With Samsung’s One UI 7 update a hot mess, many are hoping that One UI 8 will be a smoother affair. The South Korean giant has already started testing the One UI 8 update internally. As Google plans to roll out Android 16 stable in June, Samsung doesn’t want to seem too far behind. Here is everything you need to know about One UI 8 eligible devices, release date, and new features.
Samsung One UI 8 Update Features
Samsung’s One UI 8 update will be based on Google’s Android 16 update. It is likely to be an iterative update and won’t offer a major upgrade over Android 15. Furthermore, it will be the first major One UI update that won’t be preceded by any minor One UI updates.
This means that Samsung will skip One UI 7.1 or 7.1.1 to directly offer One UI 8 on its devices. While it offers no major innovations, it is likely to improve upon the features introduced in One UI 7. That being said, based on the leaks and rumors, here are all the One UI 8 features that you can expect:
1. Changes in My Files and Gallery App
There are minor changes in the MyFiles and Gallery app in One UI 8. Starting with the Files app, the icons in the category tab are bigger and rounded. Furthermore, the recent files section is replaced with “X new files added recently,” with X denoting the number of files. The user interface seems to be focused on one-handed usage with icons positioned towards the bottom of the screen.
In the Gallery app, the menu has Gaussian blur, and the icons have been divided into two rows instead of one. There is a new Shared Albums button, which was previously accessible by pressing the + icon. One UI 8 also brings more features to the Gallery Labs feature, apart from the Search lab feature currently in One UI 7.
- Mirror Screen Mode in Viewer: This lets you choose how images will be displayed on the screen
- Use AI Zoom: Automatically enhances the details in the image using AI when you use pinch to zoom.
- Show full address in detail: Displays all the details of where the photo was taken.
2. Log Video Recording Support
Samsung is adding Log Video Recording to the camera app in One UI 8. Currently available on the S25 and S24 series, it is coming to even more devices with the upcoming update. You can find the feature within the More section of the camera app. There is an option to enable it only in the Pro video mode or in both video and Pro modes.
For those unaware, compared to a traditional video, a log lets you capture more details in darker areas of a scene. It records the video in a wide dynamic range, making it suitable for content creators. You can color-code the video in post-production to get the look you want.
3. Now, Brief, and Other AI Features Coming To Older Phones
Remember the Now Brief feature announced with the S25 series? Well, it’s coming to older phones with the One UI 8 update. Previously rumored to be exclusive to the Galaxy S25 series, the company is rolling it out to more smartphones. The Now Brief on One UI 8 will also show details about text messages apart from the battery status of your phone.
For those unaware, it will show you things about weather, sports, health data, traffic updates, and more. All the features work just as the S25 series, so you won’t be missing out on anything. Moreover, Drawing Assist, Health Assist, Photo Ambient Wallpaper, and more will also be available on older phones.
4. Redesigned Quick Share Menu
Samsung’s Quick Share feature might not be as seamless as Apple’s AirDrop, but it’s still useful. Samsung knows this and is revamping the Quick Share menu. The menu is being divided into two parts: Receive and Send. While the rest of the interface remains familiar, the bifurcation should make things easier for people.
Furthermore, the new Receive function ensures that your phone remains discoverable as long as you want. This is better than keeping it permanently visible to everyone or just for 10 minutes. And not just on Samsung phones, the new Send and Receive tabs are also coming to other Android 16 phones. The file selection process is also quicker, as you can select files by pressing the Select File button rather than going into each app individually.
5. New Galaxy AI Features
While not present in the early leaked build of One UI 8, Samsung is likely to announce them with the update. Furthermore, some could even be exclusive to the S25 series, coming to other devices in the future. We could also see Gemini integration with Samsung and Google apps getting improved with the update. Expect improvements to Bixby, Writing Assist, and tighter Gemini integration across apps.
6. New Advanced Protection Mode
Android 16 will bring a new Advanced Protection Mode to prevent scammers from fooling users. This will block sideloading apps, older networks like 2G, and enable Memory Tagging extension of apps. This means all the apps on the phone will detect the mode and take steps to enhance the security. Moreover, it will enable Safe Browsing in Chrome and protect you from unsafe JavaScripts.It will automatically turn on theft protection, offline device lock, and even the device inactivity reboot. There’s automatic call screening, spam protection in Google Dialer, and messages.
7. New Wallpapers
Another minor change in One UI 8 is the new wallpapers with gradient shades. These wallpapers support dynamic colors, meaning they will automatically change over time. This means that your phone always stays fresh, and you won’t have to stare at the same wallpaper.
Other Minor Changes
Samsung’s One UI 8 update will also bring other minor changes. Since most of these are subtle enough, there’s a high possibility that you won’t even spot them while using the phone. Here’s what to expect:
- Widgets Fix For S25 series: Samsung has acknowledged the erratic widget behavior faced by some S25 series users and confirmed One UI 8 will fix it.
- Quick Settings Panel Changes: The Quick Settings Panel could get a new refresh with shading around the toggles to help you better identify them
- Circular Pop-Up Menus: The pop-up menus that appear when you long-press an icon will have a circle surrounding them
- Samsung Dex: Although not present in the early builds of One UI 8, there is a chance that Samsung could introduce Dex to its folding phones.
- New Goodlock Modules: Since One UI 7 brought some new Goodlock features and modules, it won’t be a surprise if One UI 8 does the same.
- Improved Now Bar: Now Bar offers great integration with Samsung and other system apps. One UI 8 could finally take it to the next level by letting users get details about Uber, Zomato, and other delivery apps. It could finally be the Dynamic Island competitor we were hoping for.
- Smoother animations: One UI 7 made the animations pretty smooth. Expect One UI 8 to iron out any remaining kinks. With Decal Shader support, Samsung will take the animation game to the next level. Maybe Samsung could borrow a page out of OxygenOS by giving us parallel animations, who knows?
- New Language and Accessibility features: One UI 8 could give users the freedom to choose their measurement system without changing the language. Android 16 will let users adjust background noise for those LE Audio hearing aids. Furthermore, you could also switch the microphone during calls if your hearing aid has a low battery.
Also Read:
- One UI 8 Wishlist: 10 Features We Want in Samsung’s Android 16 Update
- One UI 8: Expected Features & Release Date for Samsung’s Android 16 Update
Samsung One UI 8 Eligible Devices
Samsung S Series Eligible Devices
Here are all the flagship S series devices eligible for the One UI 8 update:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S25
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S24
- Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Samsung Z Series Eligible Devices
Here are all the eligible devices in Samsung’s Flip and Fold series eligible for One UI 8:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy A Series Eligible Devices
If you are rocking a mid-range A series Samsung phone, here are all the eligible phones for One UI 8:
- Samsung Galaxy A73
- Samsung Galaxy A56
- Samsung Galaxy A55
- Samsung Galaxy A54
- Samsung Galaxy A53
- Samsung Galaxy A36
- Samsung Galaxy A35
- Samsung Galaxy A34
- Samsung Galaxy A25
- Samsung Galaxy A24
- Samsung Galaxy A23
- Samsung Galaxy A16
- Samsung Galaxy A15
- Samsung Galaxy A14
- Samsung Galaxy A06
Samsung M Series Eligible Devices
Here are all the devices in Samsung’s M series eligible for the One UI 8 update:
- Samsung Galaxy M56
- Samsung Galaxy M55s
- Samsung Galaxy M55
- Samsung Ga;axy M54
- Samsung Galaxy M34
- Samsung Galaxy M53
- Samsung Galaxy M33
- Samsung Galaxy M16
- Samsung Galaxy M15
- Samsung Galaxy M06
Samsung Galaxy F Series Eligible Devices
These are all the eligible devices in Samsung’s F series that will get One UI 8:
- Samsung Galaxy F55
- Samsung Galaxy F54
- Samsung Galaxy F34
- Samsung Galaxy F16
- Samsung Galaxy F15
- Samsung Galaxy F06
Samsung Galaxy XCover Series
Here are all the eligible devices in Samsung’s rugged Xcover series that will get One UI 8:
- Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Tab Series
Last but not least, if you have a Samsung tablet, here are all the devices eligible for One UI 8:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S10
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
Samsung One UI 8 Update Release Date
There hasn’t been any official announcement about the One UI 8 update release date from Samsung. It is likely to happen from the end of July or early August. That’s because the One UI 7 update rollout is expected to complete by the end of June.
Google is likely to release Android 16 in June, so we can expect other manufacturers to follow suit soon after. Given that it’s an incremental upgrade over Android 15, the rollout shouldn’t take much time.
Same goes for Samsung One UI 8, which will be a refined version of One UI 7, ironing out any inconsistencies in the software. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 series will be the first Samsung phones to launch with One UI 8. It also means we can expect a first look/glimpse of One UI 8 at the next Galaxy Unpacked event.
While Samsung still rolls out One UI 7, the only question remains whether the rollout will be faster this time. Well, all signs point to Samsung releasing it way quicker than last year. Since it’s an iterative update instead of a major one, the South Korean giant should be able to roll out faster.
