If you have an older Samsung Galaxy smartphone, hold off on updating for now and double-check that automatic updates are turned off. 9to5Mac (via Engadget) reports that Samsung is rolling out an update to its older Galaxy lineup that is bricking many devices. Unfortunately, it seems like the only way to fix this issue is to factory reset your phone. That way all your data will be erased.
9to5Mac explains that it may be caused by a specific SmartThings Framework update rather than a system-wide issue. This update messes up the boot loop during installation and prevents the phone from powering on. The publication discovered the issue when multiple users voiced their complaints on Reddit.
Affected devices include the Galaxy S10 series (S10, S10+, S10e, S10 Lite, S10 5G) and Galaxy Note 10 series (Note 10, Note 10+, Note 10 5G). Some users are also facing this issue with Samsung Galaxy M51 and Galaxy A90. The issue is not geographically limited, and has been reported by users in South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Australia, Belgium, France, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Germany.
However, the same Reddit thread now includes an update that says, “No more phones are affected as the update has been replaced with a new one.” However, it adds that it’s a good idea to keep automatic updates turned off for now. We also recommend backing up all your data for safety. To turn off auto-updates, go to the Settings app, go to Apps, select Galaxy Store, press Galaxy Store Settings, and set Auto-update apps to Never. I will.
If you are unfortunate enough to break your device, it is best to seek professional assistance. ApparentlyAt Samsung Service Center, you can: You can resolve this issue without incurring data loss that would occur if you performed a factory reset yourself.
If you don’t care about data loss and want to restore your phone as soon as possible, you can do it in the following ways: On the Galaxy S10 series, press and hold the Bixby and Volume Up buttons, press and hold the Power button, and release when you see the Samsung logo on the screen. On Galaxy Note 10 series, press and hold the power button and volume up button at the same time. Doing this will put your phone into recovery mode. Then use the volume buttons to scroll to “Wipe data” and use the power button to select it. Confirm the reset and click Restart system now.
