Samsung has been rolling out its latest security update, the May 2023 patch, to its many phones and tablets at quite a rapid pace – here’s the full list of Galaxy devices with the update.
Samsung May 2023 security update – here’s what’s new
Before Samsung adds its own fixes and improvements, the core foundation of each month’s update is the broader Android security update provided by Google. According to Samsung’s published details, between the May 1, 2023, and April 5, 2023 bulletins, there are fixes for four “Critical” severity issues and 78 issues of “High” severity.
Beyond that, the update also includes security fixes for Samsung-specific issues. For instance, two “Critical” issues in Samsung’s mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) allowed “local attackers to execute arbitrary code.” There are also eight issues of “High” severity and eight more listed as “Moderate,” though Samsung notes that not all issues are currently able to be disclosed.
Table of contents
Devices with the Samsung May 2023 security update
Each month, Samsung often has a tendency to update its devices in an order that favors its newest and most expensive releases, meaning the latest Galaxy Z Fold will often get patched weeks before last year’s Galaxy A series phones. However, this month, Samsung seems to have followed no strict order, releasing patches for high-end and mid-range devices alike nearly simultaneously.
The best way to know for sure if your current device should have an update available is to check for it in the lists below.
Each list will include a note on where the update first debuted and if it is also available in the United States. As usual, the latest additions will be marked in bold.
Galaxy S series
Each year, the Galaxy S series represents the pinnacle of Samsung’s vision for smartphones, especially if you opt for an Ultra model. Between the devices’ immense popularity and premium price tag, it’s no surprise that Samsung often offers updates to the Galaxy S series phones ahead of most other hardware.
While the Galaxy S23 was, surprisingly, not the first device to pick up the May 2023 patch – that honor goes to the Galaxy A10e, oddly enough – Samsung’s latest flagship was in second place, getting updated on May 2. Last year’s Galaxy S22 wasn’t far behind, with Snapdragon variants picking up the patch on May 5.
Skipping a generation, the Galaxy S20 series (including 5G variants) was next in line, as Samsung rolled the update out to those in Latin America starting May 9. Patches for the premium-yet-affordable “Fan Edition” phones, Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 FE, arrived the next day. Closing out the Galaxy S series devices that still receive monthly updates, the Galaxy S21 generation picked up this month’s patch on May 11.
- Galaxy S23 / S23+ / S23 Ultra – S91xBXXS1AWD1 (Released first in Europe)
- US: Available on carrier-locked devices.
- Galaxy S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra – S90xEXXS4CWD5 (Released first in Brazil)
- US: Available on unlocked devices.
- Galaxy S21 FE – G990EXXS5EWD4 (Released first in Brazil)
- Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra – G99xBXXU7EWE1 (Released first in Bulgaria)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy S20 FE – G780GXXU4EWD2 (Released first in Russia)
- Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra – G98xFXXSGHWD4 (Released first in Argentina)
Galaxy Z Flip/Fold series
Things are heating up in the foldables space, between the newly announced Google Pixel Fold and rumors about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. In the meantime, Samsung is continuing to take exceptional care of its customers, keeping their devices up-to-date and safe from security exploits.
The company kicked off its efforts on May 5, patching the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Flip 3. A few days later, on May 8, Samsung rapidly rolled out patches for another two generations of phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and 4 and Z Fold 3 and 4. Next, on May 16, the company released the same patch to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G.
- Galaxy Z Fold 4 – F936U1UES2CWD7 (Released first in the US)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy Z Fold 3 – F926U1UES3FWD7 (Released first in the US)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy Z Fold 2 – F916BXXS2JWE1 (Released first in Colombia)
- Galaxy Z Flip 4 – F721U1UES2CWD7 (Released first in the US)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy Z Flip 3 – F711BXXS4EWD9 (Released first in Colombia)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy Z Flip 5G – F707USQS4HWE1 (Released first in the US)
- US: Available on carrier-locked devices.
Galaxy Note series
In recent years, Samsung has shifted away from making the Galaxy Note series, its ultra-premium stylus-equipped smartphones. More Galaxy phones have adopted the series’ signature S Pen support – including a siloed stylus in the Galaxy S23 Ultra – while foldables are now Samsung’s ultra-premium offerings. That said, some Galaxy Note phones are still receiving regular updates, as promised at launch.
While the Galaxy Note 10 series is no longer slated for monthly updates, the phone received its scheduled quarterly update on May 8. We’re also expecting the Galaxy Note 20 series to get patched later this month, though this hasn’t happened yet.
- Galaxy Note 10 / Note 10+ – N97xNKSU2HWD2 (Released first in South Korea)
Galaxy A/M/F series
In addition to its premium-quality Android phones, Samsung also offers numerous affordable and mid-range devices in its Galaxy A, M, and F series. While these phones don’t always get the same pace of updates as their flagship cousins (quarterly vs monthly), Samsung does consistently roll out timely patches for these affordable phones.
Oddly enough, the first phone to get the May 2023 security patch was the Galaxy A10e, which was updated on April 24, before the new month even began. Once the month of May actually got underway, the updates became even more rapid, starting with the Galaxy A23 on May 3. The 5G variant of that phone wasn’t updated until May 9.
On May 5, Samsung released an update for the Galaxy A33 5G which, depending on where you live, either brings this month’s security patch or last month’s. That same day also brought updates for the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy M53. Meanwhile, the higher-end Galaxy A73 from last year got patched on May 10, with its sibling, the Galaxy A53, getting updated a day later.
Down at the most barebones end of Samsung’s phones, the Galaxy A13 picked up this month’s patch on May 11. The Galaxy A52s 5G was next up, on May 15. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A54 saw its update on May 16, followed by the Galaxy A22 5G on May 17.
- Galaxy A73 – A736BXXS3CWE1 (Released first in Brazil)
- Galaxy A54 – A546EXXU2AWDB (Released nearly globally)
- Galaxy A53 5G – A536EXXS5CWE1 (Released first in Argentina)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy A52s 5G – A528BXXS3EWD5 (Released first in Mexico)
- Galaxy A52 5G – A526BXXS3EWD8 (Released first in Europe)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy A33 5G – A336MUBS4CWD4 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy A23 5G – A236BXXS3CWD4 (Released first in Croatia)
- Galaxy A23 – A235FXXS2CWD1 (Released first in Ukraine)
- Galaxy A22 5G – A226BRUBS5DWE1 (Released first in Latin America)
- Galaxy A13 – A135U1UES3BWD2 (Released first in Latin America)
- US: Available on locked and unlocked devices.
- Galaxy A10e – A102NKOS3CWD1 (Released first in Korea)
- Galaxy M53 – M536BXXS2CWD1 (Released first in Bolivia)
Galaxy Tab series
In addition to being one of the most prolific Android phone makers, Samsung also provides the absolute best Android tablet experience on the market today. Unlike smartphones, however, Samsung generally only updates its tablets on a quarterly basis (before eventually dropping down to slower schedules), meaning each update is often more noticeable and impactful.
As you might expect, Samsung started this wave of tablet updates with its newest models, the Galaxy Tab S8, S8+, and S8 Ultra, on May 4. Continuing to the next generation, the Galaxy Tab S7 series got its own patch on May 11, while the “Fan Edition” model was a few days behind. That same day, Samsung also updated its affordable Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
- Galaxy Tab S8 / S8+ / S8 Ultra – Xx06BXXU4BWD8 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Tab S7 FE – T733XXS3CWD1 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Tab S7 / S7+ – Tx76BXXU3DWD3 (Released first in Europe)
- Galaxy Tab S6 Lite – P615NKOS5FWD2 (Released first in South Korea)
How to check for the latest OTA on your Galaxy device
If your Samsung device is slated to have been updated already, but the May patch hasn’t arrived for you personally, you can try updating manually. Simply open the Settings app, tap “Software update,” and choose “Download and install.”
This article was first published on May 17 and most recently updated on May 17.
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