This Samsung Galaxy feature can protect you from untrustworthy apps

What happened

Epic Games even filed a lawsuit against Samsung a couple of years ago, arguing that this very feature made downloading third-party apps unnecessarily difficult. Samsung's Auto Blocker protects your Galaxy phone from security threats, but it does have drawbacks.

Here's what it does and when you might want to turn it off. News This Samsung Galaxy feature can protect you from untrustworthy apps Samsung's Auto Blocker keeps threats at bay, but it can also get in your way.

17, 2026 12:00 pm EST Yarrrrrbright/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone running One UI 6.0 or later, you may have a built-in security feature called Auto Blocker working in the background without even realizing it. Enabled by default on devices that ship with One UI 6.1.1 or later, it filters out apps, USB commands and messages that could put your device at risk without you even having to lift a finger.

For most people, that's a super useful layer of protection in a world where threats are extremely common and can come from apps, a public charging cable or images you get in a text. But Auto Blocker isn't without its complications, especially for users who like to sideload apps, work with developer tools or install software from outside the Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store.

Understanding what Auto Blocker actually does and what it doesn't can help you make a smarter decision about whether to keep it on, turn it off or somewhere in between. Framesira/Shutterstock Auto Blocker is a built-in security feature available on Galaxy devices using One UI 6 or higher.

Its main job is to stop app installation from outside the Google Play Store or Samsung's Galaxy Store, efficiently closing off one of the most common ways malware (software written to damage a system or steal from it) ends up on a phone.