S9+ Fails to Unlock After Latest Pie OTA Update

[ThorB]

Hey all,
My phone updated today and ever since I cannot move past the initial lock screen. When unlocked, the UI appears to crash and send me back to the lock screen. A video of this can be found here:

I have tried the standard fixes like wiping the cache partition and booting into safe mode, but these don't seem to make any difference.

The phone is running PPR1.180610.011/G965FXXU2CSA8

On the phones internal memory is a bunch of photos from a recent trip to Japan, I'm a fool for not backing these up sooner but I would hate to lose them.

Has anybody experienced anything like this before, and is there any way for me to get back into the phone, or atleast recover the photos that I took?

Thanks!

 

[mustang7757]

go to find my mobile Samsung.com
log into your account used for that phone then gives u ability to unlock your device

 

[mustang7757]

go to find my mobile Samsung.com
log into your account used for that phone then gives u ability to unlock your device

Screen shot

 

[mustang7757]

and you can back up your device

 

[ThorB]

Thanks for the advice mustang, unfortunately I never logged into my Samsung account on the device. I only recently got it and never bothered setting up any of the Samsung apps so this isn't an option for me. I have tried the same using the Google Find My Phone feature as I am logged into my Google account but the latest version doesn't have the option to unlock.

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks for the advice mustang, unfortunately I never logged into my Samsung account on the device. I only recently got it and never bothered setting up any of the Samsung apps so this isn't an option for me. I have tried the same using the Google Find My Phone feature as I am logged into my Google account but the latest version doesn't have the option to unlock.

No problem..
You have a big issue now , your not signed into your Samsung account.
My only other advice is check XDA for advice see if your to extract your photos before a factory reset is done maybe they can help.

 

[ThorB]

Ah good idea, I never thought to try there. It does look like I am going to have to do something exceptional to try and recover them. I am not too familiar with flashing OS upgrades/downgrades to the phone, but at a glance it doesn't seem possible without wiping all user data.

Thanks again!

 

[gizzyman]

this isnt a US phone is it?

 

[ThorB]

I don't believe so, model number is SM-G965F, so it should be ROW with an Exynos Processor.

 

[TwitchyPuppy]

I hope you had some sort of backup enabled, like Google.

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

have you tried connecting the phone to your pc to copy the photos?

 

[ThorB]

Google backup was enabled, but unfortunately not in the Photos app. I have tried connecting to PC, but without unlocking I am unable to allow access to any of the files on the phone.

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

it looks like the samsung launcher is crashing.
try this: log on to your google account on your pc and go to https://play.google.com/store and install a launcher like nova or apex.
playstore will ask you what device you want the app installed on and you chose your phone.
the app will be installed on your phone. then after you enter the pin on your lock screen quickly press the home button and it will ask you what launcher you want to use and then chose the launcher you installed from playstore.

 

[ThorB]

Very nice idea, I gave it a go with Nova but the home button, along with everything else it seems, is completely unresponsive immediately after putting my pin in.

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

ok try restarting the phone. that might trigger the default launcher question popup.
if not you can try installing smart switch on your pc and do an emergency firmware recovery but that might wipe the phone... i don't know.

 

[ThorB]

Thanks for your efforts luclanus, still no ball with the launcher even after a restart and SmartSwitch requires my phone to be unlocked while connected to do anything. I could try connecting to smartswitch in download mode, but I assume flashing any new firmware would delete all user data.

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

i see you have the phone and camera apps on the lock screen. have you tried opening them?

 

[ThorB]

Yeah, camera application opens and works, though trying to access the gallery, Bixby Vision or any other unlock-only features yields the same issue. Contacts is inaccessible without unlocking.

Currently I am looking at the possibility of sideloading an OTA update using adb and recovery mode, but because I assume this is the latest update causing the issue, I can't find any succeeding ones available. I can't even find the files for this update anywhere online.

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

you can find the firmware on sammobile.com but i think flashing that will wipe the phone.

 

[mustang7757]

you will wipe the device if you flash or sideload