According to several user reports, a "security update" left Samsung Galaxy S3 owners on Sprint without the universal search feature from Android. Following the update, the home screen only returns results from Google Search. The universal search feature included results from apps, contacts, emails and other data on the phone.

The change was not announced, but may be related to a temporary sales ban on Google's Galaxy Nexus made by Samsung. Sales of the handset were banned as a result of the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Samsung over patent infringement. Apple has such patent disputes with other companies as well, including HTC and Google's recently acquired Motorola Mobility unit.

The universal search feature allows users to search through the entire data on their phones using the Google search bar on the home screen. Typing a search query in that search bar would return results from the phone's music, contacts, apps, email, as well as the Web. The Sprint software update, however, removed this feature from the Samsung Galaxy S3. Now users can no longer search through data on their phones by using that Google search bar on the home screen, as they only get Web results. Voice commands are currently not affected.

The injunction on Galaxy Nexus sales was based on a patent related to universal search on the phone, and three other patents, including the slide-to-unlock feature, and word recommendations and auto correct. Google and Samsung said last week that they are working together on a software update that would ditch the universal search feature in order to escape the sales ban, but they have not released the update yet.

Meanwhile, the security update pushed to the Samsung Galaxy S3 on Sprint seems to address the same patent issue the Galaxy Nexus faced. This update may be a pre-emptive step Samsung took before a wider rollout of the Android update removes the infringing universal search features. This purpose, however, has not been confirmed.

Google previously said the Android update designed to bypass the patent issue will be rolled out to all Galaxy Nexus devices in the U.S., on all carriers. Considering that the Samsung Galaxy S3 has similar functionality to the Galaxy Nexus, the change might also apply to all Galaxy S3 smartphones in the United States, regardless of carrier. Fortunately, the patent battle is currently limited to the U.S., so other phones worldwide should not be affected.