Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Feb 2017 Security Patch: How To Install AT&T’s Delayed Update

AT&T is finally rolling out a new security patch for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 phablet. The delayed update is also coming to the 3-year-old Galaxy Note 4 and the ruggedized Galaxy S5 Active.

Last Friday, AT&T updated its support page for the Galaxy Note 5 to indicate that the February 2017 security patch is now ready for download and installation on the Android 6.0.1-running smartphone. The update is clocking in at 167MB and it brings nothing more than security updates that help eliminate vulnerabilities in the Note 7’s predecessor.

The wider release of the security patch could be felt this Monday, so for users who want to check if it is has reached their device already, they should head to Settings and tap the About Device menu button. Clicking on the Check for System Updates button would then do the trick as it would notify the user if the security patch is ready for download.

If the OTA update is available, the user is recommended to initiate the download process. It’s best to download the security patch via Wi-Fi, so as not to incur additional charges. Prior to commencing with the installation of the patch, users are strongly advised to make sure that their Galaxy Note 5 handset has at least 50 percent battery life and is plugged into a power source. This is to prevent the phone from dying in the middle of the updating process that may last for a couple of minutes.

In addition to the Note 5, the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy S5 Active are also getting the February 2017 security patch. For the Note 4, the file size of the update is 137MB, while the Galaxy S5 Active’s security patch weighs 187MB, as per The Android Soul. To update the other two devices, one should follow the same steps as with the Note 5.

Security patches are important to mobile phones, since they address vulnerabilities and provide users with protection against hackers and exploits. AT&T is currently behind on its releases because Google is already rolling out the March 2017 security patch to select phones,