Samsung's Android Update—What Galaxy Owners Must Do Now
Samsung will be delighted to put its One UI 7 rollout in the rearview mirror, and now seems to be accelerating its upgrade process after months of delays and frustrations. In addition to a raft of feature updates, the new OS brings major security and privacy improvements from both Google and Samsung, and a new, Apple-like ecosystem.
After waiting so long, Galaxy owners will be keen to jump straight in. But there's a timely note of caution from SammyFans before you do: The "essential practice of downloading apps updates that you should perform after completing the installation."
This won't come as a surprise — but it's easy to overlook as your phone reboots. Most of these updates will be around alignment with the new OS to ensure a seamless, bugfree experience. But there will also be security updates and patches that you need. 'A new OS update incorporates security patches and better data protection, which also improves user data stored within the app.'
But while updating third-party apps is fairly obvious, you also need to update stock Google apps on your phone and, just as critically, the background Play and other services that run your phone need to be updated. Open both Google's and Samsung's stores and check for updates. You'll also find services updates there.
There is a note of caution here. One recent background update that's causing controversy is Google's SafetyCore app. This was installed across Android's ecosystem some months ago without any notification or warning. It provides a content scanning capability that is run on-device and doesn't share data with Google or anyone else. Its first live application is scanning images for nudity within Google Messages, whether those are being sent or received. It's on by default for minors and off for adults.
You can find details on disabling this photo scanning and uninstalling SafetyCore here. It's likely to be reinstalled with future Play Services updates though, so check regularly if you do decide you don't want it on your phone.
Per SammyFans, here are step-by-step instructions on updating your apps:
"Google Play
Galaxy Store
Just as you finally get Android 15, its successor Android 16 has reached Beta 4. This is due for a stable release in the summer, likely July, and the question now is how much longer will Samsung owners wait behind Pixels for the upgrade. If you have a Galaxy S25 you should certainly expect a fast update. That has now become critical.
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