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Some Samsung smartphones are having a mysterious problem where they aren’t getting the monthly Google Play system updates. User reports on Reddit and Samsung Community forums say the phones are stuck on the July 2022 Play system update. The Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy Z series foldables are among the affected devices, though several other models also have the issue. The company has yet to comment on the matter.
Samsung smartphones aren’t getting the latest Google Play system updates
Google Play system updates are server-side updates to various Google services that make the core of Android. The Android maker pushes these updates to compatible devices every month. Unlike major Android updates or security patches, these releases don’t require you to do anything. You don’t even get a notification for it. Everything happens behind the scenes, though it may take a few weeks for all Android devices to get the latest release. Well, you can manually check for updates, but the latest version is installed automatically when available
You can check the Google Play system update level on your Android smartphone from the software information section in the Settings app. At this point, you should either see the November or December 2022 release. However, many Samsung users have noticed that their phone is still languishing on the July update. Due to running an older Google Play system update, the Security and privacy section of the phone even recommends users install the latest release (via). But when checking for updates, there’s no new release available.
Some users are also getting an option to restart their phones to install a newer Google Play system update. But upon restart, they find that the device is still running the July 2022 release. As said earlier, the problem is quite widespread with several models affected. The issue appears to have surfaced after Samsung rolled out its Android 13-based One UI 5.0 update. However, there’s no way to ascertain that. It’s unclear what is preventing the affected Galaxy smartphones from receiving the monthly Google Play system updates, and who is responsible for fixing the problem.
There’s no official acknowledgment yet
Neither Samsung nor Google has acknowledged this problem yet. As such, there’s no clarity about who’s at fault here. Hopefully, the companies will get in the act soon and figure out where the issue lies, on Samsung’s end or Google’s end. We will keep a close eye on it and let you know as soon as we have more information. Meanwhile, if you’re using a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, don’t forget to check if you’re getting monthly Google Play system updates.
