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 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. Sadly, the Galaxy S10 5G is not included in this rollout but we expect it to be added very soon.
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.
- Galaxy S10e — G97xFXXSEHVD1 (Released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10 — G97xFXXSEHVD1 (Released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10+ — G97xFXXSEHVD1 (Released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S20 FE — G780GXXS3CVC4 (Released first in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam)
- Galaxy S21 — G99xxXXS4CVCG / G991USQS5CVCB (Released first in Germany)
- Galaxy S21+ — G99xxXXS4CVCG / G996USQS5CVCB (Released first in Germany)
- Galaxy S21 Ultra — G99xxXXS4CVCG / G998USQS5CVCB (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.
- Galaxy Note 20 — N98xU1UES2FVC7 (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: AT&T, Bluegrass Cellular, Comcast, C-Spire, Verizon, and Xfinity Mobile
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra — N98xU1UES2FVC7 (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. Last years 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.
- Galaxy Z Fold 2 — F916BXXS2GVCA (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 — F926U1UES1CVC9 (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Unlocked
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.
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 — F711U1TBS2CVC9 (Released first in the US)
- Available in US: Unlocked
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.
- Galaxy A53 5G — A536NKSU1AVCC / A536EXXU1AVCD (Released first in India and South Korea)
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 12.
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Author: Damien Wilde
Source: 9TO5Google
