Samsung update paralyzes Galaxy phones | heise online

Samsung has made several older Galaxy smartphones unusable with a faulty update. Affected devices get stuck in a boot loop, so they try to restart repeatedly. There is currently no satisfactory and simple solution to the problem.

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According to user reports on Reddit, phones from the Galaxy S10 and Note10 generations that came onto the market in 2019 are affected. Devices like the Galaxy M51 and A90 can also be affected. According to a translated statement from Samsung Korea, the error affects cell phones with Android 12. The distribution of the incorrect update has been stopped.

The faulty update affects Samsung’s SmartThings Framework, which can be used to control smart home devices. It has version number 2.2.02.1. According to user reports, there is now a new version with the number 2.2.03.1, which no longer contains the error. The problem: Once you get stuck in the boot loop, you can no longer install the new update.

Solutions

Samsung Korea’s statement does not offer an easy way out of this dilemma. It simply says that we are working on a solution. Affected users in South Korea were apparently able to visit a Samsung service center to have the problem resolved. Whether this also applies to markets outside of Korea remains to be seen. Heise online has asked Samsung and will update this article as soon as information is available.

In principle, owners of the affected cell phones have the option of resetting their device to factory settings and then downloading the revised update. This solves the problem, but can lead to the loss of unsecured data – so it is the last resort that many users want to take.

If you’re worried about data loss, it’s best to keep quiet until Samsung takes a clearer stance on the situation. It is possible that the boot loop problem can be solved without a factory reset.

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