Samsung no longer maintains a monthly security update schedule for the Galaxy S21 series, but the company continues to release patches regularly. The 2021 flagship trio is currently receiving the November 2025 security update, following the October patch released earlier. Samsung is expected to officially end support for this lineup next year.

Galaxy S21 Receives November 2025 Security Update

Since early this year, Samsung has transitioned the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra to a quarterly security update cycle. In theory, these devices should only receive new patches every three months. However, Samsung has continued to roll out updates nearly every month, keeping the devices more secure than initially promised.

The new update is currently rolling out in Europe with firmware version HYK1. This patch focuses on strengthening system security and improving overall stability, delivering a smoother user experience. Previously, Samsung disclosed that the November 2025 SMR addressed over 40 security vulnerabilities across various Galaxy devices.

Of course, the Galaxy S21 series no longer receives new features. Samsung ended feature updates for this trio long ago—the devices didn't even get upgraded to One UI 8. Recent updates are solely aimed at improving security and stability, ensuring the devices remain safe to use, especially since the Galaxy S21 is still popular in the market.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 FE remains eligible for monthly security patches. This model launched nearly a year after the S21 series and has already received One UI 8. It is expected to be upgraded to One UI 8.5 in the first half of 2026—the version that will debut alongside the Galaxy S26 in early Q1.

Galaxy users can manually check for updates by navigating to Settings > Software update > Download and install.