Samsung August 2021 security update is now rolling out for these Galaxy devices

August 9, 2021

Android updates are still not perfect, but we’re seeing things improve year over year. Samsung has accumulated a stellar update track record as of late and is now among the best in the business when it comes to rolling out Android updates. Now, the company is rolling out the August 2021 security update to its Samsung Galaxy lineup. Here’s the full list.

Samsung August 2021 security update – what’s new

Samsung actually started the rollout of its August 2021 security update early on July 27, almost a full week before the first Monday of July when Google usually releases the list of core security issues that this patch fixes. For Galaxy owners, it’s a major bonus to be among the first Android phones to start receiving software fixes and one of the biggest reasons to choose a Samsung phone period.

The update notes include 38 fixes from Google’s regular Android Security Bulletin for August 2021, with a number of high level or critical fixes that range from severe to moderate. Luckily none of those issues applies directly to Samsung hardware. However, the patches ensure protection against a vulnerability related to IV (Initialization Vectors) and UAF (Use After Free). The latter allowed for the exploitation of free memory in the conn_gadget driver.

At this stage, no new features are being added with this patch. Previous updates have included added camera options and wider software tweaks for select Galaxy hardware. Alas, no such luck this time around.

Devices with Samsung August 2021 security update

Which Samsung devices are getting the August 2021 security update? The list from Samsung is, pretty light right now but will expand quickly. As of July 30, Samsung is already rolling out monthly patches to four devices — which is still impressive given we’re early into a new month.

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.

As the lead flagship series for Samsung and among the biggest global sellers, it should come as no surprise that devices such as the Galaxy S21 series would be among the first to get the August 2021 security update. Galaxy S21 units in Chinese markets were first to see the OTA update with a further rollout to Exynos-powered global units just a few days later on August 4 starting with Germany follow by a first foray into the US with Xfinity-locked devices. The updates carry slightly different firmware build numbers, as the Chinese variant does come without GMS or Play Store access.

The fantastic budget flagship Galaxy S20 FE was next up in the Galaxy S series to get updated with the August 2021 security patch. Rolling out in a number of European nations, the patch is rolling out for the 4G-only Exynos models and Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 versions of the Galaxy S20 FE. While no longer a flagship, the Galaxy S9 received the August 2021 security patch with a rollout in Europe — this is part of the quarterly update schedule the S9 and S9+ are now part of.

Samsung’s affordable flagship Galaxy S10 Lite began seeing the latest security patch from August 6, with the rollout beginning in Spain for the late-2019 device.

Galaxy S9 — G96xFXXUGFUG4 (Released first in Europe)
Galaxy S10 Lite — G770FXXS5EUG5 (Released first in Spain)
Galaxy S20 FE — G780FXXU5CUG6 (Released first in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, and Switzerland)
Galaxy S20
Galaxy S21 — G99x0ZCU2AUGE/G99xBXXU3AUGM / G99xUSQU4AUGE (Released first in China, Germany from Aug 4)
- US: Available on Xfinity

2021 will, unfortunately, go down as a year to forget for hardcore Samsung Galaxy Note fans. The Korean firm looks set to end the series and focus solely on the Fold and Galaxy S lines moving forward. Luckily, if you do own an older Note series handset, the August 2021 security patch is beginning to rollout already.

The now ancient Galaxy Note 8 was updated on August 6 in the UK and Spain just shortly after those in the United States began seeing the August update for their late-2020 Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra flagship devices. Not to leave out international owners – read Exynos devices – Samsung started seeding the August patch for the Note 20 series across the globe from August 9. This does have a slightly different build number to help differentiate.

Galaxy Note 8 — N950FXXSGDUG6 (Released first in the UK)
Galaxy Note 20 — N98xU1UES2DUG1/N98xFXXS3DUG9 (Released first in the US, Globally from Aug 9)
- US: Available for Unlocked devices

Despite the imminent release of yet more flagship foldable and “flip” handsets, the August 2021 security patch was seeded to the Galaxy Fold 5G (SM-F907B) ahead of any other Fold-branded devices. The update first arrived on UK units, with a wider rollout started for the original 4G-only Galaxy Fold (SM-F900F) starting in France just a few days later.

The 4G-capable Galaxy Z Flip (SM-F700F) started to receive the latest patch on August 5. For those with the 5G version, this model has not yet seen the OTA update but is expected in the coming days.

Galaxy Fold — F900FXXS5EUG1 (Released first in France)
Galaxy Fold 5G — F907BXXS5EUG1 (Released first in the UK)
Galaxy Z Flip — F700FXXS7DUG1 (Released first in Asia/Europe)

While the Galaxy A52 might be fairly recent, it was actually the three-year-old Galaxy A8 that was the second Samsung device to get updated with the August 2021 security patch. While we often criticize OEMs for a lack of post-release support, this is genuinely fantastic to see and an indication of the Korean firm’s dedication to devices often deemed way past the point of support by other brands.

Released alongside the Galaxy A52, the Galaxy A72 also began seeing the August update early with Russian and Ukrainian devices beginning to receive the patch as of July 30. Affordable Android devices are a huge part of the Samsung hardware collection, the Galaxy A32 is one such cheap smartphone that is, oddly, powered by a MediaTek processor rather than Samsung’s own silicon. This budget handset started seeing the August 2021 security patch in Russian markets beginning August 7.

Galaxy A8 (2018) — A530FXXSLCUH1 (Released first in Russia)
Galaxy A32 — A325FXXU1AUH1 (Released first in Russia)
Galaxy A52 — A525FXXU3AUG4 (Released first in Germany)
Galaxy A72 — A725FXXU3AUG2 (Released first in Russa/Ukraine)

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Author: Damien Wilde
Source: 9TO5Google

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