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Samsung is rolling out the November security update to the Galaxy S20 FE in the US. The latest security patch is also now available for factory-unlocked variants of the Galaxy S21 FE. Both phones have already received the update widely in international markets.
The Galaxy S20 FE gets the November security update in the US
The Galaxy S20 FE debuted in late 2020 running Android 10 out of the box. Over the past three years, Samsung has pushed Android 11, Android 12, and Android 13 updates to the phone. Unfortunately, that is all it will ever get. Android 14 will never reach the FE model. However, security updates will come for at least another year.
A few days back, Samsung rolled out the November SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the Galaxy S20 FE in international markets. The US version of the phone is now picking up the latest security patch. The update is available for carrier-locked units with the firmware build number G781USQSDHWK1. Unlocked units should get it soon.
This update only brings the latest security fixes to the phone. Samsung isn’t pushing anything more. The November SMR contains fixes for 65 security issues. These include Android OS patches and Galaxy-specific patches. At least five of those are critical vulnerabilities, potentially allowing an attacker to gain remote access to an affected phone.
If you are using a Galaxy S20 FE in the US, watch out for an update with these security fixes in the coming days. You will receive a notification prompting you to download the update over the air (OTA). You can also manually check for OTA updates from the Settings app. Go to the Software update menu and tap on Download and Install.
The new security patch is widely available for the Galaxy S21 FE
The Galaxy S21 FE is eligible for Android 14 but has yet to pick up the new Android version. In the meantime, Samsung has released the November security patch for the phone. Earlier this month, the latest security update was rolled out to the international versions of the device, followed by carrier-locked units in the US. The unlocked counterparts are now joining the party.
The November SMR for factory-unlocked Galaxy S21 FE is rolling out with firmware version G990U1UES9EWK1. The update will be available nationwide within the next few days. Samsung is expected to push Android 14 to the phone in the coming weeks. We will let you know when the update is released in the US.