I had just updated the operating system (OS) in my Samsung device and the majority of my apps. Everything was going smoothly, and I was liking the experience so far. Well, until I was going through my phone recordings, which I use frequently, only for me to notice 10 minutes into the recording my phone stopped recording. Fortunately, I could connect the issue in recent recordings to my phone’s update. I tried all possible means to fix the issue but couldn’t. That was how I learned about Samsung’s Smart Tutor app while chatting with a customer care representative through their website.

What is Smart Tutor?

Smart Tutor is a Samsung phone’s customer support application to solve any problem regarding the device with a live human technician. In clearer terms, it is a mobile application that gives a Samsung operator an access to operate your phone remotely. Yea. I mean, your phone is in your hand, but someone else would be operating it and you can see all they are doing through your phone.

It was really a smart innovation from Samsung and it was the first time I was ever going to see anything like that. I had previously used only other Android devices with no such feature. Although in my case, they couldn’t help (at the end of the article, you can find out why my recording or your recording stops some minutes into the recording, even though the app is still active), I considered the support a great deal.

Concerns about the Installation

Smart Tutor is a system app. So, it comes preinstalled on your device. If not, as soon as you activate your device and it’s connected to the internet while updating the OS and apps, the smart tutor app is automatically installed. So, no, it is not a bug or some hacked app. If you need help and you do not have the app installed, you can go to Galaxy Store or PlayStore to download Smart Tutor.

How Does Smart Tutor Work? Is it Safe?

The Smart Tutor app works by connecting a remote human agent to your phone such that they can operate it.

So, you’re wondering if they can do that. Is it safe? Well, it is the same question that many people across the globe have asked, and there is no cause to worry because you’re going to know if anyone is connected to your phone, and you are the only one who can grant such access to your device. There will be more on that later.

Before you can get to use the app,

You need to first speak with or chat with a customer care representative.

Using Smart Tutor is the last stage of getting customer support to help you fix an issue on your device. Hence, you cannot just open the app and expect it to automatically connect you to a remote agent. No, that’s not how it works.

First, you will call a Samsung customer agent centre or chat with them on what the issue is. The contact details vary from one country to another and one region to another. So, be sure you aren’t just picking a number you found on the web or a Google homepage, or knowledge panel.

Note: This is important because the access code you will get is region-specific.

In your call with the customer care representative, you will explain the issue, and they will recommend ways to fix whatever issue your phone has. They may also give you directions to run a self-diagnostic test on your device. For that, they will ask for the phone model and year.

How to Reach Samsung Customer Service

Website: Samsung has multiple websites and landing pages, depending on your location and perhaps what gadgets you are looking for. However, no matter what page you intend to reach customer support through chat, input your correct location information (proximity by region or country is best).

Phone call: Phone call is also an effective way to get through to an assistant on whatever issue may be wrong with your device.

If the issue with your device is suspected to be a hardware fault, they may recommend getting to a walk-in Samsung store to see a technician. If that is not the case for you, then great.

If you have tried all their recommendations and had no positive outcome, then the next stage.

Connecting You to a Human Agent

During your chat with human support, if they recommend you use the Smart Tutor app, then they will give you a code to connect you with a technician that will operate your phone.

If you claim to be in a different country or region from where your phone is being used and you get a code, it is not going to work. That is why picking the right landing page is essential and your claimed location in the chat is vital.

Once connected to your phone, the technician can then move on to check your phone. If this is your first time, it will feel surreal.

How safe is Smart Tutor?

First, if you are worried whether this is a hacked app or a bug because it is automatically installed, that is not the case. So, do not even bother in that direction.

If your concern about the app is: "if the company can access my phone remotely, then my device is not safe, and perhaps a staff member can hack my phone", your concern is valid, but that is not how it works.

A Samsung technician cannot access your Samsung mobile phone without your permission. Remember, you have to first get an access code, which you need to input only through the Smart Tutor app for it to work.

Secondly, the codes are region or country-bound. So, a random person across the US cannot hack your phone in the Philippines through a US-given code. In my experience at the time, the code didn’t work because I had chosen to reach an agent with a VPN set elsewhere from my location.

Thirdly, if anyone accesses your phone remotely, you will see it. You will see the activities going on on your phone.

Summary of all I know about Samsung’s Smart Tutor App

So, how safe is the smart tutor? It is very safe and does not intrude like some other apps. No push notifications. So, unless there is a general system bug, which only requires an app update, there is nothing to worry about.

I believe it is the best way to let a company-professional gain access to a phone to diagnose and fix any software issue. It is also great that it is the last course of action to contact customer care support.

PS: Why wasn’t my recorder working after a while?

In my case, the issue was that the system updates automatically put active apps in sleep/pause mode after a while when the phone was inactive or no motion was detected by its sensors. So, I had to turn it off for specific apps; in this case, it was my recorder app. I did that by going into my phone settings, clicked on my “apps” and looked for the option that disables ‘sleep’ after phone inactivity (when no motion is sensed by the phone). However, following the update I did since then, other updates have never brought such issues again.

Did you experience something like this? If you enjoyed my piece and would like to read something similar in the future, comment on what you’d like to read and subscribe to me.

PSS: In case you missed it, you can find out how to print from an EPSON printer wirelessly__.