Android 14 offers a “Repair” mode that users can activate when they hand their smartphone over to a repair shop. This special mode automatically hides all user data, protecting the device from anyone who is a little too curious. It should be available quickly in Android 14 compatible Pixels, although the open source version should also benefit from it, allowing any manufacturer to integrate a similar mode.
Photo Ashkan Forouzani.
The way this repair mode works is quite clever, as notably described by Android Authority. The user’s data is not deleted, it remains stored on the device but is hidden behind a new empty temporary partition. From the troubleshooter’s perspective, it is as if the phone were reset to factory mode, the operating system would be available for him to test all the device’s functions, but he would not have access to any real data.
To deactivate repair mode, the user must enter an alphanumeric code entered during activation. If necessary, Android 14 backs down by deleting the temporary partition and restoring the one with the data. This measure is intended to simplify the work of repairers by preventing them from having to restore the smartphones that fall into their hands and avoiding the risk of curious technicians. Which isn’t all that uncommon, if a study conducted by CBC in collaboration with the University of Guelph in Ontario is to be believed.
Together they delivered devices with fake problems and, most importantly, spyware, which were responsible for monitoring what was happening. Of the 16 devices that transmitted data correctly, no fewer than nine were used improperly by a technician. One copied content to a USB stick, another consulted the Facebook profile, others viewed images from the photo library… Suffice it to say, this is not very reassuring and a solution like the ones Google is implementing in Android 14 wants makes sense in this respect.
Apple offers nothing of the sort, but recommends that customers back up and especially restore devices before sending them in for repair. Samsung is a pioneer in this area thanks to the maintenance mode included in its own Android variant. The idea is good, let’s hope it will be widely used in the future.