Last updated: April 10th, 2026 at 15:14 UTC+02:00
SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships, we may earn a commission.
Reading time: 7 minutes
Software updates bring new features and improvements to your Samsung phone, but they can also change settings you’ve carefully customized. After installing an update, some of your preferences might reset to default values, privacy settings could be altered, and new features might be enabled without your knowledge. Taking a few minutes to review your phone’s settings after each update helps ensure your device works exactly the way you want it to.
Whether you’re using a Galaxy S series phone, a Galaxy A device, or any other Samsung smartphone, checking these important settings will help you maintain control over your privacy, performance, and overall user experience.
Software updates can reset certain settings to their default values, potentially changing your privacy preferences, notification behavior, and performance optimizations you’ve previously configured. Updates may also introduce new features that are automatically enabled, which could affect your battery life, data usage, or privacy without your knowledge.
Samsung’s One UI updates often include changes to the settings menu structure, moving options to different locations or renaming them entirely. What used to be under “Display” might now be found under “Advanced features,” making it harder to find your preferred configurations. Additionally, some updates add new permission requests for apps or enable location services for features you might not want to use.
Security patches and major version updates are particularly likely to modify settings. Samsung sometimes enables new advertising features, changes default app permissions, or adjusts power management settings that could impact how your phone performs throughout the day. By checking your settings after each update, you maintain control over your device’s behavior and ensure it continues to work the way you prefer.
Start by checking your app permissions in Settings > Apps, where you can review which applications have access to your camera, microphone, location, and contacts. Updates sometimes grant new permissions to existing apps or reset permissions you’ve previously denied, potentially giving apps more access to your personal information than you intended.
Navigate to Settings > Location to verify that your location-sharing preferences haven’t changed. Samsung updates occasionally enable new location-based features like “Improve accuracy” or “Google Location History” that share your whereabouts with additional services. Turn off any location services you don’t actively use to preserve both privacy and battery life.
Check your advertising settings under Settings > Privacy > Customization Service. Updates may reset your opt-out preferences for personalized ads, meaning Samsung and Google could start tracking your app usage and browsing habits again. Disable “Customization Service” if you prefer not to receive targeted advertisements based on your device usage patterns.
Review your Samsung account privacy settings by going to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung account > Privacy. Look for new data-sharing agreements or diagnostic information sharing that might have been enabled during the update process.
Open each of your frequently used apps to verify that they launch correctly and function as expected, paying special attention to apps that handle sensitive information like banking, email, or photo storage. Some apps may require updates themselves to work properly with the new software version, while others might require you to log in again or reconfigure certain features.
Check your default app assignments by going to Settings > Apps > Choose default apps. Updates sometimes reset which apps handle specific tasks like opening web links, sending text messages, or playing music files. If your preferred browser, messaging app, or music player is no longer set as the default, you’ll need to reconfigure these preferences.
Test apps that use special permissions like camera access, microphone recording, or file storage. Banking apps, video-calling applications, and photo-editing tools are particularly sensitive to permission changes and may stop working correctly if their access has been modified during the update.
Look for any apps that display error messages, crash frequently, or behave differently than before. If an app isn’t working properly, try clearing its cache through Settings > Apps > [App name] > Storage > Clear cache, or check the Galaxy Store or Google Play Store for available updates that address compatibility issues with the new software version.
Review your battery optimization settings in Settings > Battery and device care > Battery, as updates often reset power management preferences that help extend your phone’s battery life. Check whether your preferred power-saving mode is still enabled, and verify that apps you want to run in the background haven’t been restricted by new battery optimization features.
Navigate to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background app limits to ensure important apps like messaging, email, and navigation can still run when you’re not actively using them. Samsung updates sometimes enable aggressive battery optimization that prevents apps from receiving notifications or updating in the background, which could cause you to miss important messages or calls.
Check your adaptive battery settings under Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > More battery settings. New updates may enable or disable features like “Adaptive battery” or “Put unused apps to sleep,” which learn your usage patterns to optimize performance but might initially restrict apps you use regularly.
Review your device performance mode by going to Settings > Battery and device care > Performance. Updates sometimes reset your performance preferences to “Optimized” mode, which might reduce processing power to save battery life. If you prefer maximum performance for gaming or demanding apps, you may need to switch back to “High performance” mode.
Verify that your screen lock method is still configured correctly by going to Settings > Security and privacy > Lock screen, ensuring your PIN, password, pattern, fingerprint, or face recognition settings remain active and properly configured. Updates occasionally reset biometric authentication, requiring you to re-register your fingerprints or face data for secure access.
Check that Samsung Knox security features are still enabled under Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings. Look for “Secure Folder” if you use it to protect sensitive apps and files, as updates sometimes disable this feature or require you to set it up again with a new security method.
Review your two-factor authentication settings for your Samsung account and any other accounts linked to your device. Some updates modify how authentication apps work or change security notification preferences, potentially affecting how you receive security codes or login alerts.
Confirm that automatic security updates are still enabled in Settings > Software update > Auto download over Wi-Fi. This ensures your phone continues receiving important security patches without requiring manual intervention, helping protect your device against newly discovered vulnerabilities.
Taking time to review these settings after each update helps you maintain control over your Samsung device’s behavior, privacy, and security. While updates bring valuable improvements and new features, ensuring your personal preferences remain intact makes the experience more enjoyable and helps keep your information protected. We recommend bookmarking this checklist so you can quickly review these important areas whenever your Samsung phone receives its next software update.
Daniel is the proud co-founder of SamMobile. He joined the SamMobile team in 2011. Most of his spare time is spent enjoying nature (and life in general) with his wife & dog, friends, and family.
