Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 series back in 2020, and at the time the Korean company pledged four years of software updates, including security patches. The support should have ended back in April 2020, but Samsung switched the update cycle for security patches from one to three months to prolong the Galaxy S20 series life a bit longer.
Well, now the time has finally come; the Galaxy S20 has been removed from the official update schedule page. All models from the series have already received the March 2025 security patch, which is effectively their final software update.
Should Galaxy S20 users upgrade?
The Galaxy A56 will get you in the AI game for not a lot of money
If you’re still rocking a Galaxy S20 device, it’s probably time to think about upgrading your phone. Samsung will still give you about $155 in trade-in credits for your old device, and you can get either the new S25 or opt for the Galaxy A56, which is an excellent bang for your buck and still faster and more advanced than your Galaxy S20 series.There’s an option to get the Galaxy S24 FE as well if you want to stay in the S-camp but still save some money.
Speaking of the Galaxy FE models, the Galaxy S20 FE users should start preparing for the end of software support as well. The model was also switched to quarterly security updates last year, which is a sign that it’s at the end of its support cycle.
Buy a second hand/refurbished Galaxy S24
There are discounts on the previous model, and you can always go second-hand as well | Image by PhoneArena
Buying a second-hand Galaxy S24 device technically also counts as “upgrading” but you’ll reap many benefits by going one generation back. The Galaxy S24 features will be supported for seven years, and given the model is just one year old, you’ll get six more years out of it, and also at a very attractive price.
I want to keep using my Galaxy S20!
You can keep using your Galaxy S20, just be careful! | Image by PhoneArena
For all of you that love your current phone and don’t want to upgrade, there’s a light inside the tunnel. Ending the software support cycle of a device doesn’t mean that it will stop working immediately.Here’s a detailed article of what you should do once your smartphone stops receiving updates, but in a nutshell there are a couple of really important things to consider:
- Install reputable antivirus software. Your Knox will still work but won’t be updated with the latest database of viruses and malware threats. There are free solutions you can use, such as Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Avira, and Norton, just to name a few.
- Be careful about downloading apps. Most apps on the Google Play Store are safe, as the company does checkups and sweeps for potentially dangerous apps regularly, but just to be on the safe side, don’t install suspicious apps.
- Avoid insecure networks. One major security threat is connecting to a free network. Stay on secured Wi-Fi networks, and don’t be tempted to latch onto a free one just to check your mail or watch a video if you’ve run out of data.
Install a custom ROM on your Galaxy S20 phone
OneUI is cool but you can always try a custom ROM on your old phone (thread carefully, though)
You can also try to install a custom ROM on your Galaxy S20, but going down that particular rabbit hole will require patience, energy, time, and a lot of effort. We normally advise people to stay away from rooting their phones and tinkering with custom ROMs, but that’s also an option, especially for a phone that no longer receives software updates.
