Airlines no longer need to warn you about the Samsung Galaxy Note7

The U.S. Department of Transportation has informed airlines that they no longer need to notify passengers about the Galaxy Note7 before boarding, although the devices will remain banned on board. It remains to be seen how long airlines will take to enact the change.

The change of heart comes as the Federal Aviation Administration takes into account the heightened public awareness of the ban on Samsung’s unfortunate smartphone, it said Tuesday, without clarifying when — or if — the ban itself would be lifted.

“The devices are still prohibited on both passenger and air cargo aircraft, but the DOT has lifted the requirement that the airlines make the specific pre-boarding notification,” the FAA said.

The DoT had issued an emergency restriction on the Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone, asking passengers not to use or carry the smartphone on flights in the United States last October. Airlines across the globe, including in countries such as India where the Galaxy Note7 was never launched, followed suit.

The South Korean technology conglomerate has put a lot of effort into ensuring that all the Galaxy Note7 models are returned. In a statement, the company said 96 percent of all the Galaxy Note7 smartphones have been recovered from customers.

“Together with our wireless carriers, we have taken aggressive action to limit the remaining phones’ ability to work as mobile devices, further enhancing participation in the recall,” Samsung said.