Critical Galaxy S10 Android 10 beta update out, fixes device lock issue

Firmware

Samsung has released an Android 10 hotfix beta update for the Galaxy S10 series for the critical issue that is causing devices to stop accepting the PIN, password, or pattern and locking users out. We reported this issue just a few hours ago, and Samsung is now pushing out an update to fix it. We can confirm the update is available in Germany and India, and it should also be rolling out in other markets where the One UI 2.0 beta program was launched given how important it is. The update has build number G97*FXXU3ZSL and is a roughly 135 MB download.

Unfortunately, the update won't do anything for those whose Galaxy S10e, S10, or S10+ has already run into the issue, as updates cannot be installed without unlocking the device. You will first have to flash back to Android Pie with Samsung Smart Switch, setup your device, this time without adding any sort of password, PIN, pattern, or biometrics, and then check for updates and install the Android 10 beta again. The beta update might not be available right away if you're on Pie and already enrolled into the beta program, so you might have to wait a while before you can install Android 10 again.

This particular Android 10 beta bug has made one thing clear: Beta software can mess things up at any time, and if you use your Galaxy S10 (or Note 10) for work or have data on it that you can't risk losing, you should wait for the stable Android 10 and One UI 2.0 update. However, we do hope Samsung will be more careful going forward. Such an issue has also cropped up before for devices that were running Android Pie, and while beta software comes with no guarantees, asking people to factory reset their device to get it working again even when they're not using beta software is unacceptable.

Have you received the hotfix Android 10 beta update on your Galaxy S10?

Abhijeet Mishra - Editor-in-Chief

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First Samsung device: SGH-D500

Abhijeet's writing career started with guides for custom firmware for Samsung devices (including the original Galaxy S), and he moved to SamMobile in mid-2013 and worked up the ranks to Editor-in-chief.