Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Samsung Find app was recently updated and includes a feature for the Galaxy Ring.
- The feature is called “Lost mode.”
- The user will be able to use Lost mode to make the smart ring blink or lock your Samsung account.
While you wait for the launch of Samsung’s highly anticipated Galaxy Ring, we have some news to help tide you over. It appears the smart ring could have some loss prevention and security features you won’t find on its biggest competitor.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
The Samsung Find app — the app that helps users find misplaced Galaxy smartphones, tablets, watches, earbuds, S Pens, and other devices — recently got an update after more than a month. While investigating the update, we discovered strings of code referencing a feature called “Lost mode” for the Galaxy Ring.
Code
<string name="lost_mode_guide_description_ring">Lost mode helps protect your ring while it's missing.</string>
<string name="message_default_ring">I lost my ring. Please help me find it.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_error_ring">Couldn't connect to Ring to start blinking.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_ready_ring">Tap start to make the light on your ring blink.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_ringing_ring">Ring light is blinking.</string>
<string name="pairing_lock_description_ring">This ring will be locked to your Samsung account. No one else will be able to use it.</string>According to the strings, it appears a user will be able to turn Lost mode on via the app. If you can’t find the ring without help, the app will give you the option to turn on a light that’s embedded in the ring and have it start blinking. The app will also tell the user if the light is blinking or if it is unable to connect with the ring to trigger the blinking. Additionally, it seems Lost mode will allow users to lock their Samsung accounts from the app so no one else can use the ring or access your information.
This feature would be pretty handy if you were ever in the unfortunate position of misplacing your smart ring. It’s also something that would set it apart from what Oura offers with its competitor hardware.
As Oura explains on its support page, if you lose your Oura Ring, it will enter into Restricted Mode when attempting to pair with a new device. Restricted Mode causes the Oura App to prompt you to factory reset the smart ring. Factory resetting erases the data since your last sync, but historical data before your last sync is still available.
As this is an APK teardown, it’s unclear if/when the feature could roll out. But we would imagine it would likely be ready around the time the Galaxy Ring launches. That launch date is still a mystery, but rumors point to a significant Samsung launch on July 10, so it might be then.
