Samsung has a long-standing reputation for deeply customizing stock Android features to better serve its user base. With the upcoming One UI 9, the tech giant is currently testing new background functionalities—including a powerful tool that grants users even more control than Google’s native Android 17.

In Android 17, Google is expected to implement strict audio control mechanisms to prevent apps from silently emitting sound in the background. The new system dictates that an app must either be actively open on the screen or running through a licensed media playback service to play audio. However, this rigorous policy inadvertently impacts users who rely on web browsers to listen to live radio or stream YouTube background music without paying for a Premium subscription.

Recognizing this user friction, Samsung has developed a workaround directly within its proprietary web browser. In the newly released One UI 9 beta, a toggle has been added that allows users to proactively disable Google’s audio restrictions at their own discretion.

Currently, this intuitive button is buried within the developer settings of a Galaxy S26 running the One UI 9 beta. While bypassing this audio block on Google’s own Pixel devices requires highly complex computer commands, Samsung has streamlined the process into a simple switch. Whether this option will survive the beta phase and make it to the final public release remains to be seen.

Beyond audio management, the One UI 9 beta also revealed a new "focus mode" designed to block distracting applications. Source code snippets indicate that Samsung devices running the new operating system can automatically restrict tasks such as web browsing and all gaming apps—including newly downloaded titles. Users, however, will retain the flexibility to whitelist essential browsers needed for their workflow.

Both of these features are actively in the testing phase. Users will have to wait until later this year, when Samsung officially rolls out the stable version of One UI 9, to see if these highly anticipated tools make the final cut.