What is Device Care?

What is Device Care?

Device Care is Samsung's built-in maintenance tool for Galaxy phones and tablets, the screen you reach from Settings > Battery and device care. Samsung describes it as an overview of battery, storage and memory with a one-tap optimize button, and it is the home of most battery settings on a Galaxy phone.

Under it you will find:

• Battery: estimated time left, usage per app, power saving, background usage limits and, on recent models, battery protection and charging options.
• Storage: space used by category, with shortcuts to large, duplicate or unused files.
• Memory: a list of apps holding RAM, a "Clean now" button and, on many models, RAM Plus.
• App protection (called Device security on older models): a malware scanner for installed apps.
• Auto optimization: a daily clean-up and optional automatic restart on a schedule you set.

Samsung has renamed the feature several times. Older Galaxy phones called it Smart Manager or Device maintenance; One UI 4 and later use Battery and device care. The package name has stayed com.samsung.android.lool throughout, which is why that string appears in app lists and battery logs.

Can I disable it?

You can only disable it with ADB, and doing so is an advanced change because the battery settings live inside it. Settings does not offer a Disable button for Device Care. With ADB you can switch it off:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.samsung.android.lool

Community reports warn that this can remove the controls for power saving, fast charging and battery protection, and that some battery screens in Settings stop opening. For most people that is a poor trade: Device Care does not show ads or push other apps, and turning off the parts you dislike is easier.

• To stop automatic restarts and daily clean-ups, open Battery and device care, tap the three-dot menu, choose Automation (or Auto optimization) and switch the options off.
• To stop the malware scanner while keeping everything else, you can disable the App protection package on its own. Google Play Protect keeps scanning apps either way:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.samsung.android.sm.devicesecurity

Does it drain battery or data?

It uses a little battery, mostly when its scheduled optimization runs and when it measures per-app battery use, and that small amount is normal. It appears near the top of battery lists on some phones because it is the component that does the measuring and runs the nightly clean-up.

Data use comes mainly from App protection, which downloads updated malware signatures, and from Device Care's own updates. Neither is large.

If Device Care looks heavy in the battery list, check whether Auto optimization is set to run more often than you need, and whether a third-party battery or "booster" app is fighting with it. Two tools managing the same apps tend to keep each other busy.

Why did it just update?

It updated because Samsung ships Device Care updates through the Galaxy Store and, on some models, the Google Play Store, separately from One UI system updates. Samsung's Play listing notes that Play updates are offered only on some devices, so the same app may update from either store depending on your phone.

New One UI versions also bring a new Device Care build, which is when features such as battery protection settings or the RAM Plus switch tend to change.

Which packages are behind it?

Two Samsung packages make up the feature:

• com.samsung.android.lool is Device Care itself: battery, storage and memory screens, auto optimization and the battery settings shown under Battery and device care.
• com.samsung.android.sm.devicesecurity is App protection, the malware scanner listed inside Battery and device care. Settings may show it as App protection or Device security.

Battery usage data, power saving modes and background limits all run through the first package, which is why it should stay enabled.

If something goes wrong

When Battery and device care crashes, shows a blank screen or reports wrong numbers, clear its cache and restart the phone. Go to Settings > Apps, tap the filter or sort icon to show system apps, choose Device care, then Storage > Clear cache. Clearing storage as well resets its settings and statistics, which fixes most stuck battery estimates.

Next, check for updates: in the Galaxy Store, tap Menu > Updates; on models that support it, the Play Store may also list Device Care.

If App protection flags an app you trust, check where the app came from. A file installed from a website deserves the warning; a store app that is still flagged after you update both it and Device Care is worth reporting to Samsung through the Samsung Members app.

If you disabled Device Care with ADB and the battery settings vanished, turn it back on:

adb shell pm enable com.samsung.android.lool
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.samsung.android.lool

Restart afterwards so the battery and charging options load again.