American carrier Verizon has just released a maintenance update for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge in order to eliminate an annoying bug that causes the user’s personal data to be wiped out in the event that fingerprint recognition fails numerous times.
In a statement, Verizon said that the update has been developed specifically to eliminate a software bug causing the Factory Data Reset (FDR) following multiple attempts to unlock the device through its fingerprint recognition feature, reports Techno Buffalo.
Samsung’s software is designed to allow 10 fingerprint unlock attempts. If those all fail, then it should prompt users for their passcode or password instead.
However, there are some Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge units under Verizon where the prompt does not appear. Instead, the device would initiate an FDR by itself, causing the user’s personal data to be lost.
Once the users install the maintenance update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge under Verizon, they will get five passcode/password entry attempts after failing to unlock the device through fingerprint scanning.
It will only be after failing all 15 attempts that the smartphone shall initiate the FDR process to wipe out all the user’s personal data.
The logic is simple with the update. The person who has been given 15 ways to access a smartphone and still fails it only means one thing – he does not own the device. It could be that it was stolen or it was lost by the original owner, so in order to protect his identity and personal information, the FDR is activated.
The update comes to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge under Verizon over-the-air but users can also do a manual update via the smartphones’ Settings menu.
Marshmallow updates for Galaxy S6 Active
Meanwhile, a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S6 called as the Galaxy S6 Active, that is exclusively being retailed by American carrier AT&T since last year, has started receiving its Marshmallow update.
The update brings along the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, which weighs around 1.4GB. It also includes the Wi-Fi calling feature, in addition to the usual Marshmallow features such as Doze, Google now on Tap, and redesigned app permissions.
The Marshmallow update to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active under AT&T came via OTA but users were given the option to make a manual update via the device’s Settings menu, reports the GSM Arena.
The Android 6.0 Marshmallow firmware update has officially rolled out to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge in March this year so it is rather frustrating for users of the devices on the AT&T network that up until the middle of June, the update has yet to come to their handsets.
But finally, the long wait is over as the Android 6.0 Marshmallow arrived on the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge under AT&T late in June, making it the last of the big four American carriers to do so.
Great display feature
One of the great features of the flagship smartphone of Samsung last year, the Galaxy S6, is its Super AMOLED display that the Korean tech giant also uses on its HDTVs.
It is a stunning display that shows everything brighter, clearer, and more captivating on-screen, and also automatically adjusts to all light conditions.
Aside from its superb 5.1-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is also very powerful to use and quite beautiful to behold.
It features a slim and lightweight metal unibody and glass design that really makes a bold statement. Under the hood, it is powered by Samsung’s very own Exynos 7420 octa-core 64-bit processor that delivers the most power and speed that anyone has ever put in a smartphone as of last year.