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Samsung is rolling out the August 2023 Android security patch to a bunch of Galaxy smartphones in the US. The Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S20 series, and the original Galaxy Fold are all picking up the latest security update stateside. These phones have already received the new SMR (Security Maintenance Release) in most international markets.
The August update for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra is already available widely in the US. The new firmware build number for carrier-locked units is G991USQS8EWH1. That for unlocked units in Puerto Rico is G991U1UES8EWH2 and the rest of the country is G991U1UES8EWG3. Samsung’s official changelog reveals that the devices aren’t getting anything more than this month’s security fixes.
The latest security fixes are also rolling out widely to the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra. These phones are getting the update with firmware build numbers G981USQS6HWGC and G981U1UES6HWG6 for carrier-locked and unlocked units, respectively. Once again, Samsung isn’t pushing anything extra. The update is all about the August SMR, which contains more than 80 vulnerability patches.
The original Galaxy Fold is another Samsung phone that is now getting the August update in the US. The first-gen Galaxy foldable was only released unlocked stateside, and it’s widely picking up this month’s security patch. The updated build number for this phone is F900U1UES7HWG1. We may sound repetitive but don’t expect any new features or improvements here. Samsung is only pushing the August SMR to the device.
The August update patches over 80 security issues in Galaxy devices
Samsung’s August security patch is a pretty big release. This month’s SMR contains fixes for as many as 86 vulnerabilities. Around 50 of those are Android OS patches, while the remaining fixes concern issues specific to Galaxy devices. At least three of these issues were classified as “critical” vulnerabilities by Samsung and Google. The majority of the rest were “high-severity” security flaws.
Samsung has been pushing these security patches to Galaxy devices since early this month. The company is almost done updating all of them. Apart from a few budget and mid-range models, the August SMR has reached all other eligible devices. The rollout for some of them is limited to select markets, but it’s only a matter of time before all users around the world get the latest security update. If you’re using a Samsung phone, you can check for new updates from the Settings app.