Newsletter
Samsung‘s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldables are receiving a new software update. The latest release adds several new features, including smart widgets and protection against malicious apps, which rolled out to the Galaxy Note 20 series last week.
Currently available to users in South Korea, the new update for the foldable duo adds a “Disallow All” option to the settings page from where you can control the installation of apps from unknown sources, i.e. sideloading of APKs. If you turn on this toggle, your phone will not allow you to sideload apps. Additionally, it will check for any malicious apps already installed on the device and accordingly alert you. For example, it can find apps that have a known history of spam, scam, or phishing activities. You will be able to manage those apps from this setting page.
This added functionality is on top of the existing option that lets you allow APK sideloading on a per-app basis. So if an APK package is verified to be safe, or you trust the source, you can always install it.
Samsung first announced this feature in mid-May. The Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra received it last week. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 soon joined the party as well. This rollout should soon cross South Korean boundaries and reach Samsung foldable users in other markets. We will let you know when it becomes available to the US units. Perhaps the June security update will bring the new feature, we shall find out soon.
Smart Widgets finally arrive on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3
Samsung introduced a pretty useful Smart Widgets feature with One UI 4.1 on the Galaxy S22 series earlier this year. It lets you de-clutter your homescreen by intelligently overlapping similar widgets. While the new One UI version has rolled out to several other Galaxy smartphones and tablets over the past few months, most of those didn’t get Smart Widgets, not even the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. The foldables are now picking up the feature, though.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also getting a vibration effect while calling. The changelog doesn’t go into detail but we assume the device would vibrate when the call connects. There’s no mention of such a feature in the changelog for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The latest update for the foldable duo should soon reach more markets.