When a new One UI version is released, it’s normal for older updated phones not to get all its features.
That’s why it didn’t surprise me when my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, running One UI 9, was missing a couple of the features that come with the new software skin.
Ordinarily, I’d go on about my day, not really thinking much about it. However, one particular missing feature caught my attention.
It’s a security feature that prevents thieves from breaking into your device. To get this feature, Samsung says you’d have to perform a full factory reset on your device.
I don’t know about anyone else. But as for me, I’m not risking all the data on my phone, backed up or not, to get a few missing features.
At the same time, I wasn’t willing to give up on the feature. So, I looked through my phone settings and found a similar feature.
One UI 9 gives guessers 13 tries, then locks the door
Even the owner needs a factory reset to get back in
Like most Android phones in the last decade, One UI 9 makes it impossibly difficult to brute-force your way into a Galaxy phone.
It does this by adding time intervals between wrong attempts to unlock the phone. For context, here are the wait times after each wrong guess on One UI 9:
| Wrong guess | Lockout |
|---|---|
| 5th | 1 minute |
| 6th | 5 minutes |
| 7th | 15 minutes |
| 8th | 30 minutes |
| 9th | 90 minutes |
| 10th | 4 hours |
| 11th | 12 hours |
| 12th | 24 hours |
| 13th | Permanently locked (factory reset needed) |
On older Androids and Galaxy phones, this feature was usually turned off by default. If you wanted it, you had to turn it on in Settings. However, devices that ship with One UI 9 have this feature enabled by default.
Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer capping guesses in default settings. iPhones require a full reset after 10 wrong guesses. Google, on the other hand, limits it to 20 wrong tries.
So, if anything, manufacturers are clearly taking steps to make their smartphones more secure. That’s why I was taken aback to see such a stern security feature becoming the default on Samsung phones.
Updated Galaxy phones don’t get the lock screen security policy
Samsung keeps your old lock rules unless you reset
My S24 Ultra launched in 2024 with One UI 6.1, and the One UI 9 update only reached the device in October 2026.
That means my device didn’t get the new lock screen security policy. And according to Samsung, the only way to get the feature is to reset my phone.
I chose to find an alternative. It was especially useful for me because my screen lock is a PIN, which has statistically been shown to be more vulnerable to brute-force attacks and guessing.
If your lock screen is a complex password with letters, numbers, and symbols, you’re at much less risk than I was. Still, you might want to take the extra steps to protect your device.
I found my backup plan hiding in Secure lock settings
After 20 wrong guesses, it wipes the phone clean
Auto factory reset is a Galaxy setting that erases your phone after a set number of incorrect attempts to unlock it.
The feature has been on Galaxy phones since S7. However, it stays off until you turn it on. In many ways, it’s similar to the new lock screen security policy.
After 20 incorrect attempts to unlock your phone, it erases all the data on the phone, including the files and settings.
To turn on Auto factory reset, follow these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Lock screen and AOD.
- Tap Secure lock settings.
- Turn on the Auto factory reset toggle.
After you turn on Auto factory reset, anyone who gets hold of your phone can wipe it with wrong guesses, and kids can accidentally trigger it. So, make sure you properly back up everything on your device.
I won’t reset my phone for a feature, but I will to stop a thief
I refused to factory reset my phone to get One UI 9’s new lock screen security policy. But then, I activated a setting that can wipe my phone anyway. For me, there’s a big difference between the two cases.
In one scenario, I’d reset my phone just to get a few cool features I don’t necessarily need. In the other case, my phone would be erased because someone tried to brute-force their way into it.
That is not to say that you should do the same. Turning on the feature comes with its own downsides. No one wants to wake up to an erased phone because their kid played around with their device all night.
So, if you’re considering activating the feature, take your time to weigh the risks against the potential upsides before making any moves.
