By
Stephen Radochia
Published Feb 3, 2026, 11:40 AM EST
When Mitsubishi made your first cellphone, you know you’ve been around a while. Steve has carried the latest and greatest around in his pocket for nearly 30 years, with everything from Motorola StarTACs to Samsung Galaxys crossing his path. Early appearances on TechTV fueled his love of media, and when he isn’t writing, you’ll find him ranting on YouTube as StevealiciousTech.
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We knew this day was coming. The Galaxy S21 series was released before Samsung started offering seven years of software support. While the company delivered four years of major OS upgrades, the phone will no longer receive further updates.
Its last version upgrade was to One UI 7 on Android 15, and its final regularly scheduled security update was in November 2025.
We’ve learned (via SamMobile) that the Galaxy S21 series isn’t included on the list of supported devices for Samsung’s February 2026 update.
In addition, the Galaxy S22 series has moved to a quarterly update schedule, making it the next set of devices to be removed from the list. This change doesn’t mean your Galaxy S21 won’t be supported ever again. Samsung has a history of updating out-of-support devices when a particularly dangerous vulnerability is discovered.
The Galaxy S21 still has life left
Performance is solid
'
I understand why devices like the Galaxy S21 Ultra will no longer receive updates, but it’s still a shame. It's why I loved it when companies moved to extended support cycles. I recently wrote about why I enjoy the Galaxy S21 Ultra in 2026, as it offers a lot. Its Snapdragon 888 chipset delivers snappy performance, and with 12 GB or 16GB variants, there’s plenty of headroom for multitasking.
Its design holds up well, with Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back, and it has a premium feel. Even though support has ended, I’m glad the Galaxy S21 was left with One UI 7.
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Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, focused coverage of device software-support shifts like Samsung ending Galaxy S21 updates, and practical guidance on what those policy changes mean for security, usable life, and upgrade decisions across devices. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.It was a much-needed overhaul of Samsung’s software, and it’s given my Galaxy S21 Ultra new life. Its battery life isn’t great because the SD888 chip isn’t particularly power-efficient. However, its display is gorgeous, and the camera system is more versatile than you’d find on most midrange phones.
I wouldn’t recommend running out and buying a Galaxy S21 today, especially since it’s out of support. But it’s a perfect example of why longer support cycles matter. It’s a phone that’s perfectly capable and worthy in your pocket in 2026, and you shouldn’t be limited after four years. The Galaxy S21 is gone before its time, but thankfully, newer Samsung releases won’t suffer the same fate.
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