Samsung has started rolling out the June security patch to the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge a few days in advance.
The Korean company has been releasing security patches to its smartphones on a monthly basis to safeguard them from latest vulnerabilities. Reports suggest that the June security patch is available for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge customers on Orange in Spain.
It is highly likely that more operators in other countries will also release the update soon. Samsung has a big lineup of mobile phones, so the company may roll out the patch to other devices in the next couple of weeks.
This is not the first time Samsung has released a monthly security update some days ahead. The Galaxy Note 4 received the May security patch towards the end of April.
Android devices are vulnerable to security threats by hackers. Smartphones are also used for checking emails, making financial transactions and more, which involves the use of personal and sensitive data. Customers do not want that their personal data is compromised in any way while using a smartphone. However, Android device owners are regularly targeted by hackers. In July 2015, security experts found the Stagefright bug, which threatened about 950 million Android device owners around the world.
With the Stagefright bug, hackers could gain access to a mobile phone just by sending an MMS. Device vendors and carriers released updates to minimize threats, but the securities of many handsets were compromised.
Following the Stagefright threat, Google started releasing monthly updates to Nexus devices to keep them up to date with latest threats. Many handset makers such as Samsung, LG and HTC also announced that they will release a security patch every month soon after Google releases the software to its partners. This step allows mobile phone makers to keep their devices safe on a regular basis.
Android phone owners should note that the security patches do not bring along new features. It is always good practice, though, to download the latest security updates to a phone as soon as they are received.
Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge customers should get a notification when the update is available. Customers can also go to Settings > About device, and then tap on Download updates manually to see if the latest security patch has arrived.
Photo: Maurizio Pesce | Flickr
