The May 2022 Android security update is rolling out now to these phones and tablets in Samsung’s wide-reaching lineup of Galaxy devices.
Samsung May 2022 security update — What’s new?
As usual, Samsung began rolling out its May 2022 update before the month of May actually began with the first patch arriving for Galaxy S22 devices on April 25. According to Google’s security bulletin, this update includes fixes for 14 different issues, while Samsung’s own release notes offer details on a handful of Galaxy-specific security flaws.
For example, an issue within the weather app made it possible for an attacker to obtain your location without permission, or at least the location you receive forecasts for. Meanwhile, a flaw in the settings app made it possible to run apps as if they had system permission, and another issue in Galaxy Themes could uninstall system apps.
Overall, the May 2022 update for Samsung Galaxy phones contains a total of 32 fixes, including seven for critical issues, and 22 for high importance ones.
Additionally, for owners of select phones — such as the Galaxy S20, S21, Note 20, Z Fold 2, and Z Fold 3 — the May update comes with enhancements to nighttime photo taking, auto framing, and image quality in third-party apps. All of these improvements and more were already on display in the Galaxy S22. Now Samsung is simply bringing them to owners of older devices.
Table of contents
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 is usually the case, Samsung has started things off for the May update with its latest flagship phones, the Galaxy S22 series. The Snapdragon variants of these phones picked up their update on April 25.
A week later the same update arrived for the Galaxy S21 series in Europe, on May 2, while the Galaxy S20 update arrived the following day. For both of these phones, the update brings improvements to the camera to bring it in line with the Galaxy S22’s improved camera software, with enhancements like “Nightography” in portrait mode and improved auto framing features.
Meanwhile, the full lineup of the Galaxy S10 series was brought up to the latest security update on May 10. Next up is the affordable flagship Galaxy S21 FE, which was updated on May 12. That phone’s counterpart from the previous year, the Galaxy S20 FE 5G, was next up on May 18. The set was completed when 2019’s Galaxy S10 Lite picked up the update on May 21.
- Galaxy S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra — S90xEXXS2AVDD (released first in India)
- Note: A second update (S90xEXXU2AVE4) has also been released.
- US: Available on unlocked devices
- Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra — G991BXXU5CVDD (released first in Italy)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices
- Galaxy S21 FE — G990U1UES3CVD3 (released first in the United States)
- US: Available on unlocked devices
- Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra — G98xBXXUEFVDB (released first in Germany)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices
- Galaxy S20 FE — G780GXXS3CVD7 (released first in Bolivia)
- Galaxy S20 FE 5G — G781U1UES7EVD4 (released first in the United States)
- US: Available on unlocked devices
- Galaxy S10 / S10+ / S10e — G97xFXXUFHVE1 (released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10 5G — G977BXXUCHVE1 (released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy S10 Lite — G770FXXS6GVE2 (released first in Spain)
While the Galaxy S series previously held the title for Samsung’s “flagship” devices, that crown now belongs to the Galaxy Z series of foldables. Being the company’s most premium phones, Samsung often rolls updates out to its foldables about as quickly as the Galaxy S series.
As such, it’s no surprise that the Snapdragon Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 both picked up the latest security update on May 2, with Exynos models getting it on May 9. Surprisingly, the next models to get updated were the original Galaxy Fold and Z Flip phones, on May 11, and the Galaxy Fold 5G on May 13.
Out of Samsung’s foldables, the second generation appears to be last to get its update, starting with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 on May 16.
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 — F926U1UES1CVD4 (released first in the United States)
- US: Available on unlocked devices
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 — F711U1TBS2CVD4 (released first in the United States)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices
- Galaxy Z Fold 2 — F916U1UES2GVD2 (released first in the United States)
- Galaxy Z Flip — F700FXXS8GVD8 (released first in Brazil)
- Galaxy Fold 5G — F907BXXS6HVD1 (released first in the UK)
- Galaxy Fold — F900FXXS6HVD1 (released first in Brazil)
- US: Available on unlocked devices
With the launch of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, complete with a stowable S Pen, the company has seemingly put the final nail in the coffin for future releases in the Note series. Despite that, owners of past generations of the Galaxy Note are still receiving updates on a regular basis.
The first phones in this series to get updated this month were the Snapdragon Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, picking up the security patch on May 2, while Exynos models got it on May 9. The previous year’s Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ gained their update on May 9, via Sprint and T-Mobile. This series’ lesser model, the Note 10 Lite, was updated a few days later on May 12.
Going back another year, the Galaxy Note 9 from 2018 received its latest update on May 20, keeping device owners secure.
- Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra — N98xU1UES2FVD6 (released first in the United States)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices
- Galaxy Note 10 / 10+ / 10+ 5G — N97xUSQS7HVD1 (released first in the United States)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices
- Galaxy Note 10 Lite — N770FXXU8GVD2 (released first in Ecuador)
- Galaxy Note 9 — N960FXXS9FVE1 (released first in Germany)
In addition to being the most prolific OEM for Android phones, Samsung is also responsible for some of the best Android tablets on the market. That said, the Galaxy Tab series doesn’t enjoy the same monthly security release schedule that phones do. Instead, updates and patches are only promised on a quarterly basis.
The recently released Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was the first Samsung tablet to get its update for this month, picking it up on April 27. That tablet’s lesser counterparts, the Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8+, didn’t get their update until May 11.
- Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra — X900XXU2AVD6 (released first in the Netherlands)
- Galaxy Tab S8+ — X800XXU2AVD6 (released first in Korea)
- Galaxy Tab S8 — X700XXU2AVD6 (released first in Korea)
Samsung also graciously offers consistent updates to their lineup of affordable phones, including those in the Galaxy A-series and Galaxy M-series. Not unlike the Galaxy Tab line, these lower-cost phones often don’t get the same monthly cadence for updates that the flagship level sees.
The Galaxy M33 was the first affordable Samsung phone to get its Android device for this month, on May 3. Nearly a week later, the Galaxy A33 followed suit and was joined shortly thereafter by the Galaxy A53.
On May 12, the Galaxy A52s 5G joined the fun for device owners in Europe, followed the next day by the lesser Galaxy A52. Other customers in Europe were given the new update for the Galaxy A23 on May 19. Further up the product line, owners of the Galaxy A72 in Europe and Asia saw their latest monthly update on May 24. The 5G-equipped Galaxy A42 got the patch a few days later on May 27.
- Galaxy A23 — A235FXXU1AVE4 (released first in Germany)
- Galaxy A33 — A336EDXU2AVD7 (released first in India)
- Galaxy A42 5G — A426BXXU3DVE2 (released first in Taiwan)
- Galaxy A52 — A525FXXS4BVE1 (released first in Germany)
- Galaxy A52s 5G — A528BXXU1CVE1 (released first in Switzerland)
- Galaxy A53 — A536EXXU2AVD7 (released first in the Philippines)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices
- Galaxy A72 — A725FXXS4BVE2 (released first in Europe)
- Galaxy M33 5G — M336BXXU2AVD5 (released first in Ukraine)
Author: Kyle Bradshaw
Source: 9TO5Google
