Samsung One UI 8.5 now available: What Galaxy users should know

Table of contents

What is One UI 8.5?

What is new in One UI 8.5

Which Samsung Galaxy phones are getting One UI 8.5

When will your phone get the update

How to check for the One UI 8.5 update

Samsung began rolling out One UI 8.5 on Wednesday, May 6, starting in South Korea. The update had been in beta testing since December 2025, going through 10 beta builds before Samsung made it available to everyone, making it the longest One UI beta cycle Samsung has run to date.

The stable rollout started with the Galaxy S25 series and foldables, and the wider global wave kicks off on May 11, 2026, covering Europe, India, North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

If you own a Galaxy phone released in the last three to four years, One UI 8.5 is most likely coming to your device. This article breaks down what is actually new in the update, which phones are getting it, and when you can expect the notification to show up.

What is One UI 8.5?

One UI 8.5 is built on Android 16, the same Android version as One UI 8.0. This is not a new Android release. It is Samsung’s mid-cycle feature update, sitting between One UI 8.0 and the upcoming One UI 9, which is expected to launch later in 2026 with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

One UI 8.0 launched with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 in late 2025 and received mixed feedback for the little visual change c. One UI 8.5 is where Samsung addresses that. It brings a full visual redesign, a meaningful Galaxy AI upgrade, and new cross-platform sharing features.

The update first shipped pre-installed on the Galaxy S26 series when it launched on March 11, 2026. Other Galaxy devices are now receiving it via the stable rollout that began on May 6.

What is new in One UI 8.5

1. Galaxy AI

Most of the new AI features in One UI 8.5 were exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series at launch. With this update, they now support the Galaxy S25, S24, and older devices.

• Call Screening: When an unknown number calls you, Bixby can pick up the call on your behalf, ask the caller who they are and why they are calling, and show you a live transcript on screen. You decide whether to join the call or ignore it. You can set it to screen unknown numbers automatically and review the transcript later. To turn it on: Phone app > Settings > Call screening.
• Agentic AI/Smarter Bixby: Bixby can now handle multi-step tasks that span multiple apps using plain language. You can say “find a recent photo of my dog and email it to Amara”, and it handles the full task. Bixby also keeps a conversation history, so you can pick up where you left off, and it understands loose phrasing instead of requiring exact commands.
• Creative Studio: A dedicated app now on your Apps screen (not buried inside Gallery) that lets you generate wallpapers, stickers, profile images, and greeting cards from a photo, sketch, or text prompt. It is an expanded version of the older Drawing Assist feature.
• Now Nudge: An AI layer that sits inside the Samsung Keyboard toolbar and surfaces suggestions based on what is on your screen. If you are chatting about dinner plans, it can suggest scheduling it directly. If someone shares a number, it can prompt you to save it. Note: Now Nudge only works if you use the Samsung Keyboard. It will not appear if you use Gboard.
• Audio Eraser (system-wide): Audio Eraser previously only worked on videos you had already recorded inside the Gallery app. It now works in real time across third-party apps, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Netflix. A Voice Focus toggle and a strength slider sit in your Quick Panel.
• Photo Assist (text-prompt editing): You can now describe edits in plain language, and Galaxy AI applies them. Tell it to remove an object, change a colour, add something to a photo, or combine elements from two different images. It also lets you apply style filters to any photo, not just pictures of people or pets, and generates images continuously so you can compare and pick your favourite without saving every version.

2. Camera

• Document scanning: Point your camera at a document, and a scan button appears automatically. You can capture multiple pages into a single PDF, and the Remove tool automatically cleans up stray fingers, folded corners, and unwanted patterns.
• Dual recording: Tap the dual recording icon in Video mode to record from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Useful for reaction content or capturing yourself alongside whatever you are filming.
• Real-time Log video previews: If you shoot in Log format (the flat colour profile used in professional video editing), you can now apply a colour grade preview while you record. You see roughly how the final footage will look before you open an editor.
• Auto Motion Photos: When set to Auto, your camera only saves a motion photo if it detects movement in the scene. If nothing is moving, it saves a still image instead, saving storage space.

3. Design and interface

• New visual design (Ambient Design / Liquid Glass): Transparent blur effects, pill-shaped controls, floating navigation bars, and softer depth now appear across Settings, Dialer, Gallery, Calculator, Samsung Browser, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Messages. Search bars in most Samsung apps have also moved to the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed use.
• Customisable Quick Panel: You can now add, remove, move, resize, and reorient any tile or slider in the Quick Panel. Brightness and volume controls can switch between horizontal and vertical layouts. You have full control over what appears there.
• Lock screen updates: Wallpapers now auto-position to prevent the subject from overlapping the clock or widgets. New features include three additional clock styles, finer control over font weights, downloadable interactive wallpapers, and AI Weather Effects that animate your wallpaper based on real-time weather conditions. Now, Brief also gets a dedicated slot on the Lock screen.
• Partial screen recording: You can now record a selected region of your screen instead of the full display.

4. Privacy and security

• Privacy Alerts: You get notifications when an app’s permissions appear to put your data at risk, such as apps using precise location when it is not needed, along with suggestions for what to do about it.
• Privacy Display: A software option that masks your screen from side-on viewers when you are using sensitive apps like banking or password managers. Note: the hardware-level Privacy Display is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Other devices receive only the software masking layer.
• Auto Blocker: Now has a temporary disable option. You can turn it off and set it to automatically re-enable after 30 minutes, so you do not forget to turn it back on.
• Theft Protection: Your device now locks automatically after repeated failed biometric or PIN attempts. Identity Check also protects more settings than before.

5. Connectivity

• AirDrop over Quick Share: You can now send files directly to iPhones, iPads, and Macs using AirDrop through Quick Share. No third-party app needed. A “Share with Apple devices” toggle appears in your Quick Share settings once you update. This works on the Galaxy S22 series and newer flagships, as well as the Galaxy A36.
• Family Device Sharing: Quick Share, Camera Share, Storage Share, Auto Hotspot, and Multi Control are now bundled into a single feature for easier access.
• Bluetooth Auracast: Broadcasting and listening controls are now in one Settings menu. You can also broadcast through your phone’s microphone, not just media audio.

Which Samsung Galaxy phones are getting One UI 8.5

Samsung is rolling out One UI 8.5 in waves. The first wave started on May 6, 2026, in South Korea and expands globally from May 11. Older devices and mid-range phones follow in the weeks after that.

Galaxy S series

Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series

Galaxy Tab series

Galaxy A, M, and F series

Samsung has confirmed that the last three generations of Galaxy A-series phones will receive One UI 8.5. These devices will not get the full Galaxy AI suite. Instead, they receive a smaller set of AI features under the “Awesome Intelligence” label.

Devices in this group include the Galaxy A56, A55, A54, A36, A35, and A34, as well as their Galaxy M and F equivalents. Samsung has already added the Galaxy A36 5G, Galaxy A37, and Galaxy A57 to the One UI 8.5 program. Older A-series devices released before 2023 are unlikely to receive the update.

A/M/F series owners should expect the rollout sometime in June 2026.

Devices not getting One UI 8.5

The following devices are outside One UI 8.5’s eligibility window, based on Samsung’s update policy:

• Galaxy S21 series (non-FE), Galaxy Note 20 series, and older Galaxy A, M, and F devices released before 2023.
• These devices did not receive One UI 8.0, and Samsung has not included them in the One UI 8.5 program.
• The Galaxy Z TriFold, Z Flip 7 FE, and Galaxy Tab S10 FE are absent from Samsung’s official announcement. They may still receive the update, but Samsung has not yet confirmed it.

When will your phone get the update

Samsung’s staged rollouts typically take four to eight weeks to reach all eligible devices worldwide. If you own a flagship, expect your update within two to three weeks of May 11. If you own an A, M, or F series phone, plan for June.

Keep in mind that carrier-locked phones can take a few extra days compared to unlocked models, since carriers need to certify the update before it goes out.

How to check for the One UI 8.5 update

To check manually on your Samsung Galaxy phone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Software update.
3. Tap Download and install.
4. Tap Check for updates, or wait for the notification to appear.

If you are updating from One UI 8.0, the download will be around 4-4.5 GB, so make sure you are on Wi-Fi. If you were on the One UI 8.5 beta, the bridge update to the stable version is much smaller, around 480-580 MB.

A few other things worth knowing:

• Samsung Members app: Open the Samsung Members app and check the Notice section. Samsung posts region-specific rollout schedules there, and it is often the first place where device compatibility information appears.
• Beta users: Do not manually withdraw from the One UI 8.5 beta program after the stable update arrives. If you do, your phone will force a factory reset back to One UI 8.0. Wait for the bridge OTA, which will automatically migrate you to the stable channel.
• Battery and backup: Keep your phone plugged in or at least above 50% during the update, and back up your data using Smart Switch before starting.