Samsung continues to ramp up the pace of its software updates this week. The January 2026 security patch has now landed on a wide array of Galaxy devices across multiple tiers, covering everything from mid-range smartphones and premium flagships to tablets and ruggedized models.

The latest wave of updates includes the Galaxy A26, A53, the S21 series (S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, and S21 FE), the foldable Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, as well as the Tab A9+, Tab Active 5 Pro, and XCover 7.

Starting with the mid-range segment, the Galaxy A26 has received the update in markets including Vietnam, Thailand, and Iraq, carrying firmware version A266BXXS7BZA3. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A53 update has kicked off in South Korea with build number A536NKSSEGZA1.

In flagship territory, the Galaxy S21 trio (S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra) is also receiving the January 2026 patch in South Korea, identified by version G99xNKSSCHZA5. Notably, the update cadence for the S21 series has become somewhat fragmented recently. While some regions received the December 2025 patch, South Korea skipped it entirely. This inconsistency suggests the series may be entering the twilight of its software support lifecycle.

The Exynos variant of the Galaxy S21 FE is seeing a broader rollout, hitting markets like Brazil, Malaysia, Turkey, and Iraq with firmware G990EXXSLHZA1.

On the foldable front, Samsung has pushed the January patch to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 in South Korea, bearing versions F936NKSS6IZA1 and F721NKSS6IZA1, respectively.

The update isn't limited to standard smartphones; large-screen and rugged devices are also getting attention. The Galaxy Tab A9+ (Wi-Fi model) has started updating in Korea with version X210XXSAEZA1. For rugged devices, the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro is being updated in Vietnam, Thailand, and Iraq (build X356BXXS5BZA2), while the Galaxy XCover 7 has picked up the patch in Europe, Turkey, and Iraq with version G556BXXSDDZA1.

According to Samsung’s documentation, the January 2026 SMR (Security Maintenance Release) addresses 55 vulnerabilities identified by Samsung, Google, and other partners. The update focuses purely on system security and stability improvements, with no new features included.

Users with eligible devices can manually check for the update by navigating to Settings > Software Update > Download and Install. As always, the rollout is phased, so availability may vary by region and carrier.