What you need to know
- Samsung is reportedly rolling out its August 2026 security update late this month, including an important fix.
- Users on X highlight a Samsung official’s notice online, stating a fix for the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s red screen or “red stain” issue is in this update.
- Galaxy S26 Ultra users overseas noticed this problem when the device is at maximum brightness, often resulting in a red band or stain across their screen.
No, you didn’t miss it. Samsung is just now rolling out its August security update for stable Galaxy S26 users, and with it comes a long-awaited bug fix.
Late this week, SamMobile spotted the August 2026 security update rolling out for Galaxy S26 users overseas. The update is reportedly rolling out for users in South Korea first, which is typical for Samsung. Users on its Korean community forum pointed this development out, posting a screenshot of the patch hitting their S26. The publication highlights a hefty number of fixes involved in this August patch, but we’re putting that on hold.
SamMobile and Tarun Vats on X state this patch will likely hold the long-awaited fix for the red screen or red tint issue that’s plagued the Galaxy S26 Ultra. A Samsung official has started informing Korean users that a fix is now rolling out.
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As for what the security patch fixes, Samsung’s changelog states it’s rolling out seven “Critical” and 30 “High” level fixes. Among them, the notes state there’s a fix that could let malicious attackers “cause device inoperability” on a Galaxy device. Several fixes for the Samsung Contacts app are rolling out, alongside a fix to stop hackers from accessing a Galaxy phone’s SIM card. Once again, Google has not listed its extensive changelog for Framework fixes and more on the Android Security Bulletin.
Fixing some struggles
Android Central’s Take
Fixes are always good. If you have an S26 Ultra, keep an eye out. The patch is in Korea for now, but should make its way onto U.S. phones late (late) in August, and likely into September. Now, regarding the Privacy Display… I like this feature. My thing is, I’ll wait a bit until it’s better. Hopefully, it’s better on the S27 Ultra, and I mean better to the point that Samsung can solve the screen being dimmer than previous models.
It was in July that reports about a red screen/red stain on the Galaxy S26 Ultra surfaced. Users in Korea noticed this issue when the phone produced bright colors or when at maximum brightness. The area of redness varied. Some users noticed it appeared vertically on their S26 Ultra, while others reported wide strips across the display. What was a bummer was Samsung’s investigation.
According to its discovery, the S26 Ultra’s “new technology” was to blame. The only “new tech” to hit the Ultra this year, especially its display, was the Privacy Display. This tech is purely software, which is why we needed a patch to fix it. The good thing is that it seems that this issue should be fixed as of this week (keep your eyes out for the patch).
But the Privacy Display, while useful and incredibly attractive, isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. After the device launched, a report quickly surfaced, stating the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s screen isn’t as bright because of the Privacy Display. Compared to the S25 Ultra, the S26 Ultra is noticeably darker.