Android’s April update is rolling out to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 6 in the US — here’s what we know
The foldable phones are getting some added security
Samsung has begun to roll out its April Update for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 in the US.
Samsung’s official changelog for the new update indicates that it primarily focuses on fixing security issues and comes with the firmware build numbers F946USQS2CXCL and F731USQS2CXCL respectively. The update is only available to unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 models in the US.
The April 2024 update for Galaxy devices patches more than 40 security vulnerabilities found in the phone's software. Around 30 are Android OS patches from Google, including one critical fix. The remaining fixes come directly from Samsung and are Galaxy-specific security fixes. We don't know when the fix will come to unlocked devices in the US, but it will likely occur this month.
The April update does appear relatively minor compared to the March update and the recent One UI 6.1 update that brought the Galaxy AI features found on the Galaxy S24 series to other devices. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 finally received Circle to Search. We also installed the One UI 6.1 update on a Galaxy S23 Ultra and found it just as good as the S24 Ultra. There are also fewer overall security fixes than were in the March update, which had around 60 in total.
This update isn't exclusive to Samsung's phones either, as the April update for the Google Pixel included several camera improvements, including one that addresses a Pixel 8 problem that made automatic exposure adjustments inaccessible after the user tapped the screen to focus their image. This update also coincided with the Pixel Watch’s April update which included a new feature that allows it to tell the time using haptic feedback.
Security fixes are not the most dynamic updates, and can often be lost by the wayside. However, they offer users the best chance to protect their devices against evolving data and device safety threats. As such, we would always recommend users download them as soon as possible. If you want even more protection then check out our best VPN service list, and our best Antivirus software to help protect your phone.
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Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer.