Samsung’s belated new year’s gift to Galaxy A72 users is Android 14 update

The Galaxy A72, which was Samsung's priciest mid-range smartphone in 2021, was launched with Android 11 onboard. The phone is now getting its last major Android OS update: Android 14. The update is currently rolling out in Russia, but it should quickly reach other countries within a matter of a few days.

Galaxy A72 gets its last major Android OS update: Android 14 (with One UI 6.0)

The Android 14 update for the Galaxy A72 has firmware version A725FXXU6EWL4. Apart from One UI 6.0, the update also includes the December 2023 security patch, which is fairly recent. It is a big update with a download size of around 2GB, so we recommend downloading it using a Wi-Fi network. If you have a Galaxy A72, you can check for the new update by opening the Settings app, clicking on Software update, and tapping Download and install.

Another method to download the update is to flash the new firmware file manually. You would need to back up all your important data in a safe place, download the latest firmware file (with the firmware version mentioned above) from our firmware database, and flash it manually (using the Odin tool installed on a computer running the Windows OS). You need to be well-versed with the firmware flashing process to use this method.

Samsung launched the Galaxy A72 in 2021 with Android 11 pre-installed. The device received the Android 12 update in late 2021 and the Android 13 update in late 2022. Android 14 is its last major Android OS update, and it might get the One UI 6.1 update that will debut with the Galaxy S24 series later this month.

One UI 6.0 (Android 14) features for the Galaxy A72

According to the official changelog, the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update brings several new features and design changes to the Galaxy A72. It has a brand-new Quick Panel layout, the ability to access the full Quick Panel layout instantly by swiping down from the top-right side of the screen, and a bigger album art display while playing media.

The update also slightly improves the design and layout of notifications. Notifications can be sorted through time. You can reposition the clock widget on the lock screen, and it also has more styling options. The company has removed the term ‘Samsung' from app labels in the app drawer and the home screen. There is a new two-hand gesture that can be used to select multiple files/items from one place and move them to another place. The pop-up window for apps will stay open when you access the Recent Apps screen.

Samsung has updated the designs of all the emojis with One UI 6.0. While sharing images from any app, image previews will appear on the top of the Share Menu, so you can check one last time before sharing them. There is a new Weather Insights widget, and the stock Weather app displays more information, including atmospheric pressure, dew point, moon phases and times, snowfall, visibility distance, and wind direction. You can swipe around on the map and explore weather information of other places. It also shows more modern visuals and look and feel.

The Camera app now has a more intuitive and simple-to-use design. You can change the resolution easily, have more watermark options, and turn off swipe options to switch between front and rear cameras. There is a new Custom Camera widget, a level indicator, and an easier way to apply camera filters.

In the Gallery app, the image details section shows quick edit suggestions. It also has an improved view for Stories, letting you click thumbnails and add or remove images/videos from the Story. The two-hand drag-and-drop gesture works with images and videos in the Gallery app, and you can use it to select multiple images/videos in one album/folder and move them to another place.

The built-in Photo Editor has an enhanced layout, bigger controls, undo/redo options, adjusting decorations after saving images, and new text backgrounds and styles. The built-in Video Editor has been renamed to Samsung Studio, and it now supports timelines and drafts. The built-in Video Player has enhanced controls and playback speed options.

The Samsung Health has an improved look and feel and custom sizes for water cups. The Calendar app shows upcoming events and entries in chronological order, displays reminders, and allows the use of two-hand gestures to move events from one date/time to another. The improved Reminders app allows all-day reminders, an improved home screen, more reminder categories, and more options while creating reminders (like capturing images).

Samsung Internet now allows playing videos in the background and offers the two-hand gesture to move bookmarks from one folder to another. You can extract text from pinned content, switch to Bixby Text Call during an ongoing voice call, and find Quick Actions for apps from the Finder section. More Modes And Routines options/conditions are available, like changing the appearance of the lock screen, starting a routine when an app is playing media, and changing keyboard settings.

The Airplane Mode is now smarter, and it doesn't turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi if they are turned on. Samsung Pass now supports Passkeys. The Settings app now has a direct listing for Battery settings. There is an enhanced layout for the Digital Wellbeing app, and it shows more statistics in the weekly view.