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Samsung has released the January 2024 Android security patch for the Galaxy S21 FE. The Fan Edition (FE) device is currently picking up the latest security update in some European countries. A wider rollout should follow soon. The Galaxy Note 20 series, meanwhile, is now receiving the update in international markets following the US release a few days back.
Galaxy S21 FE gets the January 2024 security update
First spotted by SamMobile, the January SMR (Security Maintenance Release) is now available for Galaxy S21 FE users in Ireland, Spain, and the UK. The update comes with the firmware build number G990BXXS6FWL5. The build number may vary in other regions but the content of the update will remain the same. Samsung’s changelog confirms that the device is only picking up this month’s security fixes.
“The security of your device has been improved,” the official release notes state. The January 2024 security release for Galaxy devices contains fixes for 80 vulnerabilities. 75 of those are Android OS patches coming from Google, including one critical issue. The remaining five vulnerabilities don’t exist on Android OS but exclusively on Samsung products and system components.
If you are using the Galaxy S21 FE, the latest update will patch all of these vulnerabilities on your phone. Samsung has already pushed the January SMR to the Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3. The updates may not be available globally but it is just a matter of time now.
As usual, you will get a notification once a new update is available for your Samsung smartphone. You can tap on the notification to initiate the download and complete the update. To check for updates manually, go to Settings > Software update and tap on Download and install. While the latest update doesn’t bring any new features, Samsung will push Android 14-based One UI 6.1 to most of these devices shortly.
The Galaxy Note 20 series is receiving the new security patch globally
Earlier this week, Samsung pushed the January update to the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in the US. The last two Note-branded phones are now receiving the new SMR globally. The update is available in Europe and Latin America with the firmware build number N98*FXXS9HXA1. The Galaxy Note 20 series is done getting feature updates, so no One UI 6.1 for the lineup. It will get security patches at least until late 2024.