Menu

SAMSUNG GALAXY

How to use Maintenance mode on a Samsung Galaxy before a repair

By Updated 14 November 20264 min read

Device: Galaxy S26 · Software: One UI 9 · Checked October 2026

Real screenshot · Galaxy S26, One UI 9

In short

Open Settings, Device care, Maintenance mode and tap Turn on. The phone needs a screen lock first; Swipe does not count. Samsung says the phone then restarts with your photos, messages and accounts hidden. To leave, tap the Maintenance mode notification, then Exit and Restart.

Handing a phone to a repair shop usually means handing over everything on it. Maintenance mode lets the technician test the phone while your own data stays locked away. Samsung says it needs One UI 5 or later.

6 of 6 steps show a real screenshot from our Galaxy S26.

Steps

0 of 6 steps
  1. 1

    Check your screen lock

    Maintenance mode needs a PIN, pattern or password. Open Settings, Lock screen and AOD and look at Screen lock and biometrics; ours said Swipe, which is not enough.

    Android screenshot: Check your screen lock
  2. 2

    Open Device care

    Open Settings and tap Device care. The top card shows how the phone is doing; ours said Great! Your phone is running smoothly.

    Android screenshot: Open Device care
  3. 3

    Tap Maintenance mode

    Scroll down to Additional care. Maintenance mode is the last row, after Software update and Diagnostics.

    Android screenshot: Tap Maintenance mode
  4. 4

    Read what it does

    Under How Maintenance mode keeps you safe, the page says only preinstalled apps are available, and pictures, messages and accounts can't be accessed. You'll need to unlock the phone to turn it off.

    Android screenshot: Read what it does
  5. 5

    Back up, then tap Turn on

    The page recommends a backup in case data is lost during the repair, and offers Temporary cloud backup and External storage backup. Then tap Turn on.

    Android screenshot: Back up, then tap Turn on
  6. 6

    Set a screen lock if it asks

    With no PIN, pattern or password, Turn on shows Set a screen lock first, with Cancel and Set screen lock. Tap Set screen lock, choose a PIN, pattern or password, and tap Turn on again. Samsung says the phone then restarts in Maintenance mode.

    Android screenshot: Set a screen lock if it asks

If you do not see this option

If this does not work

  • Turn on stops at Set a screen lock first Swipe or None is not a screen lock here. Set a PIN, pattern or password first. Samsung also says phones with 64GB of storage need 1.5GB free, and phones with more storage need 500MB free.
  • You cannot leave Maintenance mode Samsung says to tap the Maintenance mode notification, then Exit and Restart, and enter your PIN, pattern or password. Have it ready.
  • Something done during the repair has gone This is expected. Samsung says apps and other services created during Maintenance mode are deleted when you turn it off.
  • Screen broken, so you cannot turn it on? Samsung's page links to a separate guide with other backup options when the touchscreen does not work or the screen cannot be seen.

Good to know

The technician can use the phone and its built-in apps for tests. Your downloaded apps are hidden.

Back up first anyway. The phone may still need a factory reset or its storage replaced during the repair.

Samsung explains that Maintenance mode creates a separate user account for whoever services the phone, and that apps and services created in it are deleted when you exit. Temporary cloud backup keeps your data for 30 days, and files over 100GB cannot be included. You can also exit from Settings, Device care, Maintenance mode.

About this guide

Device
Android
Shown on
Samsung Galaxy S26 (SM-S942N, Korean model), One UI 9, Android 17 (build S942NKSS4BZIG)
App
Settings
Path
Settings › Device care › Maintenance mode
Real screenshots
6 of 6 steps
Checked
October 2026
Sources
1 official, linked below

The screenshots are from our Samsung Galaxy S26, the Korean model SM-S942N, with One UI 9 and Android 17 (build S942NKSS4BZIG), in Dark mode. Samsung says which settings you get can depend on your network and software version. Our phone had no screen lock, so Turn on stopped at Set a screen lock first; the restart and exit follow Samsung's guide.

What changed: every step re-shot on our own Galaxy S26 (Korean model SM-S942N) on One UI 9, dark mode, with the steps rewritten for the One UI 9 screens.

Sources

Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.

What to do next

Before you repair, sell or swap your Galaxy Step 4 of 4

  1. How to back up an Android phone to your Google AccountBack up everything first.
  2. How to move phone contacts to your Google account on a Samsung GalaxyMake sure your contacts are in your Google account.
  3. How to export contacts on a Samsung Galaxy (to a file or the SIM)Keep a spare copy of your contacts as a file.

Did this guide work for you?