What you need to know
- Samsung has started rolling out the first software update for the Galaxy S26 series.
- The update mainly upgrades the security patch level from January to February 2026.
- Samsung is expected to resume its normal monthly security patch schedule for the Galaxy S26 soon.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is finally on sale starting today, and if you’re getting one of the new devices, you will likely see a software update as soon as you set up your phone.
Samsung has begun rolling out a new One UI 8.5 update for the Galaxy S26 series ahead of its launch. The update was first spotted by Droid-Life and carries the build number AZC7. It is about 550 MB in size, and if you are hoping it brings new features right away, you might be disappointed.
The first update for the Galaxy S26 series is mainly a security patch upgrade. Samsung launched the devices with the January security patch, and when we first powered on our units, we noticed the patch was already a month behind, even though the phones launched in late February.
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The new update doesn’t bump the security patch to March 2026, but instead brings the security patch level to February 2026.
It’s a bit unusual that Samsung has not yet rolled out the March 2026 security patch for the phones. However, we expect the company to return to its regular update schedule soon, either later this month or with the next monthly patch cycle.
We don’t know exactly what issues the update addresses. However, some early Galaxy S26 users have reported problems with Google Play Protect blocking certain apps from installing. It’s unclear whether this update resolves that problem, but it would not be surprising if Samsung resolves it soon.
If you own a Galaxy S26 series phone, you can install the update by heading to Settings > Software Update and checking for available updates.
Android Central’s Take
It’s good to see Samsung pushing an update for the new flagship series right away. Flagship phones should ideally ship with the latest security patches out of the box, and it looks like Samsung is at least trying to catch up quickly. Hopefully, the company gets the devices back on the regular monthly patch schedule soon.
