The Galaxy S23, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 and 2023’s A-series phones stop at Android 17, with security patches running into 2028.
If you picked up a 2023 Samsung flagship, you’re getting your last major update. One UI 9, Samsung’s Android 17-based software, began reaching the Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra in South Korea on October 14, 2026, arriving in Europe a few days later.
A Samsung support representative reportedly confirmed in August that it’s the series’ final major OS upgrade, SamMobile reported, in an exchange shared by tipster Tarun Vats (below). The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 are in the same position and picked up One UI 9 in the US on October 23. None of these older Samsung models are going to suddenly stop working, though, and security patches will keep coming for the next few years.
https://x.com/tarunvats33/status/2085332758771982630
Every Galaxy model stopping at One UI 9
If you cast your mind back to early 2022, you might remember that Samsung promised up to four generations of One UI and Android upgrades and up to five years of security updates on selected Galaxy devices. The S23 dropped a year later on Android 13, so Android 14, 15, 16 and now 17 used up its four upgrades. It’s the same story for several other Samsung models from 2023, with the Galaxy S23 FE, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, A54, A34 and M54 all ending their Android upgrades this year. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 series is also on the same schedule, putting it among the Samsung Galaxy tablets receiving their final major Android upgrade.
Samsung hasn’t yet given the FE a One UI 9 release date, and it wasn’t part of the first S23 wave. The company also rolled out One UI 8 for the Galaxy S22 last year, but halted the phone’s One UI 8.5 update, even though both versions are built on Android 16. PhoneArena expects One UI 9.5 to debut on the Galaxy S27, and there’s precedent with the S22 that suggests Samsung won’t extend it to phones that have already used up their upgrades. In other words: S23 owners, don’t count on it.
What’s new for S23 owners in One UI 9
The S23 update adds a more customizable Quick Panel, improvements to Samsung DeX and Samsung Notes, new accessibility features, and a location privacy indicator. Samsung has also listed the S23 and S23 FE among the phones that support One UI 9’s AI-powered Privacy Alerts, while several other new Galaxy AI tools skip them. SamMobile’s compatibility table shows none of the four AI features added in One UI 9 (My FanCam, Now Nudge, custom Now Brief cards and Call Brief) running on the S23 series or the S23 FE. Unfortunately, the Galaxy AI section of Samsung’s Korean changelog for the S23 Ultra lists one thing: scrollback for live Interpreter conversations.
You’re not required to install One UI 9, even when there are features you should be using after updating, but One UI itself is Samsung’s version of Android rather than an app, and it can’t be removed. You can use a third-party launcher, but that only replaces the home screen and app drawer. After Samsung began rolling out One UI 8.5 in May, S23 owners began reporting permanent green or pink lines appearing on their displays.
Security patches continue into 2028
TechRadar lists 2028 as the final year the S23 series will get a security patch, along with the Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, A54, A34 and M54, in line with the five years from launch that Samsung’s 2022 policy promised. The S23, S23+, S23 Ultra and S23 FE are all still scheduled for monthly updates per Samsung’s security schedule, and the October 2026 security update bundled with the stable S23 build fixes 79 vulnerabilities.
According to Samsung, devices are removed from its monthly list as their support period expires. It’s worth noting that some carriers only deliver updates every quarter, even when Samsung pushes out monthly patches. If you own a carrier-locked model, you should expect patches to come less often over the next year, even if your phone is still within its support period. Patch deadlines are more important when it comes to things like banking apps and work email, which could fall victim to security-related vulnerabilities, rather than a lack of features. So, 2028 is the realistic latest replacement date for a 2023-era Galaxy.
Things are a bit different if you own a Galaxy S24 or later. Samsung changed its policy after the S23 went on sale and, at the S24’s launch in early 2024, it promised seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates. However, Samsung decided that wouldn’t retroactively apply to phones already on the market, like the S23. Luckily, Samsung brought One UI 9 to the Galaxy S26 in September, and it will be supported until 2033.
