Samsung Rolls Out First Galaxy S26 Update With February 2026 Security Patch

Samsung pushed the Galaxy S26 series' first over-the-air update last week, a roughly 550 MB firmware package carrying the February 2026 Android security patch that fixes 37 security vulnerabilities, according to SamMobile. The update covers all three models in the lineup: the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The rollout began in South Korea before expanding to Europe and India, and by March 10 U.S. build strings had surfaced for all three devices. The American builds landing on devices identify as S942USQS1AZC7 for the standard S26, S947USQS1AZC7 for the S26+, and S948USQS1AZC7 for the S26 Ultra. Any of those build numbers, or more simply a PDA version ending in AZC7, confirm the update is installed.

The timing is notable because the Galaxy S26 series launched in late February with the January 2026 security patch already loaded, meaning the phones were a month behind on day one. Android Central, which labeled the package the first One UI 8.5 update for the S26 family, noted the phones "launched in late February" and that "the patch was already a month behind." The February update does not advance the patch level all the way to March 2026, which Android Central called "a bit unusual," though the outlet added it expects Samsung "to return to its regular update schedule soon, either later this month or with the next monthly patch cycle." Once the March patch arrives, 9to5Google noted, the S26 series should fall into the standard front-of-line monthly cadence going forward.

Beyond the 37 security fixes, the update is described across sources as primarily a stability and firmware refinement release rather than a feature drop. "The update is mainly for security and stability," SammyFans wrote. "It fixes issues in the system and helps the phones run more smoothly." One lingering question for early adopters: some Galaxy S26 users reported a bug where Google Play Protect incorrectly blocks certain apps from installing, and it remains unclear whether the AZC7 build addresses that problem. Both Android Central and 9to5Google flagged the issue as unresolved as of their reporting.

The update file lands at "over 500 megabytes" according to SammyFans, while Android Central put the figure at about 550 MB, with both noting that the exact download size varies by model, region, and carrier. To check for the update, navigate to Settings, then Software update, then Download and install.

The S26 rollout also landed the same week Samsung pushed February 2026 security builds to a wide range of existing devices in the U.S., including the full Galaxy S25 series, Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Flip 6, and several FE models. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 were added to that list on March 10 as well, picking up builds F926USQSFKZB6 and F711USQSGKZB6 respectively.