Samsung confirms a software update wreaked havoc on older Galaxy smartphones
www.engadget.com
If you have an older Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you may want to hold off on the latest software update.
  • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nlEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Impacted devices can perform a factory reset to recover functionality

    So it’s not bricking them, then? Stupid that they didn’t catch this in testing but the phone still works fine. These gross exaggerations are exactly why people aren’t paying for news anymore. I swear to god we’re five years away from people saying a single app crashing is bricking their phones.

    It sucks for those affected, but I’m amazed at how many people will lose decades of their lives and access to critical services like banks because their phone stops working. This time it was an update, next time it’s a gust of wind blowing your phone out of your hand. Recovering from a factory reset is a pain but if it costs more than an evening, you’re setting yourself up for a failure in the very near future…

    Side note, when have you last checked if you still have the 2FA recovery codes from your most important accounts? Maybe spend half an hour this weekend to make sure you can still access your bank accounts and email when your house burns down with your phone inside of it!

    • OfficerBribe@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Soft bricked VS Hard bricked. Agree that it would be nicer to be more precise in headline, but both are technically under Bricked category.

      Regarding TOTP tokens, some time ago switched to Aegis app which allows token export in JSON which I store in Dropbox. I believe only thing that I would lose would be last photos that I have not backed up yet. And past Signal conversations which sometimes come useful.

      But for regular folks losing access to phone indeed seems like nightmare scenario for 2FA. I think MS Authenticatior backed tokens to your OneDrive if you enabled it in settings. Often these less secure options are good tradeoff for usability.

      Practically all my previous phones were either lost or stolen so it will be inevitable some day. Almost lost my current one year ago due to being drunk, luckily got it back.