T-Mobile Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge gained FM radio in the latest update

A recent update to the T-Mobile Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge enabled the phone’s built-in FM radio receiver, making it possible to tune it to local radio stations without consuming any data.

The update rolled out on May 3 with a rather vague change log that mentioned “enhanced voice services,” “Samsung Pay updates,” and “various system improvements.”

One such system improvement that T-Mobile users discovered is the activation of the radio receiver on the device. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor inside the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge integrates an FM chip, but T-Mobile – like many other carriers – disabled it, at least initially.

Thanks to T-Mobile’s change of heart, S7 users can now tune in their favorite stations – the only requirements are to have the headphones plugged in (they act as an antenna) and to install an FM radio app like NextRadio, because the update does not include a dedicated app.

In addition to FM support, the update fixes a notorious issue with the volume controls on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge and applies the May security patches that Google officially released earlier this week. Some users are also reporting a noticeable performance boost.

On a side note, the Sprint Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have had this feature enabled since the phone’s release.

Do you regularly listen to FM radio on your smartphone?