As part of the recent One UI 6 update, Samsung is giving Galaxy smartphone owners a new security tool called Auto Blocker to protect them from potentially malicious software.
Auto Blocker consists of three main functions, according to the announcement. First, it prevents apps from being sideloaded or installed ‘from unauthorized sources’. It is specifically intended to protect people from “social engineering attacks” where a scammer tries to convince you to install a malicious app. Samsung won’t completely disable sideloading on Galaxy smartphones as it admits there are benefits to the practice. It gives users the ability to customize their device to their liking and gives them more control over its functionality – assuming they sideload safely, of course.
To ensure that level of freedom, this particular feature is disabled by default. You have to go to the Galaxy phone’s settings menu to activate it.
Notable features
Next, Auto Blocker introduces app security checks to see if there is any “malicious activity” on your phone. However, it appears that US users will not have this tool, as the company states that it is currently not available “on US airline models.”
What everyone will receive is the ability to block commands coming from a USB cable. That may seem rather arbitrary, but as Samsung explains, it provides protection in situations where other people “may have physical access to (your) device, such as when charging a phone at an airport” or other public place.
Everything we’ve covered so far is part of the basic kit, but there are a few advanced options. Chief among them is the Message Guard upgrade.
Typically, Message Guard protects first-party apps against zero-click attacks, where attackers send messages infected with “malicious code” to targets. In the future, the tool will include texts sent from Messenger, Telegram, KakaoTalk and WhatsApp.
Availability
Users can also choose to prevent software updates via USB cable, which would provide extra security if a phone is plugged into an unknown USB port. What’s interesting is that this wasn’t mentioned in the text, but is shown in the announcement image. So it could be a hidden feature, which made us wonder: could there be more?
We reached out to the company to ask if there are any additional features not listed and if US users will receive the App Security Checkup soon. This story will be updated at a later date.
Auto Blocker is rolling out to all “Galaxy devices compatible with One UI 6”, including but not limited to the Galaxy S23 series, S22 series, Z Fold 5, and Z Flip 5. Stay tuned for the patch when it arrives.
If you’re looking to upgrade, Ny Breaking’s list of the best Samsung phones has a ton of recommendations.