Galaxy S23 Gets Monthly Security Updates, S22 Quarterly

Samsung’s own list puts the Galaxy S23 and every newer S-series phone, and the Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 onwards, on monthly security updates. The S22, the Z Fold4 and Z Flip4, and most current A-series phones get them quarterly, and the S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra are on no list at all. That is from Samsung’s Security Updates Scope page, read 5 October 2026.

Samsung’s list, by tier

Phones only. Samsung names every model; where it gives a long run of budget models, we have summarised it.

Tier	Phones Samsung lists
Monthly	Galaxy S23, S24, S25 and S26 series, each including its FE; S25 Edge; Z Fold5, Fold6, Fold7, Fold Special Edition, Fold8, Fold8 Ultra; Z Flip5, Flip6, Flip7, Flip7 FE, Flip8; Z TriFold
Monthly, under “Enterprise Models”	Galaxy A54 5G, A55 5G, A56 5G, A57 5G; XCover7 and XCover7 Pro
Quarterly	Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra; S21 FE 5G; Z Fold4, Z Flip4; A04 to A07, A14 to A17, A23 5G to A27 5G, A33 5G to A37 5G, A73 5G; C55 5G; many M and F models
Quarterly, under “Enterprise Models”	Galaxy A53 5G; XCover5, XCover6 Pro
Biannual	Named in the introduction; no models listed
Not listed	Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra; S20 series; Z Fold3, Z Flip3; A52, A72; any Note

The monthly list also carries China-only W-series foldables. Samsung says monthly and quarterly updates include Google’s Android patches and fixes for Samsung’s own vulnerabilities.

A missing model is a result, not a gap in our reading. We searched the page for each name above; the S21 FE 5G, Z Fold4 and A73 5G all appear, and the S21, Z Fold3 and A52 do not.

What the footnotes change

Samsung’s footnote 2 says “some carriers may only support quarterly updates for all applicable current models listed above.” So a carrier-locked S24 can be on the monthly list and still receive patches quarterly. Footnote 1 adds that timing “may vary by market, network provider and/or model”.

Footnotes 2 and 3 both say the lists are subject to change, and the quarterly one “will be reviewed on a periodic basis”. The page gives no end date for any phone, so it shows where a model is today, not how long it stays there.

The page also says Samsung releases “biannual” updates, twice a year, and then lists nothing under that heading. Only monthly and quarterly lists follow.

What “up to 7 years” means

The page says that from January 2024 Samsung extended security support “by up to 7 years”. That is a ceiling, not a promise for every Galaxy. The specific promises are in launch releases: the Galaxy S24 got “seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates” (18 January 2024), and the S24 FE release counts its seven years “from the global launch date”. The Galaxy S26 FE carries the same seven-year promise.

The S23 shows the gap between the two ideas. It predates the S24’s seven-year promise and is still on the monthly list. None of this covers One UI version upgrades, which the security page does not list.

Google does it the other way round: it prints a rule and a start month for every Pixel rather than a tiered list, so each Pixel’s remaining years of updates can be worked out to the month.

Buying an older or used Galaxy before Black Friday

• An S21 is out of security support. It may still be a working phone, but it no longer gets scheduled patches. If you want a cheap S21-era phone with patches, the S21 FE 5G is the one still on a list.
• An S22 or Z Fold4 gets quarterly patches today, with no published end date. That is a third as often as an S23 on the monthly list.
• An S23 or newer is on the monthly list. It is the oldest S-series phone Samsung currently patches every month.
• Check the phone itself. Google says Android’s Settings app shows the phone’s security update status. Samsung’s latest bulletin on 5 October 2026 was September 2026. A phone showing a date far older has missed updates, or is off the list.

The patch date is one check. Samsung’s diagnostics also rate the battery Normal, Weak or Bad rather than giving a percentage, which is worth knowing before you pay; here is how to check battery health on a Galaxy. And with a refurbished phone, read who backs the warranty, since that is who you will be dealing with if it fails.

Watches are on a separate list

Galaxy watches get quarterly security updates, from the Watch5 and Watch5 Pro through the Watch9, plus the Watch FE, Watch Ultra and Ultra2. Samsung says that list changes as its own or Wear OS support ends. The superseded Galaxy Watch 8 is on it, and our smartwatch shortlist sets out what reviewers made of it.

Questions people ask

Does the Galaxy S22 still get security updates?

Yes, quarterly. Samsung’s Security Updates Scope page lists the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra under quarterly security updates as of 5 October 2026. It gives no date for when that ends.

Does the Galaxy S21 still get security updates?

The S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra are not on any of Samsung’s lists, so they no longer get scheduled security updates. The S21 FE 5G is the exception: it is still on the quarterly list.

Which Samsung phones get monthly security updates?

The Galaxy S23, S24, S25 and S26 series including FE models, the Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and every later Fold and Flip, the Z TriFold, and the A54 to A57 5G under an enterprise heading. Some carriers may deliver only quarterly.

Do all Samsung phones get 7 years of updates?

No. Samsung’s page says it extended support “by up to 7 years” from January 2024. Its releases promise seven years of security updates for specific phones, such as the Galaxy S24 and S24 FE, counted from global launch.

How do I check the security patch on a used Galaxy?

Android’s Settings app shows the date of the phone’s last Android security update. Compare it with Samsung’s latest bulletin, which was September 2026 on 5 October. A date many months older suggests the phone has missed updates or is off the list.

What does biannual security update mean for Samsung?

A twice-yearly patch tier. Samsung’s page says it releases biannual updates, but as of 5 October 2026 it lists no phones under that heading, only monthly and quarterly.