Nearly a decade later, Samsung has finally started supporting Android’s seamless updates feature, including on its new Galaxy S25 series.
Seamless Updates debuted in 2016 as part of Android Nougat and has since been used on Google Pixel devices and adopted by many other brands over time. But Samsung held on for a very long time.
This finally started to change in early 2024, when Samsung shipped its first Galaxy device with seamless updates available. The Galaxy A55 debuted in support, but Samsung didn’t follow the trend of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 released later in the year. Now, the company seems to be going all out by bringing seamless updates to the Galaxy S25.
On our Galaxy S25 Ultra, seamless updates are directly supported at the system level, as reported by Integrated app.
We’ll have to wait and see how seamless updates look on this device, but as seen on the Galaxy A55, updates are downloaded and installed in the background and then applied during a reboot. Previously, updates had to be downloaded first, then the phone would reboot to an installation screen, which could take several minutes, before fully powering back on with the new version. Seamless updates leave the phone fully usable while the update installs and only require a quick reboot to complete the installation.
In addition to the usability improvements brought by seamless updates, the A/B partition nature of the method also allows Android to revert to a stable software version in the event of a problem with a new update, as exceptionally rare as it could be.
Ultimately, the main reason anyone complains about seamless updates is because they’re “slow.” And that’s true, if you choose to sit and watch your phone install an update in the background. It’s much slower! But the vast majority of people don’t care. For many, it’s a miracle if the incoming update is installed. With Seamless Updates, as the name suggests, you get a much faster process for people who just use their phone normally, with the added benefit that it’s more secure in those rare cases where something something is wrong.
THE Galaxy S25 series is now available for pre-order on Samsung.com, with up to $1,200 in savings, plus an extra $50 off when you click our links and order within 30 minutes.
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