End of the Line: Samsung Drops Support for Galaxy S21 Series
TL;DR: Samsung has removed the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra from its update list, ending 5 years of support. The Galaxy S21 FE will continue to receive updates for another year.
Samsung has officially ended regular software support for its 2021 flagship lineup, the Galaxy S21 series. The company has removed the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra from its security update list for February 2026, marking the end of the road for these devices.
According to the updated schedule, these three models will no longer receive quarterly security patches or major Android OS upgrades. The move comes exactly five years after the devices were first launched in January 2021.
At launch, Samsung committed to providing four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates for the S21 series. The company has fulfilled this promise.
The lineup received its fourth and final major operating system update with Android 15 and One UI 7. Since then, the devices have continued to receive security patches, with the January 2026 update serving as the final release for the main trio.
While the main S21 models have reached their end-of-life status for software, the Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) remains supported. Launched approximately a year later in January 2022, the FE model operates on a different timeline.
Because it was guaranteed the same level of support, four major OS upgrades and five years of security updates, the S21 FE has at least one year of support remaining. Owners of the FE model can expect to receive quarterly security patches throughout 2026.
The retirement of the S21 series highlights how far Samsung’s update policy has evolved. While the S21 series was covered by a respectable five-year policy, Samsung has since extended its commitment significantly. Starting with the Galaxy S24 lineup, the company now offers seven years of both OS upgrades and security patches, matching the industry standard set by Google’s Pixel series.
