Newsletter
Earlier today, Samsung released the January 2024 security update for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 in the US. The new security patch is now available for the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Note 20 series, and the Galaxy S23 FE stateside. Apart from the Galaxy S22 trio, none of these devices have picked up this month’s security release in international markets.
Samsung’s January update reaches the Galaxy S22 and Note 20 in the US
The January SMR (Security Maintenance Release) is currently available to the carrier-locked variants of the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra in the US. The new firmware build number for the 2022 flagship lineup is S901USQS4DWLG. The update only brings the latest security fixes from Samsung and Google. There are a total of 80 vulnerability patches in this month’s SMR, though some of them may not apply to the Galaxy S22 series.
For users with the Galaxy Note 20 or Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the January security patch is rolling out to both carrier-locked and unlocked variants. The updated build numbers are N981USQS6HWL5 and N981U1UES6HWL5, respectively. Once again, the update is all about this month’s security fixes. The Galaxy Note 20 series is done getting feature updates. It didn’t receive the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update.
The latest SMR for the Galaxy S23 FE is also currently limited to carrier-locked units. The new Fan Edition (FE) phone is picking up the January security patch with the build number S711USQS1BWL6. Unsurprisingly, the package doesn’t contain anything more. Like the Galaxy S22 series, it is coming fresh from the One UI 6.0 update, which brought many new features and improvements. Samsung will roll out the update globally in the coming days.
If you are using any of these Galaxy devices in the US or anywhere else and have yet to receive the January 2024 security patch, watch out for an update. You will get a notification to download the update over the air (OTA). Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Software update > Download and install to manually check for and trigger new OTA updates.
One UI 6.1 is on the way for Galaxy devices
While the Galaxy Note 20 series will not receive feature updates anymore, the Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy S23 FE will get One UI 6.1 shortly. Based on Android 14, One UI 6.1 will debut with the Galaxy S24 series. Samsung will roll it out to older models once the new flagships are official. We will let you know as soon as the rollout begins. You can also follow the steps above to check for it on your Galaxy phone.