Microsoft finally releases January update for Surface Duo [Update: AT&T too]

Surface Duo January Update
Surface Duo January Update (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • The Surface Duo has a new update that improves the device in several areas.
  • The update improves the Surface Duo's stability, audio quality, and touch stability.
  • The update brings software version 202.1211.85

Update Feb 9, 2021: The same January update for AT&T Surface Duos is now live as well after undergoing AT&T testing. That update is only for Surface Duos sold through AT&T, not unlocked Surface Duos with an AT&T SIM installed.

Microsoft's Surface Duo has a fresh update that includes several improvements. The update improves the stability, audio quality, and touch stability of the Surface Duo. It also addresses important security scenarios and adds the ability to add a caller to a conference call in certain situations.

The update brings software version 202.1211.85 and is 576 MB. The Surface Duo update history page outlines all of the changes:

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  • Addresses scenarios outlined in the Android Security Bulletin - December 2020 and January 2021.
  • Improves Surface Duo UI stability.
  • Adds the ability to add a caller to conference calls in certain conditions.
  • Improves audio quality when using speaker mode.
  • Improves touch stability.

Surface Duo owners have waited some time to receive an update. Microsoft didn't ship an update for the device in December and it's almost the end of January. The most recent update for the Surface Duo before this one rolled out on November 16, 2020.

To check for the update, use the following steps:

  1. Connect to a Wi-Fi network.
  2. Select Settings on your Surface Duo's home screen.
  3. Select System.
  4. Select System Update.
  5. Select Check for update.
  6. Select Restart now.\

For those with an AT&T version of Surface Duo (not unlocked and on AT&T), we expect that update to ship likely next week as it gets approved.

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Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.