Google Working on Bringing Upcoming Pixel’s Repair Mode to All Android-Powered Devices: Report

The new Repair Mode reduces the need to reset your device before handing it over to a service centre

Written by Sheldon Pinto, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 19 October 2023 16:26 IST

Google Working on Bringing Upcoming Pixel’s Repair Mode to All Android-Powered Devices: Report

Google recently launched its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in India

Highlights

Google is said to deliver its Repair Mode to Pixel via a feature drop
It now has plans to bring the feature natively to Android devices
The feature locks up data stored on the device once activated

Samsung not too long ago introduced a new feature called Maintenance Mode for its Galaxy devices. This mode can be used by the device owner and activated prior to handing over the device to a service technician at a service centre. The Maintenance Mode by Samsung basically creates a new user profile, locking the main user's data once the mode is activated. Samsung came up with this feature so that users will not need to backup and reset their smartphones when handing it over for service. This also reduces the need to log into a fresh device and setup everything all over again. According to a recent report, Google too is working on such a mode for its Pixel devices. But now it seems that Google is also working to add the feature natively to all of its Android-powered smartphones.

Called “Repair Mode” the code was spotted by Mishaal Rahman who claims that it will work natively and can be activated and deactivated by using the preferred authentication method set by the user. As per Rahman, Google's system works very differently compared to Samsung's Maintenance Mode.

While Samsung's Maintenance Mode creates a new user profile, Google's approach to the same basically simulates a factory reset. This is accomplished using a mechanism called Dynamic System Updates (DSU), which was introduced in Android 10. DSU basically makes it possible to boot without overwriting the existing installation, which preserves the user's data.

The swapping happens in the very next boot, which is when the original system is replaced by the new data image. It was only until Android 14, where it was possible to swap out just the data partition (like with a factory reset), leaving the original data intact. And this is probably what's happening when a user activates Repair Mode on a Pixel device.

According to Rahman, once Google activates the new Repair Mode in the source, smartphone makers will be able to decide if they want to use their own version of repair mode versus Google's soon to be native Repair Mode. As for the user, who hands over their phone for service, the technician servicing the phone will basically see a factory reset phone, which can then be used to test out hardware during a service. Google is expected to first release Repair Mode as a feature in the December Pixel feature drop.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Google, Android, Repair Mode, Google Pixel 8, Google Pixel 8 Pro

Sheldon Pinto

Email Sheldon Pinto

Sheldon Pinto is based in Mumbai, and has several years of experience in reviewing smartphones and gadgets. As a Senior Reviewer at Gadgets 360, you will always find him deeply immersed in his reviews, switching from one phone to another. When the battery dies out, Sheldon is always browsing the web for a good sci-fi movie or reading up on cars and bikes. He also loves creating lists of interesting places to eat and travel. Sheldon is available on Twitter at @shellshocd, and you can mail him at ...More