Is the Galaxy S21 FE Still Supported? (October 2026)

Updated

Short answer: yes, but only just. As of 17 October 2026, Samsung's official security page lists the "Galaxy S21 FE 5G" under quarterly security updates, not monthly. Its newest update brings the August 2026 security patch (rolling out from late September 2026). It already got its last major Android upgrade, One UI 8 (Android 16), in late 2025. Samsung promised it five years of security updates from its January 2022 launch, so our estimate is that support ends around early 2027. Samsung doesn't publish an exact end date.

The facts (checked 17 October 2026)

Launched11 January 2022 (announced 4 January 2022), with Android 12 / One UI 4
Samsung's promiseUp to 4 generations of Android upgrades and up to 5 years of security updates
Last major upgradeOne UI 8 / Android 16, rollout started 23 October 2025
Update schedule nowQuarterly security updates (Samsung's official list)
Latest patch levelAugust 2026 (e.g. Verizon release on 22 Sep 2026)
Official end-of-support dateNone published by Samsung
Expected endAround early 2027 (our estimate, based on the 5-year promise)

Samsung's security update page sorts phones into lists: "Current Models for Monthly Security Updates" and "Current Models for Quarterly Security Updates" (Samsung also mentions biannual updates, but no biannual list is shown right now). The S21 FE appears only on the quarterly list, next to the Galaxy S22 series. Samsung adds that the list "is subject to change" and is "reviewed on a periodic basis", which is how phones get dropped once their support period is over.

The promise comes from Samsung's own announcement of 10 February 2022, which names the "Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S21 FE" among the phones getting four generations of One UI and Android upgrades and up to five years of security updates. The S21 FE launched with Android 12, so its four upgrades were Android 13, 14, 15 and 16. 9to5Google and Android Central reported the One UI 8 rollout starting on 23 October 2025 as its final major OS upgrade. SamMobile reports that it won't get One UI 8.5 or One UI 9.

How much longer will it get updates? (our estimate)

Samsung doesn't give an end date, but its older phones show the pattern. The regular Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra launched in January 2021 with the same five-year promise, and Samsung dropped them from its update lists from the February 2026 cycle, about five years after launch. The S21 FE launched one year later, in January 2022. If Samsung treats it the same way, it should leave the list around January or February 2027, and its last regular update could arrive late 2026 or early 2027.

Quarterly also means fewer updates and older patches. Recent S21 FE updates brought the May, June and August 2026 patch levels (Verizon's update log), and SamMobile notes the latest one installs the August patch even though Samsung's October 2026 patch was already out.

What happens after support ends?

  • No more security patches. The phone keeps working, but new Android and Samsung security holes won't be fixed on it.
  • Out-of-cycle fixes are rare. Samsung sometimes ships a one-off patch for a serious flaw on an older phone, but there's no schedule or promise.
  • Apps keep working for a while. Android 16 is recent, so most apps will run for years. Banking and payment apps may eventually demand a newer patch level, not overnight.

See Is the Galaxy S21 still supported? for what that looks like on the regular S21, and When does the Galaxy S22 stop getting updates? for its quarterly neighbour.

What should you do?

  1. Install the latest update now: Settings → Software update → Download and install. Check the security patch level under Settings → About phone → Software information.
  2. Keep using it, but plan a replacement. An S21 FE is fine for banking, DigiD and work email for now, but budget for a new phone in the coming months.
  3. Don't buy a used S21 FE in 2026. It has only a few months of expected support left. A Galaxy S23 or newer is a better pick: Samsung lists the S23, S23 FE, S24, S25 and S26 series for monthly security updates, and since January 2024 Samsung has extended support for newer Galaxy devices by up to 7 years.

Buying a used replacement?

A cheap used phone can still be a bad deal if it's locked to someone else's account, reported stolen, carrier-locked or close to its own end-of-support date. Our own guide, Safe to Buy Used? The Second-Hand Phone & Gadget Checklist, walks you through every check before you pay. It's a paid PDF we make ourselves; you can also check models for free on our Galaxy S21 page, Galaxy S23 page, Galaxy S24 page and the full device list.

If you're replacing it, our ranking of the best used or refurbished phones to buy in 2026 shows which models have the most years of updates left.

Looking for a replacement with years of updates left? Compare prices for Galaxy S23 at bol.com or Galaxy S24 at bol.com (search results; check the seller, condition and warranty before you buy).

Affiliate disclosure: bol.com links are affiliate links; we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.

Sources

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