If you own a Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10+ and it still works, count yourself lucky. The latest update is managing to lock some owners out of their handsets, and the only fix is to perform a factory reset.

As ZDNet reports, the problem occurs with the latest update being pushed to the S10 line. Once installed, some users are being asked for a PIN code to be entered, in some cases where a PIN was never created by the user. Even if you enter a PIN the phone simply restarts and requests the PIN again.

Complaints have appeared on both Reddit and the Samsung community site. A fix does exist, but unfortunately it's one that nobody wants to use. That's because it involves performing a factory reset meaning losing everything and starting with a fresh phone. Rydah, a Samsung care ambassador, confirmed as much on the Samsung support forums and the issue was then tagged as solved by the user.

For now, the reset seems to be the only solution provided by Samsung care ambassadors for people who just want to get their phone working again. So if you have an update pending for your Galaxy S10 ($727.79 at Amazon) or S10+ ($614.50 at Amazon) , then it's probably best to wait before deciding to install it. Until Samsung gets to the bottom of why it's demanding a PIN after install, fixes the update, and stops requiring a factory reset for those who have installed it, there really is no point taking the risk.

Further Reading

Mobile Phone Reviews