Samsung has officially rolled out One UI 8.5 Beta 4 for the Galaxy S25 series. While the update brings the usual system stability improvements, the standout addition is a new feature called Direct Voicemail, which allows callers to leave messages directly on the device when the user is unavailable.

Direct Voicemail functions similarly to traditional carrier voicemail services but with a key difference: the phone records the message locally rather than relying on a mobile network operator's server. This ensures the feature remains functional regardless of which carrier service the user is subscribed to.

According to the changelog, users can manually trigger the recording when a call comes in or set it to activate automatically after a specific duration of ringing. Crucially, the device remains open to receiving other incoming calls while a message is being recorded.

Beyond simply playing back audio in the Phone app, the feature offers live transcription. Users can watch the voicemail being converted to text in real-time on their screen as the caller speaks, allowing them to grasp the context immediately without needing to listen to the full audio file.

Currently, Direct Voicemail does not support video calls and is exclusive to the One UI 8.5 beta program for the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra in select markets. Samsung is expected to refine the feature further before the stable release rolls out to more eligible devices in the near future.