You will soon require a Samsung account to access the Galaxy Store

Right now, apps can be downloaded and updated from the Galaxy Store even if you don't have a Samsung account added on your Galaxy smartphone or tablet. That will change on September 25. You will be prompted to log in to your Samsung account when you try downloading apps. The same goes for updates—both manual and automatic—as well.

Samsung says this account requirement applies to downloading and updating both third-party and official Samsung apps. However, the company also notes that some Samsung apps may be able to update themselves without a Samsung account.

Some Samsung apps will not require an account for updates

As for Samsung apps that come pre-installed on Galaxy devices, each app will have its own policy for whether or not an account is required for updating them. That policy will likely be revealed through the notices section of those apps.

So, to recap:

1. A Samsung account will be necessary for downloading and updating third-party apps.
2. For third-party apps, both manual and automatic updates will require an account.
3. A Samsung account isn't a requirement for updating Samsung apps that come pre-installed on Galaxy devices (however, the company suggests this may be on a case-by-case basis and that users will have to check an app's policies to find out whether or not it will need an account for updating).
4. For optional Samsung apps that don't come pre-installed, details are fuzzy, but we are assuming they will be treated as third-party apps.

The Samsung account requirement may disappoint some users, but for most customers, it may not matter. While Samsung pushes the Galaxy Store as a serious alternative to the Play Store, and many major app developers publish their apps on both stores, the Play Store is likely what most customers use to download apps.

The average customer probably doesn't manually update apps nearly as much as tech-savvy users, either. That may be why Samsung isn't forcing pre-loaded apps to require a Samsung account for updates.

A Samsung account is already required for accessing some Samsung apps, including apps like Samsung Health and Samsung Pay. It's also necessary for some Galaxy AI features. Services such as Samsung Find, which helps you locate your phone, tablet, smartwatch, and other Galaxy products, require a Samsung account as well.

A Samsung account also lets you sync data across different Galaxy devices. Last but not least, it lets you manage other Samsung products, such as smart TVs and home appliances, from your Galaxy phone or tablet.

You can create a Samsung account on the company's website here. You can log in to a Samsung account on your Galaxy phone or tablet from its Settings » Accounts and backup » Manage accounts menu.