Samsung Ends Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 Updates, Cuts Fold 4 and Flip 4 to Quarterly
Samsung has revised the list of Galaxy devices it covers with firmware security updates, and two of its older foldables have fallen off it entirely. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 no longer appear under any update cadence, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 have been moved from monthly patches to quarterly ones.
What the support page now says
Samsung publishes a public scope page listing every phone, tablet and wearable it patches, split by how often those patches arrive. The monthly section for foldables now begins at the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, alongside the Z Fold 6, Z Fold 7, Z Fold Special Edition, Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 6, Z Flip 7, Z Flip 7 FE, Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z TriFold and the China-only W-series models.
One tier down, the quarterly foldable list contains exactly two entries: Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. They sit there next to the Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra and S21 FE. Quarterly means one security package roughly every three months rather than one a month.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are absent from both sections. There is no lower tier for them to fall into, so the practical reading is that Samsung has stopped patching the 2021 foldables. Both launched in August 2021 under a policy of four Android upgrades and five years of security support, which puts this change right on schedule rather than early.
The last monthly patch is going out now
The demotion arrives alongside one final routine update. The August 2026 security patch is rolling out globally to both fourth-generation foldables, carrying build F936BXXSCIZH4 on the Z Fold 4 and F721BXXSCIZH3 on the Z Flip 4, according to reports of the rollout.
That package is not a token release. Samsung's August maintenance bulletin covers 38 Android vulnerabilities passed down from Google — eight rated critical and 30 rated high — plus 18 Samsung-specific fixes the company tracks separately. Fifty-six issues in total.
What comes next will simply arrive less often. Samsung's own footnote on the page says these lists are reviewed periodically and can change again, and it also warns that individual carriers may ship quarterly builds even for phones listed as monthly.
No more Android version upgrades either
Feature updates for the Fold 4 and Flip 4 ended earlier. Both received One UI 8.0, based on Android 16, as their fourth and final platform upgrade, so neither will get One UI 8.5 or the One UI 9 build currently in beta on newer Galaxy hardware. Security patches are all that is left, and those run to 2027 under the five-year commitment the phones shipped with.
This is the second cut to Samsung's list in as many days. The wearable section lost the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic, whose August 2026 patch was their last. Newer Galaxy devices are moving the other way — the Galaxy A35 has just entered the One UI 9 beta in South Korea.
How to check where your phone stands
- Open Settings > Software update > Download and install to pull the August patch now if it has not reached you.
- Check your current patch level under Settings > About phone > Software information > Android security patch level. On a Fold 4 or Flip 4 this should read 1 August 2026 once the update lands.
- Turn on Auto download over Wi-Fi in the software update menu so the quarterly packages install without you watching for them.
- On a Fold 3 or Flip 3, expect nothing further. The phones keep working, but new Android flaws found from here on will not be patched.
Owners of the 2021 pair have a few practical options short of replacing the handset: keep Google Play system updates current, since Google still ships some security fixes through Play services independently of the firmware, and keep apps updated from the Play Store. Neither substitutes for a firmware patch, but both narrow the exposure.
Samsung has not published a separate announcement about the change. It shows up only as an edit to the scope page, which is where the company records these decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Galaxy Z Fold 3 still getting security updates?
No. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have been removed from every tier of Samsung's security update scope page, which lists the devices covered by monthly and quarterly patches. Both launched in August 2021 with a five-year security commitment, so support has now run its course. The phones continue to work normally, but newly discovered Android vulnerabilities will no longer be patched on them.
How often will the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 get updates now?
Once every three months instead of every month. Samsung has moved both phones from the monthly list to the quarterly one, where they sit alongside the Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy S21 FE. Security support for the Fold 4 and Flip 4 continues until 2027 under the five-year policy they shipped with.
What is in the August 2026 security patch for the Fold 4 and Flip 4?
Samsung's August maintenance release fixes 38 Android vulnerabilities inherited from Google, of which eight are rated critical and 30 high, plus 18 Samsung-specific issues the company tracks under its own advisory system. That is 56 fixes in total. The build is F936BXXSCIZH4 on the Z Fold 4 and F721BXXSCIZH3 on the Z Flip 4.
Will the Galaxy Z Fold 4 get One UI 9?
No. One UI 8.0, based on Android 16, was the fourth and final major software upgrade for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, which is what Samsung promised when they launched in 2022. Neither phone will receive One UI 8.5 or One UI 9. Only security patches remain, and those now arrive quarterly.
How do I check which security patch my Galaxy phone is on?
Go to Settings, then About phone, then Software information, and look at the Android security patch level line. To pull a pending update, open Settings, then Software update, then Download and install. Samsung also publishes the full device list and its update frequency on its mobile security site.
