The Modes and Routines Workaround which allows me to continue using this.
I'm going to keep this reply post up, for even though this is resolved for us, in the event the issue or similar one like it ever returns, we know how to once again resolve this. This issue might not be resolved for others with older device models who happen to read this thread, so I hope this helps them as well.
Fully updated post for clarification purposes:
I'm unsure if it was because I followed the steps below or not, but the newest Modes and Routines update 4.8.07.1 fixed this issue for me -- even though I haven't yet received the newest OS update with my older device model. Even after I restarted my phone, I haven't experienced the spinning circle of doom or the mode freeze ups; everything appears to function correctly. I don't use the automatic feature, so I don't know if that is working or not.
Read below if you're still experiencing any issues with the Modes and Routines 4.8.07.1 update if your Android OS hasn't updated yet, or you can't get this latest app update due to having an older Android device model.
The issue:
I have the S24 Ultra and the issue occurred for me when I had Modes & Routines version 4.8.04.0. I had learned that factory resetting does nothing to fix this issue, as it was a Samsung app issue.
When I went into modes and routines, the circle just spun around. After waiting for exactly one minute (I timed it), I was able to get into a mode, and the mode would freeze for exactly one minute. However, after that minute passed, the mode would unfreeze, yet I found there were no settings.
How I resolved this with the prior problematic version:
After reading EtienneVR's post in ReeceQ's thread, which was a bit unclear, I discovered I could get into safe mode and by doing this, it brought back my Modes and Routines settings.
I wish I had known this at the time since it was difficult to get into safe mode after following EtienneVR's post, but the easiest way to get into Safe Mode is to press the power off icon in the Quick Settings app panel (the panel you see when you swipe down twice). And then after holding down the Power off button icon (the restart button didn't work for me), you can then tap the green button called "Safe mode." After pressing the button, the phone restarts and enters Safe mode.
In Safe mode, I went into Modes and Routines, into Sleep mode, and pressed on "Stay focused" and saw that "Do not disturb" was back, and then I went into "Other actions" and saw all those settings were back. I then went into Routines; pressed the plus icon; under "If," I pressed "+ Add what will trigger this routine"; and saw that all the settings were back. There was no spinning wheel and no freeze up while in safe mode.
To get back to regular mode, I noticed a message in the notification panel asking if I wanted to leave safe mode. After pressing that notification, my phone restarted and I was back in regular mode. I had to turn Airplane mode off, and all the apps I had hid were now back in my app drawer, so I had to hide them again. I also had to change my keyboard back to the one I use as the stock Samsung keyboard was back. Also, if you find your Google calendar entries had vanished from the Samsung Calendar, then you'll need to install the Google Calendar: In the Google Calendar app, go to Menu/Settings/General and make sure "Share Google Calendar data with other apps," on the way bottom, is toggled on which fixed this issue for me.
Unfortunately, after going back into regular mode, going into Modes and Routines, and looking at the settings (which were still back), when I restarted the phone, the spinning wheel was back (this was with the prior version).
This shouldn't happen with the Modes and Routines version 4.8.07.1 update, but if it does because you have an older device model than me:
To get around having to watch that spinning wheel each time I accessed this app, I went into the menu (three vertical dots on the top right), selected settings, and turned on "Show Modes and Routines on Apps screen." Then I tapped Modes and Routines on the app screen, waited for the spinning wheel to stop, and now because it's on the apps screen, it stays in recents. This means you don't have to wait for it to load again, hence no return of the spinning wheel -- as long as it stays in recents. (Just don't open it in pop-up view in recents and use the "x" to close it else the spinning wheel returns. Instead, use that middle arrow in the pop-up screen to enlarge it.) Don't go into settings and access it that way else you'll face the spinning wheel again just like what happened in Coffeesurfers video. So tap on recents, tap the top of Modes and Routines in recents, and select "Keep open" in that menu.
You can now press the back button or the home button and the spinning wheel doesn't come back until after a restart. This doesn't stop the app from freezing when you need to add or edit a mode, but this does unfreeze after one minute. So at least I could quickly enter the routines screen without waiting for the spinning wheel (after having to wait for it one time after I restarted the phone).
And after restarting, you don't have to stare at the spinning wheel for that minute, as after opening the Modes and Routines app, you can press the back button, home button, or turn off the screen, and the spinning wheel will stop in the background because it's in recents. And you don't have to stare at the Modes screen for one minute to wait for the app to unfreeze, as you can press the home button or the recents button (not the back button), and do something else. Since it's in recents, it will unfreeze itself in the background, and you can either tap recents or press the app button on the home screen to come back to that mode setting. Do not press the back button on the Modes screen when the app is frozen else you'll face the return of the spinning wheel. Also do not hold down "Modes" in the Quick Settings app panel else you'll see the spinning wheel -- simply tapping on "Modes" doesn't present this spinning wheel issue. If after a restart, the spinning wheel refuses to go away each time you enter Modes and Routines, I had found that if I tap on a different option like "Routines" if I'm in "Modes" and then go back to the option I was on, this would stop the spinning wheel from reoccurring (as long as the app remains in recents).
I had to re-enter all of my personal settings since I had previously cleared the app data and had also uninstalled the updates for Modes and Routines and then reinstalled updates, which may have been what helped fully resolve this once I then updated to version 4.8.07.1. So try this if you're still having issues after the app update. The Good Lock app module Routines + will enable you to export your routines so you don't have to re-enter all of them; unfortunately as far as I know there is no way to backup up your modes.
I then adjusted the sleep mode settings that I previously had: I turned on sleep mode, and all the settings changed to that mode; I turned off sleep mode, and all the settings changed back. When I tapped "Modes" on the Quick Settings app panel screen (don't hold this icon down), there was no freeze up or spinning wheel on the "Select mode" pop up, so once you have your mode set -- when you tap this icon, you don't have to worry about the spinning wheel and the freeze up; even after a restart, this continued to work.
With routines, there was no freeze up, and after I added the routine I use, that worked fine; however, after a restart, the routine didn't work (this has been fixed with the newest update for me), so I had to go into routines, wait a minute for the spinning wheel to go away (which only happens once per restart), hold the routine down, then disable it and enable it again, and it started working again (until the next restart). I had found, after having added a test routine, that I only had to disable/enable one routine to get both of them working again.
Conclusion:
This isn't the best solution, but this is a workaround as at least with that prior version, I had my modes and routines back, and hopefully you do too if you have an older model and can't get the most recent Modes and Routines app update or OS update.
