One UI 7 - Missing bluetooth icon (and others)

[mr-tech]

When you connect your bluetooth earphones/headphones, you want to know whether they are connected to prevent accidental playback of audio out loud. 

It used to be easy to glance at the top of the screen to see this information with the bluetooth icon. Now I have to swipe down to the quick access menu to see if it is connected.

Sometimes I accidentally leave bluetooth on after putting my earphones or headphones away. Now there's no icon to remind me that it is still enabled, wasting battery.

If I forget to set my alarm for the next morning, the absence of the alarm clock symbol would remind me. Now there is no symbol for when the alarm is enabled.

QuickStar used to allow these icons to be customised. Sadly this app no longer functions properly when trying to enable some icons including bluetooth. 

What motivation could Samsung possibly have for preventing these icons from being re-enabled in the QuickStar app, even if they decided to disable them by default for aesthetics and ergonomics?

Please, please allow all icons to be customised in the QuickStar app if nothing else.

Furthermore, a similar issue occured where secure folder notifications started appearing after the older One UI 6 update stating that the folder is locked, in essence giving any thief or unauthorised persons knowledge of both the folders' existence and the fact is it being used, even when the "hide secure folder" is enabled, which is designed to make the folder hidden or discreet. This notification at startup will not swipe away unless the folder is unlocked, defeating the purpose of the discreteness of it.

I raised this issue with Samsung last year, but of course nothing has been done about it. I don't hold up much hope for these One UI 7 changes becoming customisable as they were in One UI 6. Not to mention the new location of the app menu search bar at the bottom which is not changeable, and the music player at the bottom of the lock screen which is much smaller than it used to be.

[Joeeye]

To answer your first question, no it doesn't. It does however address your concerns with the notification issue you have.

[mr-tech]

So you're saying that decrypting a secure folder at startup, I.e. making anyone with the device capable of accessing the data on it, in order for a notification of it's existence to disappear is just a trade off from one insecurity to another. How can something that is decrypted at startup possibly be secure, or am I just missing something?

[Joeeye]

Nope, because that isn't the case in any way. If they have access to your secure folder, knowingly, then that message means squat. Your argument is completely flawed. They still need to bypass your biometrics or passcode, so either way, if they have this access in the first place, they already know about your secure folder. Doesn't really take a genius level to think this through.

[mr-tech]

You're completely missing the point I think.
You have 2 options
1. Disable encryption on the secure folder in lieu of not having a notification about its existence. Anyone who knows about the folder who gets your phone can access the files on the secure folder provided they can access the files on your phone (because it is decrypted at startup) EVEN if you don't give them the password.
2. Encrypting the folder causes a notification to be shown about its existence which cannot be disabled. Anyone who gets access to your phone that didn't previously know about the folder will know about it now, and this may cause unnecessary questions to the user by, for example, family members, partner, law enforcement, customs etc.
So essentially you can either hide the folders existence but anyone with your phone who knows about it can gain access, or tell everyone about it so anyone with your phone can question you about what's on it. Why not both when before the One UI 6 update the notification could be disabled.

Your argument is flawed because you just want to back up Samsung to gain kudos with no financial reward to yourself.

[Joeeye]

If the person who has taken your phone has no idea about secure folder in the first place, they'll unlikely ever break in. It's no secret it's there, activated or not. You're making an argument to a situation that doesn't exist.

Let's explain this slowly, no one can access your secure folder without the proper credentials, hence secure. If they already have this access, then your compromised and they already about all your dirty little secrets. It's not really hard to grasp.

[mr-tech]

But you don't know who is going to access it do you? One day it might be your partner, no notification = they don't know about it and don't use it. Tomorrow it's your boss, he goes through your phone in total knowledge of the secure folder and decides to have a sneak around what you've been doing in there (because it was decrypted at startup). You are assuming the person who uses the secure folder will have foreknowledge on who will gain unauthorised access to the phone.

[Joeeye]

Correct, because that is what secure means. Unless you're sleeping with your boss (or they're your partner), the chances of them breaking in won't increase knowing your secure folders existence, If they're that determined to spy on you, they'll do it regardless.

[mr-tech]

But how will they do it "regardless" if it is encrypted? Instead you'll get questions about "what's on your secure folder" , "can you show me what's on it" because a notification pops up. Unnecessary questions that could be avoided if Samsung simply allowed the notification to be disabled (like it used to be). Think of it this way.

Would you rather have a safe in your house right near the front door where everyone who comes in sees it? Or hide it somewhere?

Someone who enters your house would instantly see the safe and want to gain access if they have malicious intent, possibly using duress. If the safe was hidden somewhere then nobody would see it unless they were searching for it. In the event someone did decide to search for it, at least it is protected inside the safe.

[mr-tech]

My comment just got deleted. So let's try again.

Encryption (by pass code etc) and covertness are 2 types of security. Combining both surely would provide a higher level of security.

Answer me this... would you put your safe at your front door where everyone could see it? Would you prefer to hide it somewhere?

Or would you prefer just to hide your valuable items somewhere but not in a safe.

If they're hidden AND in a safe then surely they are protected from both opportunitists (that see the safe on your door and pressure you into opening it) and people who search for valuables (because at least they can't get carte blanche access if they find where it might be)

[Joeeye]

If they can crack open a safe, it's a safe bet they know about it in the first place.