Samsung Ends Software Support for Galaxy Z Fold3

Samsung has officially ended software support for the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, five years after their August 2021 launch meaning both major Android upgrades and security patches are now finished for the pair.

The Fold3’s software journey ran through four major upgrades Android 12, 13, 14, and 15 before landing on One UI 7 as its final version last year. That matches exactly what Samsung promised back in a 2022 policy announcement, which extended four generations of Android/One UI upgrades and five years of security updates to the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 alongside the Galaxy S21 and S22 series. Samsung’s newer Galaxy devices now get a much longer seven-year commitment, but that policy doesn’t apply retroactively, so the Fold3 reaching its cutoff now is entirely consistent with what Samsung originally promised, not a change to it.

Samsung’s own update records show the Fold3 got one more update before support formally ended international firmware F926BXXSJJZH3 landed on September 3, 2026, carrying the August 2026 security patch, suggesting Samsung pushed a final patch out right up against the five-year mark rather than cutting things off early. The US variant reportedly got a similar August 2026 build too.

For anyone still using the phone, nothing stops working immediately. Apps continue to update through the Play Store and Galaxy Store as normal, but the underlying Android/One UI system itself won’t receive any further Samsung security maintenance going forward, leaving the device gradually more exposed the longer it stays on Android 15. Samsung’s own recommendation for anyone wanting continued security coverage is to move to a newer model, something that’s become an easier case to make given how much further the update runway stretches on devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and everything released after it, all of which fall under Samsung’s newer seven-year policy.

Samsung’s original 2022 policy announcement confirms the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 were included in the four-generation, five-year commitment from the start.

M Adnan Akram

M Adnan Akram is the founder and lead writer at Phoonomo, covering mobile technology with a primary focus on Apple and the broader smartphone industry, alongside emerging developments in AI. He follows product launches, spec leaks, and industry trends closely to keep readers informed with timely updates.