Pedestrians walk past an advertisement for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 smartphones at an underground shopping area in Seoul on October 8, 2021. JUNG YEON-JE/GettyImages.com

Samsung removed the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 from its official security update page on September 8, 2026 — the same day Google published the September 2026 Android Security Bulletin patching 26 critical vulnerabilities in Android 15, the exact operating system version these devices are permanently frozen on. You can read Samsung's final Fold 3 update coverage at Android Central. The September bulletin includes critical remote code execution flaws in the Android System component where no user interaction required for exploitation — meaning an attacker in the right position does not need to trick a Fold 3 or Flip 3 owner into tapping anything. Those devices will never receive that patch, or any patch that follows.

Samsung fulfilled exactly the support window it promised at the time of the phones' August 2021 launch: four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches. That commitment has been kept. What the company did not promise — and what the industry's standard has become in the years since — is the seven-year update window now attached to every flagship Samsung launches.

What Happens to Unpatched Android Devices

To understand what end-of-support actually means, it helps to know how Android security patches reach your phone. Google compiles a monthly Android Security Bulletin process assigning CVE IDs — unique identifiers for discovered vulnerabilities — to every flaw, categorizing each by severity. Google gives Samsung and other hardware partners roughly a month of early access to this information before the public bulletin goes live. Samsung then builds those patches into a new firmware build and distributes it wirelessly to supported devices.

When Samsung removed the Fold 3 and Flip 3 from its security update page, it stopped building firmware for them. The devices' software is permanently frozen at the August 2026 patch level — final firmware version F926USQSHKZH2 for the Fold 3 and F711USQSIKZH2 for the Flip 3.

The Fold 3 and Flip 3 run Android 15 with One UI 7 — and so does the September 2026 bulletin's highest-severity vulnerability list. Google's bulletin explicitly covers Android 14 through 17. The 90-plus flaws patched this month — including 26 rated critical and 68 rated high severity — will all remain unaddressed on any Fold 3 or Flip 3.

One additional layer of risk applies specifically to these devices: both the Fold 3 and Flip 3 use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, which has its own separate stream of Qualcomm chipset-level CVE disclosures. Those chipset patches also stop flowing when Samsung stops building firmware. Google Play Protect — the runtime scanner Google runs on all Android devices — can detect known malware at the app layer, but it cannot close OS-level vulnerabilities that allow privilege escalation before any app runs.

The August 2026 patch that the devices did receive was not a trivial one. It addressed 58 vulnerabilities, including 38 CVE items from Google and 18 Samsung-specific security vulnerability entries. That is the last maintenance these devices will receive. Everything disclosed after August 2026 is now accumulated exposure with no fix date.

Samsung Kept Its Promise — but the Bar Has Since Moved

The Fold 3 and Flip 3 launched in August 2021 under Samsung's then-standard support commitment: four major Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches. Both phones received four Android OS upgrade history — Android 12L, Android 13, Android 14, and Android 15. The security patches arrived monthly for the first four years, then shifted to a quarterly schedule in September 2025 — a sign that the support window was entering its final phase.

Samsung introduced Samsung's seven-year update promise alongside the Galaxy S24 series in 2024, applying it to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and every flagship launched since. A Galaxy Z Fold 8 purchased today will receive security patches through approximately 2034. A Fold 3 purchased on launch day received its last one last week. The generational difference is two full years of protection — not a gap in Samsung's honesty, but a gap in the industry's expectations that evolved around the phones after they shipped.

The Z Fold 3's defining feature additions — IPX8 water resistance, S Pen support, and a 120Hz outer display — helped move book-style foldables from novelty toward credibility. The Z Flip 3 went further: it was the first clamshell foldable priced under $1,000 at launch, bringing the form factor to a broader mainstream audience. Samsung sold approximately 2.5 million Fold 3 units; the Flip 3's volume was higher.

Who Is Next — and When

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 — both launched in August 2022 — moved to Fold 4 quarterly update schedule on September 8, 2026, the same day their predecessors were retired. Quarterly updates in Samsung's support structure signal a device's final year. Owners of the Fold 4 or Flip 4 should expect end-of-support around August or September 2027.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 received Android 16 as final OS with One UI 8 as its final major OS upgrade in October 2025. The Flip 4 did the same. Both are feature-complete on the software side; what remains is the security patch stream, now on a three-month cycle until Samsung stops that as well.

What Should Fold 3 and Flip 3 Owners Do Now

The decision depends on use case. A device running on an unsupported OS does not fail the moment patches stop — calls connect, apps open, photos save exactly as before. What changes is the security layer beneath all of that.

For users who handle banking apps, corporate email, or two-factor authentication on their Fold 3 or Flip 3, the unpatched gap is a real consideration. No-interaction RCE flaws in September can be exploited without the device owner doing anything visibly wrong: no suspicious link clicked, no sideloaded app installed. For more casual use — social media, navigation, camera — the immediate risk is lower, though it accumulates over time as more CVEs go unaddressed.

Samsung's trade-in program still accepts the Fold 3 and Flip 3. As of this week, the Fold 3 worth approximately $130 as an immediate discount toward a new device, a figure that will fall further as time passes.

For owners ready to upgrade, the current generation covers both form factors. Flip 3 owners can move to the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which ships with One UI 9 on Android 17 and carries a seven-year update commitment through 2034. Fold 3 owners who prefer the traditional book-style design will find the Fold 8 Ultra traditional book form the more direct successor; the Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a wider, shorter form factor and does not support the S Pen. Both new Fold 8 models come with the seven-year update window through 2034. Five years of using a Fold 3 or Flip 3 has provided considerable return on the original purchase. The argument for replacing it now is not urgency — it is that the window for doing so with the trade-in program still open, and the security gap still manageable, will not stay that way indefinitely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still use my Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Flip 3 safely after support ends?

The phone continues to function — calls, apps, camera, and messaging all work normally. What changes is the security layer. Any vulnerability discovered after August 2026 will remain unaddressed on your device permanently. For users who rely on their phone for banking, work email, or two-factor authentication, that is a meaningful risk that grows over time. The September 2026 Android Security Bulletin — published the same day Samsung ended support — already includes critical remote code execution flaws in Android 15 that the Fold 3 and Flip 3 will never receive.

What does "critical remote code execution vulnerability" mean for my phone?

A critical RCE vulnerability is a flaw that allows an attacker to run arbitrary code on your device remotely. When the September 2026 bulletin describes vulnerabilities in the Android System component that "require no additional execution privileges and no user interaction," it means exploitation does not require you to click a link, install an app, or do anything visibly suspicious. Google Play Protect monitors for malicious apps, but it cannot patch OS-level flaws that operate below the app layer. This is what makes the September 2026 gap specifically relevant for Fold 3 and Flip 3 owners.

When does the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 lose support?

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 moved to Samsung's quarterly update schedule on September 8, 2026 — the same day the Fold 3 and Flip 3 were retired. Quarterly updates signal the final year of support. Both phones are expected to receive their last security patches around August or September 2027.

Is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 a direct upgrade from the Fold 3?

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the traditional book-style successor closest to the Fold 3's design philosophy. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a new wider, shorter form factor and does not include S Pen support. Both models ship with One UI 9 on Android 17 and carry a seven-year software update commitment — which means security patches through approximately 2034, compared to the Fold 3's support that ended in August 2026.