Continuing the stellar efforts in recent months, Samsung is now rolling out the April 2022 security update to selected Galaxy devices. Here’s every device that has been updated so far.
Samsung April 2022 security update – what’s new
We’ve seen Samsung really up the ante with update speed over the past 18 months to the point that each patch begins rolling out before release notes are shared publicly. The rollout of the April patch actually started in earnest at the very cusp of the month. The current flagship Galaxy S22 series saw the OTA update being arriving in selected regions on March 31.
Samsung has now released the official release notes for the April 2022 security update, which includes a fix for the widely publicised “Dirty Pipe” exploit that affects Pixel and Galaxy devices. This vulnerability can allow attackers to gain full control of your device but is limited to the Galaxy S22 series due to this exploit directly affecting models that shipped with Android 12 and with kernel version 5.8 or higher.
Twenty-seven high-level vulnerabilities have been resolved here including eighteen mid-level vulnerabilities. This time around there are no issues listed or tagged as “critical” but some might argue the “Dirty Pipe” exploit could be considered as such.
Last month saw a flurry of devices not only get a regular monthly security patch but in some cases it also included the full One UI 4.1 upgrade, which is a mid-cycle update that initially launched with the Galaxy S22 and contains exclusive features. However, there are a few Samsung Galaxy handsets that will get updated with One UI 4.1 and the April 2022 security update.
Devices with Samsung April 2022 security update
The current pool of Samsung Galaxy smartphones with the April 2022 security update is quite small, but it is constantly expanding by device and region with more expected over the coming days and weeks.
This list will include a note on where the update first debuted and if it is also available in the United States. As usual, the latest additions will be marked in bold.
Table of contents
As the top-tier devices in the entire Galaxy lineup, it’s almost guaranteed that the recently released S22 handsets are first in line to get the April 2022 security update from Samsung. The OTA update is already rolling out for the trio in several regions across the globe, including the UK and most of mainland Europe for Exynos hardware. The Snapdragon version is already available in Korea but has since rolled out wider to vast portions of Asia and the Middle East.
Not to be left out, last year’s flagship Galaxy S21 series has started receiving the latest patch on April 4 in Europe. In the US, those with Verizon locked Samsung Galaxy S21 devices can get the April 2022 security patch after the update was confirmed as rolling out for the Snapdragon 888-powered models. The rollout has continued to more Galaxy S21 devices in North America with AT&T locked handsets seeing the patch begin arriving from April 6 with an even further expansion for those with Unlocked Galaxy S21, 21+, and S21 Ultra models from April 12.
With this in mind, the trio has been at the top of the update charts for almost a year, and it could be set to continue as it keeps in step with the Samsung’s best of 2022. The confusing Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is now starting to see the April 2022 security update on carrier-locked Samsung devices in the United States as of April 7. If you have a Comcast-locked Galaxy S21 FE, then the OTA update should be available and we’re expecting it to arrive in more regions across the globe very soon. This update comes shortly after the One UI 4.1 upgrade arrived on the cheaper S21 series device.
Although now just over three years old, Exynos-powered Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ are starting to see the latest security patch arrive in small pockets of Europe. Those with any of the handset trio in Switzerland can get updated with a wider rollout expected very soon. After a minor delay, the somewhat unique Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is now getting the latest security update across vast swathes of Europe including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Nordics and the United Kingdom as of April 15.
The Galaxy S20 FE or Fan Edition comes in an LTE-only and 5G variant. As of April 12, the LTE version is now getting updated in a number of Asian nations including Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and those in Australia can get updated too. Since that rollout began, the 5G-capable Galaxy S20 FE has also started to get the patch in European regions. For those in the US, the Verizon-locked Galaxy S20 FE 5G is now getting the latest security patch.
- Galaxy S10e — G97xFXXSEHVD1 (Released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10 — G97xFXXSEHVD1 (Released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10+ — G97xFXXSEHVD1 (Released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10 5G — G977BXXSBHVD1 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy S20 FE — G780GXXS3CVC4 (Released first in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam)
- Galaxy S20 FE 5G — G781BXXU4FVC4 / G781VSQS6FVD1 (Released first in Europe)
- Available in US: Verizon
- Galaxy S21 — G99xxXXS4CVCG / G991USQS5CVCB / G991USQU5CVCG (Released first in Germany)
- Galaxy S21+ — G99xxXXS4CVCG / G996USQS5CVCB / G996USQU5CVCG (Released first in Germany)
- Galaxy S21 Ultra — G99xxXXS4CVCG / G998USQS5CVCB / G998USQU5CVCG (Released first in Germany)
- Galaxy S21 FE — G990USQS3CVC4
- Available in US: Comcast
- Galaxy S22 — S90xBXXU1AVCJ / S90xEXXU1AVCJ (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy S22+ — S90xBXXU1AVCJ / S90xEXXU1AVCJ (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy S22 Ultra — S90xBXXU1AVCJ / S90xEXXU1AVCJ (Released first in Europe)
Although officially ended with the Galaxy Note 20 in 2020, the Galaxy Note series continues to be updated and technically lives on in the guise of the Galaxy S22 Ultra courtesy of added S Pen support. Samsung is still supporting the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 20 with regular patches with the latter starting to see the April 2022 security patch from April 12.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+, and Note 10+ 5G are now beginning to see the latest April 2022 update on Verizon in the United States. Unlocked handsets can also get updated in the United States as of April 15. Meanwhile, the Exynos-powered Galaxy Note 20 series is getting updated in European markets as of April 13.
Although the Note series is unlikely to see a dedicated “Fan Edition” the Galaxy Note 10 Lite offered the closest approximation to that when released back in early-2020. This cheaper version of the Note 10 series comes with an Exynos processor in global markets and Snapdragon 855 in North America. It has received One UI 4.0 and Android 12, but it is now getting the April patch in France.
- Galaxy Note 10 — N970USQS7HVCD / N97xU1UES7HFCD (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Verizon, Unlocked
- Galaxy Note 10+ — N975USQS7HVCD / N97xU1UES7HFCD (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Verizon, Unlocked
- Galaxy Note 10+ 5G — N976VVRS7HVCD / N97xU1UES7HFCD (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Verizon, Unlocked
- Galaxy Note 10 Lite — N770FXXU8GVD5 (Released first France)
- Galaxy Note 20 — N98xU1UES2FVC7 / N980FXXS3FVC8 (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: AT&T, Bluegrass Cellular, Comcast, C-Spire, Verizon, and Xfinity Mobile
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra — N98xU1UES2FVC7 / N980FXXS3FVC8 (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: AT&T, Bluegrass Cellular, Comcast, C-Spire, Verizon, and Xfinity Mobile
Although the Galaxy S series is undoubtedly the most popular lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold series certainly will be the forerunner for Samsung in the coming years. While foldable devices are still very much growing in popularity, the “traditional” smartphone form factor accounts for the vast majority of the market.
The current top tier Galaxy Z Fold 3 might not be the best Samsung phone on paper, but at least it is getting updated in good time. The April 2022 security update is now rolling out for unlocked versions of Samsung’s folding smartphone in US markets as of April 12 with a wider rollout to Verizon-locked models from April 21. Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 is also getting updated at the same time but is only currently available for those in European markets. Luckily, there are no hardware differences meaning the update should head out to global handsets soon.
You may remember that the original Galaxy Fold had more than a few durability issues. This meant the delayed Galaxy Z Fold 5G is technically the first in this new lineup. While Samsung may want you to forget about those screen longevity problems and breakages, the Korean firm has not forgotten to update the Z Fold 5G as the April 2022 security patch is now available for the first-generation foldable in the United Kingdom. The original Galaxy Fold is also now starting to see the April 2022 patch, as the only 4G version is starting to see the update in Colombia, France, and Panama.
- Galaxy Fold — F900FXXS6HVC8 (Released first in Colombia, France, and Panama)
- Galaxy Z Fold 5G — F907BXXS6HVC8 (Released first in the UK)
- Galaxy Z Fold 2 — F916BXXS2GVCA (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 — F926U1UES1CVC9 / F926USQS1CVCC (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Unlocked, Verizon
While the Galaxy Z Fold represents the best of the bigscreen folding tech from Samsung, the Galaxy Z Flip series is aimed at reducing the size of our regular smartphone form factor with a vertical fold. Much like the Z Fold series, the Z Flip has increased in popularity each year and has spawned a few copycats.
As of early 2022, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the most recent release and it is now starting to see the April security update direct from Samsung in the US and has since spread to the Verizon-locked version of the foldable. The first generation 5G ‘flippable’ Galaxy Z Fip is also now starting to see the April 2022 security update in France.
- Galaxy Z Flip 5G — F707BXXU6GVD1 (Released first in France)
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G — F711U1TBS2CVC9 / F711USQS2CVCC (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Unlocked, Verizon
Samsung has built up a reputation as one of the foremost flagship Android makers but the vast majority of the Korean firm’s lineup consists of affordable devices — including the Galaxy A series. The most recent release is that of the Galaxy A53 5G, which launched in mid-March and is now seeing the April security patch as its first post-released update of April 12 in selected regions.
After a slight delay, a wider rollout for the brand new Galaxy A53 5G now includes European owners of the handset. The patch also includes a number of software tweaks for the camera, fingerprint scanner and more. It’s already available in Austria, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic with more nations expected soon.
Another affordable Samsung smartphone is getting the latest April patch as the Galaxy A51 is starting to see the OTA update arrive in Russia. This is the LTE version only though, as the 5G model is not yet updated in regions where it is available. However, a wider rollout is likely set to start in the coming days. The Galaxy A71, which was launched alongside the A51, started to see the update from April 21.
The Galaxy A32 5G has been superseded by the recent A33 but it too is getting updated as Samsung is now pushing the latest security patch to those with unlocked units in vast swathes of Europe including Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the Czech Republic, and the UK.
- Galaxy A32 5G — A326BXXS4AVC1 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy A51 — A515FXXU5FVD2 (Released first in Russia)
- Galaxy A53 5G — A536NKSU1AVCC / A536EXXU1AVCD / A536BXXU1AVCC (Released first in India and South Korea)
- Galaxy A71— A715FXXU8CVD1 (Released first in Poland)
How to check for the latest OTA on your Galaxy device
If you are still waiting for the April 2022 security patch OTA notification on your Samsung Galaxy device, you can manually attempt to pull this manually. To do so, open Settings > Software update > Download and install.
This article was originally published on April 4 and last updated on April 22.
More on Samsung:
- Here’s a Samsung Galaxy phone modded with a fully functional iPhone Lightning port [Video]
- Samsung partners w/ iFixit to make DIY Galaxy smartphone and tablet repairs a bit easier
- Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now are coming to Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs ‘later this year’ [U]
Author: Damien Wilde
Source: 9TO5Google
