![\"Galaxy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1764974048_328_0x0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This update decision comes as a surprise.<\/p>\n
AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Updated on Dec. 5 as Samsung starts to deploy its critical new update.<\/p>\n
Samsung has taken more than its fair share of criticism in recent months on the upgrade and update fronts. One UI 8 and now One UI 8.5 beta delays and a monthly security update that appears overly complex to users \u2014 users whose phones are out of action for a prolonged time when they do update, given the lack of seamless updates.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s some good news. Per SammyFans<\/a>, \u201cSamsung has surprised Galaxy S21 users with another software update.\u201d These are five-year-old devices that have now been relegated<\/a> from monthly to quarterly updates. \u201cBut Samsung has now released three updates in just over three months.\u201d And these are security fixes that matter.<\/p>\n The Galaxy S21\u2019s latest firmware release \u201cinstalls the November 2025<\/a> security patch, which improves system security and stability to provide a better Galaxy experience.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesSamsung One UI 8.5 Release\u2014This Changes AndroidBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n One of those improvements better protects the fingerprint sensor, preventing \u201cunauthorized access.\u201d Another is especially topical, enhancing the security of wired USB connections, which has become a major focus over recent months.<\/p>\n The USB defense \u201chelps protect the phone when plugging it into different devices or chargers,\u201d which defends against the controversial threat from juice jacking. This is when a public charging point is actually a computer, stealing data unlocked devices<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s topical because it\u2019s holiday season, which means airports, hotels and response. Public charging points \u2014 just like public Wi-Fi \u2014 becomes a much bigger deal.<\/p>\n Per SammyGuru<\/a>, \u201cthe update is now live in Europe, carrying the firmware build version HYK1. It improves overall device security and system stability, ensuring a smoother and more reliable experience. Samsung previously revealed that the November 2025 SMR addresses over 40 vulnerabilities across the Galaxy lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n These phones may be getting patched, but they\u2019re not getting upgraded. They\u2019ve reached the end of the road on that front. While it\u2019s good news that security fixes are coming early, this won\u2019t persist for long. If you have one of these phones, you should really upgrade to something newer that gets monthly updates as normal, not by exception.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the more critical December security update has also started to deploy. Per SammyFans<\/a>, the Galaxy-maker \u201chas now started rolling it out for one of the popular Galaxy A series smartphones, the Galaxy A34 5G.\u201d<\/p>\n December\u2019s update is huge. There are more than a hundred fixes across core Android and Samsung specific platforms. More importantly, Google<\/a> and CISA<\/a> warn that two of the vulnerabilities patched this month are under active attack. As such, for a Galaxy device to be considered secure, it needs to receive December\u2019s update as well.<\/p>\n