Samsung One UI 9 triggers Android lockdown mode from power menu
▼ Summary
– Samsung removed the “lockdown” button from One UI 9’s power menu, and the feature now activates automatically when the menu is dismissed.
– The lockdown feature locks the phone and disables biometric security, requiring a PIN, pattern, or password for access.
– The power menu in One UI 9 replaces the “Lockdown” option with “Medical info.”
– The change allows users to enable lockdown without manually selecting it, though it remains unclear if it will appear in the stable One UI 9 release.
– The feature is currently live in One UI 9 beta 2, based on Android 17, as reported by SammyFans and corroborated by Reddit users.
Samsung has quietly removed the manual lockdown toggle from the One UI 9 power menu, forcing the security feature to activate automatically every time the menu is dismissed. The change, first spotted in the One UI 9 beta based on Android 17, eliminates user choice in favor of a default lockdown state.
For years, Samsung Galaxy users could access lockdown by holding the power button or pressing the volume up and power keys together. That menu also included power options and the emergency SOS shortcut. Pressing lockdown would lock the device and disable biometric security, requiring a PIN, pattern, or password for any access. It was a powerful safeguard, often considered a last-resort measure that could also be triggered remotely through Google’s Find My Device network.
Now, according to reports from SammyFans and corroborated by Reddit users, One UI 9 beta 2 removes the lockdown button entirely from the power menu. In its place, users see a “Medical info” option. The moment the power menu closes, the phone automatically enters lockdown mode. This means fingerprint and facial recognition are immediately disabled, and only a PIN, pattern, or password will unlock the device. No other biometric methods are accepted.
The shift is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it ensures lockdown is always active, removing the risk of forgetting to enable it. On the other, it strips users of the choice to bypass the feature when they want quick access to their phone after a simple power menu dismissal. Whether this automatic lockdown design survives into the stable One UI 9 release remains uncertain, but for now, it is live in the beta.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
