The August 2022 Android security patch is rolling out widely to Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 20 series. The last Note phones started picking up the new security update in the US earlier this month. The initial rollout only covered the unlocked units of the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. In recent days, the update has hit the carrier-locked versions and also expanded to other markets across Asia, Europe, and South America. All eligible units should receive the August SMR (Security Maintenance Release) in the coming days.
The latest update for the carrier-locked Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in the US comes with firmware version N98xUSQS2FVG6. Of course, the firmware version varies depending on the device model and region. So users in Asian, European, and South American markets would be picking up the same update with a different build number. But at the end of the day, it is the August SMR that everyone is getting.
This release doesn’t contain any new features or improvements. Samsung is only seeding this month’s vulnerability fixes to its last Note phones. The company has already revealed that the August SMR patches over 60 issues, about half of which are specific to its devices. These are flaws present in its software and other device components. The official release mentioned issues with Dialer, Samsung DeX, Knox VPN, App Lock, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and more.
Additionally, the August SMR contains fixes for more than 30 Android OS issues as well. These flaws affect the entire Android ecosystem, though some devices are safe from certain vulnerabilities. Among the issues patched by Google this month was a critical bug that allowed anyone to remotely execute code on a vulnerable device over Bluetooth.
Galaxy Note 20 series gets the August security update globally
Samsung has been rolling out these security fixes to its devices since the last week of July. It has seeded the August SMR to several dozen Galaxy smartphone and tablet models over the past three weeks. Simultaneously, it is also expanding the availability of the new security update globally.
If you’re using either the Galaxy Note 20 or the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and haven’t yet received the August security update, you should be getting it soon. As always, you will be notified about the OTA (over the air) rollout once available for your unit. You can also head over to the Software update menu in the Settings app and tap on Download and install to check for updates manually.