Samsung is enforcing its “Auto Blocker” feature on its latest Galaxy smartphones such as the Z Fold6 and the Flip6. The feature, which has been a part of Galaxy UI since the Android 14 (One UI 6) update, aims to enhance security by preventing users from sideloading Android apps on its devices, by default.
The program’s initial focus is preventing malware and USB hijacking, which includes restrictions on sideloading with the latest One UI 6.1.1 update. This setting is enabled by default but it can be turned off during the device’s setup process, allowing you to bypass the restriction if needed.
To disable it, go to your smartphone’s Settings, look for “Security and privacy” and tap Auto Blocker to toggle it off. Once disabled, you can revert to Android’s default sideloading behaviour, where each app can be individually permitted to sideload.
As a quick primer, Auto Blocker is designed to accommodate data backups through Smart Switch. This means that if users restore data from an older version of Android’s One UI where Auto Blocker was disabled, the feature will remain enabled in the updated version, providing a sense of continuity for users transferring certain settings and apps.
The company has plans to apply this feature to a number of its devices, including various Samsung foldables and Galaxy S models. Phones that are running on older versions of One UI will remain unaffected by this update, at least in the immediate future.
(Source: AndroidAuthority, 9to5Google)
Haikal Nazri contributed to this article.
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