How to Join a Samsung Class Action Lawsuit or Settlement

To join a Samsung class action lawsuit, you usually don’t need to do anything at all while the case is being litigated. If you fit the class definition — for example, you bought a specific Samsung product during a defined time period — you’re automatically included once a court certifies the class. The moment your participation matters is later, when a settlement is announced and a claim form becomes available. At that point you fill out the form before the deadline, and a payout follows if the settlement is approved.

How You Get Included Automatically

Most class actions in the United States use an “opt-out” structure. If you fall within the class definition, you’re in unless you affirmatively ask to be excluded. You don’t sign up, hire a lawyer, or file anything during the litigation. The lead plaintiffs and their attorneys handle the case for the entire class.¹

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, when a class is certified under the most common provision — Rule 23(b)(3) — the court must send notice to all identifiable class members. That notice explains the case, defines who qualifies, and spells out the deadline and process for opting out if you’d rather pursue your own claim.²

There’s no cost to you. Attorneys’ fees come out of the overall settlement, and both the fee award and the settlement itself require court approval before anything is finalized. The tradeoff: accepting a settlement payout waives your right to sue Samsung individually over the same issue.¹

When You Actually Need to File a Claim

Filing a claim is the one step that requires action on your part, and it only happens after a settlement is reached. The official settlement notice — delivered by mail, email, or through a settlement website — will tell you exactly how and when to submit a claim form. You generally don’t need proof of purchase to file, but having receipts, model numbers, service records, or repair invoices can qualify you for a larger payout.¹

Miss the deadline and you generally can’t file a late claim once the settlement fund is distributed. So the practical work while a case is still pending is preservation: hold on to your purchase records, keep any repair estimates, and save your correspondence with Samsung support.

Finding Out Whether a Current Samsung Case Applies to You

Samsung faces class action litigation across a wide range of products. Whether you can eventually join depends on whether an active case covers the specific product and time period involved in your situation. Some of the currently pending matters:

Galaxy S22 software update. Ramnath v. Samsung Electronics America (Case No. 1:26-cv-00462), filed January 27, 2026 in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that Samsung’s “One UI 6.1.1” update released in October 2024 caused Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra devices to enter endless reboot loops, crash, lose data, and in some cases suffer permanent motherboard damage from CPU overheating. The proposed class covers U.S. residents who bought a Galaxy S22, S22+, or S22 Ultra within the four years before filing.³
Slide-in electric ranges. A case in the District of New Jersey (Case No. 2:22-cv-04132) alleges that front-mounted control knobs on Samsung slide-in electric ranges activate with too little force, creating a risk of unintentional burner ignition. Samsung recalled 1.1 million ranges tied to this hazard as of August 2024 and has been offering free knob locks or covers.⁴
QLED TV advertising. Rodriguez v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Case No. 8:23-cv-01194), filed July 2023 in the Central District of California, alleges certain QLED models were marketed with features like “Motion Xcelerator Turbo+,” “FreeSync,” and “HDMI 2.1” but don’t actually run at 120Hz or support Variable Refresh Rate. A separate May 2022 filing makes similar “motion rate” allegations about TVs marketed as 120Hz that have a native 60Hz refresh rate.⁵
Other pending matters. Filings without publicly reported resolutions include a top-load washing machine flange corrosion case (March 2024), a Galaxy S21 Ultra storage-capacity case (January 2023), a Galaxy Z Fold3 durability case (December 2022), a Galaxy Buds Pro allergic-reaction case (August 2021), an Illinois biometric-data-privacy case (September 2021), and a smartphone radiofrequency radiation case (August 2019). Their current procedural status is not publicly confirmed.⁴

A few older Samsung matters have already closed and can no longer be joined. The Lee v. Samsung Electronics America black stainless steel finish case (Case No. 4:21-cv-01321) was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice on August 25, 2025, after the parties reached a settlement with undisclosed terms.⁶ The Bianchi v. Samsung Electronics America refrigerator ice maker class action was dismissed in January 2024 after Samsung offered individual settlements with undisclosed terms.⁷ The top-load washing machine settlement (over $100 million in rebates, repairs, and reimbursements) closed after final approval on May 22, 2020, and its claims website is no longer active.⁸

What to Do Right Now

Your next step depends on where the relevant case stands.

If a case that covers your product is still in litigation. Do nothing procedurally, but preserve evidence. Keep your purchase receipts, model and serial numbers, repair invoices, and any correspondence with Samsung. If a class is certified and a settlement is reached, you’ll receive notice by mail, email, or public posting. For the Galaxy S22 update case specifically, document repair quotes and any Samsung support interactions referencing motherboard damage or boot-loop issues. One plaintiff was reportedly quoted $500 for a motherboard replacement, and that kind of documentation matters if a claim process opens.⁹¹⁰

If a settlement has been announced. Go to the official settlement website listed in the class notice. Complete the claim form before the stated deadline. Attach proof of purchase if you have it — it can increase your payout, though it isn’t always required.¹

If your damages are large and you want to keep the right to sue on your own. Follow the exclusion instructions in the class notice. Opting out under Rule 23(b)(3) preserves your ability to bring an individual claim; staying in and accepting the settlement waives that right.²

If the case is closed and the deadline has passed. There’s generally no way to file a late claim once a settlement has been finalized and paid out. If you still have an ongoing product problem, your remaining options are Samsung’s warranty or recall programs, a complaint to your state attorney general, or a consultation with a consumer protection attorney about an individual claim.

Class actions move slowly. A case filed in early 2026, like the Galaxy S22 lawsuit, could take two to four years to reach settlement or trial. Checking the court docket or a legal news aggregator every few months is the most useful way to track progress without acting prematurely.

1
ClassAction.org. How to Join a Class Action Lawsuit
2
Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 23
3
ClassAction.org. Samsung Hit With Class Action Over Catastrophic Galaxy S22 Software Update
4
ClassAction.org. Samsung Electronics America Class Action Lawsuits
5
ClassAction.org. Rodriguez v. Samsung Electronics America Inc., Complaint
6
ClassAction.org. Samsung Black Stainless Steel Appliance Finish Class Action
7
Top Class Actions. Class Action Over Samsung Refrigerator Defect Dismissed
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Top Class Actions. Samsung Top-Load Washing Machine Class Action Settlement
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ClassAction.org. Ramnath v. Samsung Electronics America, Complaint
10
Get Out of Debt. Samsung Galaxy S22 Bricked Software Update Class Action