I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S7 ATT version (SM-930A) using Android 7.0. I familiarized myself with the new features and layout of Android 7.0 and felt comfortable with them. I even decided to try out the PRIVATE MODE feature to see how that worked. I setup a password and entered it accurately into my password manager which is accessible on all my devices and computers. I tested the password and was able to turn PRIVATE MODE on and off without any problem.
As expected, software updates were allowed as they usually don't cause any problems. The first software update completed without any issues and didn't change my Android version. A check of apps and features showed that everything survived intact and working. A month later another software update was completed without any issues and again didn't change my Android version. I checked all my apps and most, not all, features. Everything seemed fine. A few weeks later I tried to turn PRIVATE MODE on. To my surprise, the password that had worked and had NOT been changed no longer worked.
I've searched this forum and it appears that is no way to reset PRIVATE MODE access when problems arise. It appears that I will have to perform a FACTORY RESET and start from the beginning. My question is: "Is it COMMON for a SOFTWARE UPDATE to scramble or delete the PRIVATE MODE password?
Luckily the only things I "protected" were some photos which were not backed up before they were protected. No great loss. But this apparent bug where PRIVATE MODE access is damaged by a software update has rendered the PRIVATE MODE feature useless now.
While I understand the manufacturer's decision to make PRIVATE MODE non-resettable, which keeps them from getting involved in user malpractice, perhaps some form of USER BACKUP would be helpful. By that I mean, have the user create more than one password or form of access and store the details in different places so if one gets scrambled or deleted, the other can be tried.
It's one thing to understand and accept that many users fail to record passwords and not want to get involved in that type of oversight. It's another to create a valuable feature that can be easily damaged and not have any remedy, even for users who do the right thing and properly manage passwords.
As a result of the recent software update making it impossible for me to turn on PRIVATE MODE, I can no longer trust this Android feature. That is a shame.
May you all enjoy better luck in the future.
Galaxadroid
S7 User in FL
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