The One UI 8 rollout is in its final stages, with most eligible devices having received the update. The Galaxy Tab A9 Plus is the only model that hasn’t been updated yet, while the Tab A9 was already there. Users are expected to receive the patch in the next one to two weeks.

This week, Samsung continued to expand the One UI 8 update to more devices in South Korea, including the Galaxy A16 4G, Galaxy A15 4G, and Galaxy A24. The update will soon be rolled out to other markets, completing the final phase of the Android 16 update for the Galaxy ecosystem.

Samsung enters One UI 8.5 beta testing phase

As One UI 8 nears completion, all signs point to Samsung shifting its focus to One UI 8.5. The first beta build has just appeared on the internal servers for the Galaxy S25 series in India, Europe, Korea, and the US, with the code S931BXXU7ZYKP. The beta phase will apply to the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, in line with the roadmap for testing only the main flagship group. The Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 FE are likely to be excluded from the list.

Samsung usually opens beta registrations shortly after the first build appears; however, the One UI 8.5 forum on Samsung Community is not yet activated and will only open up closer to the release date. Galaxy S25 users can experience it early before the stable version is launched with the Galaxy S26 series at the Galaxy Unpacked event in early 2026.

Some other devices, such as Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, may participate in testing in the next phase, but no builds have been detected yet, so it cannot be confirmed yet.

Notable changes on One UI 8.5

One UI 8.5 is considered a major upgrade with many changes in interface and features, equivalent to the upgrade scale of the previous One UI 7. The update brings a more flexible, customizable quick settings panel, an improved screen recorder and a redesigned Game Booster with a new layout and many additional options.

A series of system applications, such as Settings, Phone, My Files and Samsung Internet, will have a more modern, refined interface. Device Care and the dialer application are also refreshed. One UI 8.5 could add notification prioritisation options and expand Now Bar support to more apps, bringing a Live Activity-like experience to more Samsung and third-party services.

With these changes, One UI 8.5 is becoming one of Samsung's most anticipated software upgrades in recent times, promising to bring a more intuitive experience and deeper personalisation to Galaxy users.