Samsung owners warned over shock bug that exposes ‘private photos’ as tech giant races to ‘pull update off the air’
SAMSUNG owners have been warned of yet another bug that allows their private photos and videos to be exposed, even in locked folders.
It affects Samsung’s Secure Folder, which lets users keep snaps, clips, files and apps hidden from other people.
But SamMobile discovered a flaw in the system over the weekend, amid reports Samsung has paused the rollout of its newest software update.
“Samsung has pulled the One UI 7 update off the air for reasons unknown,” the outlet reported.
“We can’t confirm if this is why Samsung pulled One UI 7 from the servers, but it might be one of them.“
The Gallery feature inside Secure Folder in One UI 7 can reportedly make private pictures visible outside of the locked folder through auto-generated Stories.
The Stories feature gives users a slideshow of their photos and videos.
When the Gallery app inside Secure Folder generates a story, your phone will receive a notification outside of Secure Folder.
By tapping the notification, users can see all its contents, even outside of the Secure Folder.
To avoid this issue, you will have to manually disable auto-created Stories in your phone settings.
You can do that by opening the Gallery app inside Secure Folder, tap the Menu button, access Settings, and turn off Auto create stories.
The flaw may affect Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, or Galaxy S25 phones running One UI 7.
Just last month, a Reddit user rang the alarm over another security flaw affecting the Secure Folder.
The Android 15-based One UI 7 update started rolling out to devices last week after months of delays.
However, Samsung appears to have halted the global rollout due to a “serious bug”, Android Authority reported, citing well-known leaker Universe Ice.
If you’ve already installed One UI 7 on your Galaxy phone, it’s likely you will soon receive another update patching whatever issue Samsung has found.
The Sun has contacted Samsung for comment.
Samsung charging tip – how to charge best
Here's Samsung's official advice...
To get the most out of your smartphone’s battery, you’ll need to charge it properly.
Most Smartphones have a lithium-ion battery that lives longer when charged regularly.
Unlike the nickel batteries used in older phones, lithium-ion batteries do best when kept above a 50 percent charge.
Repeatedly allowing the battery to drain fully may shorten its life and decrease its overall capacity.
If this happens, you’ll need to charge the battery more frequently and it may last only a few hours before needing a charge, for example.
Leaving the phone connected to the charger (when the phone is completely charged) while you are using it may lower battery life if you do it repeatedly.