Galaxy S21 series gets second Android 13 update with November security patch

Samsung has been working around the clock to make sure Android 13 and One UI 5.0 make their way to eligible devices as quickly as possible. But that has come at the detriment of security patches, with Samsung taking considerably longer time than usual to release the November 2022 security patch.

The Galaxy S21 lineup is one example of how the Android 13 and One UI 5.0 update didn’t come with the latest security patch – the update was released with the October security patch in most countries. But Samsung is now bringing over the November security patch to the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra through what is the second Galaxy S21 series update that is based on Android 13.

You already got Android 13, now it’s time for some security fixes

A new update is rolling out to the Galaxy S21 series (not including the Galaxy S21 FE, which received the November 2022 patch less than a week back) in a dozen or so European markets. It comes with firmware version G99xBXXS5DVK1 and includes the November 2022 security patch. And, well, that’s about it.

This update is focused solely on improving device security, which means that if you were having some issues on the first official Android 13 release for the Galaxy S21 series, you probably won’t see them getting fixed with the new software update. In Samsung’s defence, though, the Android 13/One UI 5.0 update has been pretty stable for most flagships that have received it, so most users shouldn’t have any cause for complaint.

You can download the November security update for your Galaxy S21 series smartphone over the air from its Settings » Software update menu using the Download and install button. As usual, you can also rely on our firmware archive if you are a fan of manually upgrading to new firmware instead of waiting for an over-the-air release.

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