Resetting your phone before bringing it in for repairs is a normal procedure to avoid the possibility of private information (such as images or accounts) falling into the wrong hands. The need to back up your data beforehand and restore it later adds to the hassle of getting your device fixed.
Sometimes people find it too unconvincing and either erase the device completely or give it for repair with their personal data, which a lot of times results in data leaks. To get rid of this hassle as well as the privacy & security concerns, Samsung has come up with a solution called Repair Mode.
This new feature will be available in the Battery and Device Care section of the Settings menu. Activating it will reboot your device. The mode will conceal all personal information once it is activated, including images, texts, accounts, and even apps (only the default installed apps will be active). In essence, the phone will appear to have been reset.
You can use a fingerprint or pattern lock to turn off Repair Mode when repairs are complete and you pick up your phone. This will restart the phone once more, but this time, all of your data will be fully accessible. All modifications made by the technician during the repair will also be undone.
The Galaxy S21 series will get Repair Mode first via a software update. According to Samsung, it will “extend it to several additional models in the future.” However, since the press release was posted only on Samsung’s Korean site only, it appears that the feature might be initially exclusive to South Korea.
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(Source)
