According to tipster Ice Universe, Samsung has disabled Odin, a proprietary firmware flashing tool typically used to install stock firmware, install custom ROMs, and restore devices. It also appears that Samsung has removed “Download Mode,” which acts as a gateway for Odin. This change appears to have been made in the latest One UI 8.5 firmware and currently affects the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and recently launched Galaxy S26 series.
Sigh. I haven’t actually run a non-standard firmware for a while now, but I’m finding the mindset of a lot of these big companies exhausting, the relentless push for them to control every aspect of everything. Particularly when they’re charging huge amounts for the device and to my mind at least can’t claim they’ve somehow subsidised the hardware.
The only answer is regulation. We need laws that say, if you own a device, you can do anything you want to it, including wipe it, hack it, resell it, etc.
If they want to control your device, or lease it to you provided you pay a monthly fee, etc, they need to say “Lease”, “Rent” or similar, not buy.
And they shouldn’t be able to void your warranty for it - voids should be limited to the parts of the device you mess with. Like, if you flash your phone, they should be able to say, we can’t give you support, including how to re-install the original OS…but if your battery fails and it shocks you, they should have to replace the battery under a warranty.
We also need laws that say, if you pay for a device, that device itself, can’t have ads. So like, when talking about Android TV boxes, they can put recommendations on the homepage, but not ads, and those recommendations can’t be paid. Now, if you open youtube, they can make you watch ads.
Europeans should really push for that in EU. Then other countries and unions of countries can do the same
Best I can do is a bunch of age verification laws to take even more control away from you
There’s a special place in hell for those Republicans. It’s always the Pedo-Conservatives who want that.
I’ll compile my own linux kernel before I install OS level age verification.
Republicans are absolute scum but they only exist in the US and are not in charge of every state. This is a bipartisan push around the globe.
Can you write a guide on how to so others can learn how to (I would like to know how to compile an OS)
The more alternative companies/organizations/groups that do not do these garbage practices the better. Private non-stock unionized companies. Best if open-source hardware but that part would have to be community done
