Samsung Galaxy S21 just got a big upgrade — here's everything that's new

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Galaxy S21 update includes camera improvements, better quick sharing and more

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you purchased a Galaxy S21, S21 Plus or S21 Ultra, there's a new update for your phone. This update offers some key new features, notably enhancements to the camera. 

It looks like European users get first dibs. Gizchina has a screenshot of the update changelog, so you can see Samsung is doing with this update. You'll notice that the May security patch is in there, even though we still have a little ways to go before the end of April.

Of course, the major part of this 1.15GB has to do with enhancing the camera performance. We're not sure what exactly is changing with the camera, because the Galaxy S21 cameras are already very good. If anything, I'd like to see the oversaturation of colors toned down and have the app be a bit quicker.

The update also includes some improvements to Quick Share, Samsung's wireless sharing system. You can bounce files between your Galaxy/Samsung devices with Quick Share, and this update will hopefully make the process quicker.

The update seems to be rolling out in Europe first via over-the-air (OTA). However, you might be able to trigger the update on your Galaxy S21 on your own. Simply head to Settings, then go down to Software Update. From there, select Download and install.

Your phone will ping Samsung's servers and you might get the update served up to your device. It's no guarantee, however, so don't be disappointed if the update software doesn't give you the update right away.

Updates like this usually come in a few hundred MB (unless it's a platform update), so it's interesting to see that this one is large, at 1.15GB. Given the size, these camera enhancements must be major. Samsung is staying tight-lipped on this one, so we'll just have to see next month.

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Jordan Palmer
Jordan Palmer
Phones Editor

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies.