and Privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder
