Samsung phones updated with January security patch bringing over 70 fixes

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy devices have just begun to receive the January security patch – the first one in 2024. The package has been spotted on devices in Europe for now but should be rolled out to users globally in the coming days.

Which devices will receive the security patch?

The security patch update should be available to Galaxy S23 users as firmware version S91xBXXS3BWL3, while users of the Galaxy S22 and S21 series of smartphones should look out for firmware versions S90xBXXS7DWL3 and G99xBXXS9FWL9 respectively.

In addition to the S-series of flagship devices, the update is also expected to make its way to the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5, the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4, as well as the A54 and Note 20 devices in the same wave. Strangely however, the Samsung Galaxy Fan Edition (FE) series of devices including the latest Galaxy S23 FE, doesn’t seem to be part of the line-up of devices receiving the security patch, for now at least.

What issues does the security patch address?

The January security patch is about 400MB in size and is packed with as many as 70 security fixes, including 67 labeled as high priority by Samsung, and one rated critical.

It turns out, that there was a bug in Samsung’s Bluetooth pairing process which would allow attackers to establish a connection with a user’s device remotely via the same, without their knowledge.

In addition to this, another bug would also allow Samsung DeX users to access notifications on others’ devices in a multi-device environment. The January security patch addresses both the aforementioned issues. Now, Samsung had also promised users a screen burn-in protection feature, which it said would arrive in January. However, whether this security patch includes the same, remains unclear as of now.

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As mentioned above, the security patch is currently available on Samsung devices in Europe. It is expected to be rolled out to users in the US hereafter, following which we could expect it to arrive in other international markets, including India.

How to update your Samsung devices

To check for new updates on your Samsung devices, head to the settings app on your device, and scroll down. Tap on the option that says, “Software update,” and hit “Download and install” on the following screen.

Here, should your devices happen to have to received any updates, the same should pop up on the screen. From there, all you have to do is tap on it and follow the on-screen prompts to install the same. While updating your devices, all you need to ensure is that you have a stable internet connection and that your devices are charged to at least 50 per cent.