Galaxy Note 8
Samsung is rolling out a new security patch for its Galaxy Note 8 smartphone. Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

Samsung Electronics is finally rolling out its January 2018 security patch to the Galaxy Note 8 flagship phablet. The rollout has reportedly started after users in France shared online that they have received the latest security patch.

On Monday, SamMobile reported that Samsung has begun rolling out its January 2018 security patch to the Galaxy Note 8 smartphone. Owners located in France have apparently started receiving a notification about the latest software update.

According to the notification, the new security patch is clocking in at 707.49 MB. The changelog mentions the following changes:

The security of your device has been improved.
A software update can include, but is not limited to:
  • Device stability improvements, bug fixes.
  • New and / or enhanced features.
  • Further improvements to performance.

The notification also informs Galaxy Note 8 users that once the latest patch is installed, they will not have the ability to downgrade to an older version due to the updates to the security policy. It also warns that the phone’s temperature may temporarily increase during the software upgrade, but users don’t have to worry when this happens.

Even though the notification doesn’t specifically mention this, SamMobile pointed out that the latest security patch addresses certain vulnerabilities, which phone owners can learn more about by visiting Samsung’s official website for security patch information.

As with previous updates, Samsung’s January 2018 security patch will take time before it reaches all Galaxy Note 8 handsets. “While we are doing our best to deliver the security patches as soon as possible to all applicable models, delivery time of security patches may vary depending on the regions and models,” Samsung explained on its website.

To manually check if the security patch has already reached your area, head to your phone’s Settings > Software update menu. Doing so will inform you if there’s a new update available to your device. You may also just wait for the notification to pop up to know that the security patch has already arrived.

It took a while for the patch to arrive to the Note 8. Samsung first rolled out the update to some of its budget-friendly handsets, then to its older flagships before it made its way to the 2017 flagship device.

Speaking of flagship devices, Samsung is now expected to launch its highly anticipated Galaxy S9 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain next month. The S8’s successor is rumored to be a minor upgrade, but it is believed to come with a couple of new features including an upgraded rear camera system.