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The Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy A42 5G are getting Samsung‘s June 2023 Android security patch in the US. This is the first rollout of the June SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for these phones. They haven’t picked up the latest security update anywhere else. The regular non-FE Galaxy S21 models received the new SMR in a few European countries earlier this week. The rollout for the flagship trio has yet to reach the US.
As of this writing, the June SMR for the Galaxy S21 FE is only available to users with a factory-unlocked unit in the US. The update comes with the firmware build number G990U1UES7EWE3 and is already rolling out widely across most carrier networks (via SamMobile). Samsung isn’t pushing any new features or improvements to the device with this update. It’s all about the security fixes for this month. The rollout should soon cover carrier-locked units and also expand to international markets.
The June SMR rollout for the Galaxy A42 5G in the US also follows a similar pattern. Samsung is initially pushing the update to unlocked units. However, availability seems limited to users in Puerto Rico. The new firmware version for this aging mid-range smartphone is A426U1UES6EWF3. Samsung’s official changelog states that the phone is getting some system stability improvements along with the latest security fixes. A wider rollout of the June SMR for the Galaxy A42 5G may follow in the coming days.
That said, there’s no guarantee Samsung will push the latest security patch to this phone in every market. The Galaxy A42 5G is only eligible for bi-annual updates, which is two updates in a year. The Korean firm could skip a few monthly releases in some markets. As usual, you can check for new updates from the Software update menu in the Settings app on your Galaxy smartphone. If you don’t see any updates today, wait a few days and check again.
The June update for Galaxy devices contains dozens of security fixes
Samsung’s June 2023 update for Galaxy devices contains more than 60 vulnerability patches. The company’s official security bulletin mentions 11 Galaxy-specific patches and 50 Android OS patches, at least three of which are critical fixes. These security flaws could allow threat actors to cause severe damage to affected Android devices. You should install the latest security updates as soon as possible. We will keep you posted as more Galaxy devices receive Samsung’s June update.