Samsung has officially announced the One UI 8.5 update, and honestly, this time it feels more polished. The new update alongside the Galaxy S26 series at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 Event. If you are waiting for a refined version of One UI 8, this might be it. The One UI 8.5 update sits on top of Android 16 and focuses heavily on AI improvements, customization, and better system integration. In this guide, we’ll walk through the One UI 8.5 update features, eligible devices, rollout timeline, and what else you can expect.
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Samsung One UI 8.5 Update Features
The One UI 8.5 update is not just about the colourful redesigns this time. It’s about refinement. Samsung focused on structure, customization, and smarter AI integration this time. Here’s everything new coming in One UI 8.5.
1. Revamped Quick Panel With Full Customisation
This is the first thing you’ll notice in the One UI 8.5 update. Samsung has completely reworked the Quick Panel. It feels less rigid now. You can resize toggles, move them around, and even adjust their layout more freely. It is not just limited to the Wifi and Bluetooth toggles; you can even remove, edit, seperate and rotate the brightness and volume sliders.
There’s even a dedicated Privacy Display toggle in the Quick Panel on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Overall, the Quick Panel now feels like a proper customisable control hub.
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2. Galaxy AI Gets Smarter
Samsung is really pushing the Galaxy AI to the next level with the One UI 8.5 update. Now Brief shows more contextual information. It can even surface tentative events, even if they’re not properly saved in your calendar. That’s actually useful. Now Bar also feels smarter. It provides better contextual suggestions rather than just showing static info.
And then there’s Now Nudge. This feature pulls information from Samsung apps and suggests relevant actions. For example, if someone mentions a date in Messages, it can surface your calendar entries. If someone asks for event photos, it checks your Gallery.
3. Bixby + Perplexity Integration
This is where things get interesting. Samsung is no longer forcing Bixby to do everything. In the One UI 8.5 update, Bixby focuses on on-device tasks and multi-step commands. It handles system controls, Notes, Reminders, and phone settings better.
For web-based and complex queries, Samsung has partnered with Perplexity. So now you effectively get two AI agents working differently. This separation makes more sense. Bixby doesn’t feel overloaded anymore.
4. AI Photo Editing and Creative Studio
With Photo Assist, you can now edit images using text prompts. So you can edit without the need of S Pen. Just describe what you want. Change object colors. Add elements. Blend things into the scene.
Creative Studio (previously Drawing Assist) has also been redesigned. You can create stickers, greeting cards, wallpapers, and invitations. You can even combine an inspiration image with a text prompt. It feels more polished and less experimental this time.
5. Smarter Call Screening
Call Assist gets smarter in the One UI 8.5 update. The phone can automatically screen suspected spam calls. It answers the call, asks the caller to identify themselves, and transcribes their response in real time. You can then decide to reply with text, pick up, or decline.
It’s a useful feature for saving you from those advertising calls. Overall, you can cut down the interruptions without missing important calls.
6. Camera Improvements
Samsung has improved the camera app in One UI 8.5. There’s now a 24MP default shooting option for wide, 1x and 5x cameraslens. So automatically, you get better detail as compared to the 12MP. You can also adjust autofocus speed and sensitivity. That gives you more control over how quickly the camera switches subjects.
Furthermore, the Night Mode, Dual Recording, and 8K mirroring have also been refined. If you care about camera control, are a hardcore camera guy or a creator, you’ll definetely notice these changes.
7. Smarter Notifications
The notifications customisation is also revamped now. Just like the priority notification on the Apple Intelligence, Galaxy AI will highlight the important alerts based on your daily usage. Let’s hope it doesn’t work as it did in Apple Intelligence, where we fooled the iPhone’s priority notification.
8. Other Changes in One UI 8.5
Other than these updates, there are a few minor tweaks as well that you might wanna know about:
- The Gallery app now automatically organizes screenshots into folders. That alone will save you time.
- Audio Eraser can now work in supported third-party apps too.
- The Settings menu also feels cleaner. Headings are simplified. The search bubble is positioned lower for easier one-handed use.
- One UI 8.5 enables Storage Share now. So, you can see files from other Galaxy devices including tablets and PCs, directly in the My Files app.
- Samsung even added a Finder shortcut above pinned apps on the home screen. It is exactly like the search option you will find on the iPhone. Basically, you can perform the system-level searches faster, like searching apps or contacts, etc.
Overall, the One UI 8.5 update feels more mature than One UI 8. It doesn’t scream “big upgrade.” But once you use it, the system feels more customizable, more AI-driven, and better structured.
Samsung One UI 8.5 Eligible Devices
Now the big question is, will your phone get the One UI 8.5 update? Well, Samsung hasn’t shared a full official rollout list yet. But based on its software update policy and Android 16 eligibility, we can make a very solid estimate.
Samsung hasn’t shared a full official rollout list yet. But based on its software update policy and Android 16 eligibility, we can make a very solid estimate. Let’s break it down series by series.
Samsung Galaxy S Series Eligible for One UI 8.5
Here are the Galaxy S devices expected to receive the One UI 8.5 update:
- Galaxy S26
- Galaxy S26 Plus
- Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Galaxy S25
- Galaxy S25 Plus
- Galaxy S25 Edge
- Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Galaxy S24
- Galaxy S24 Plus
- Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Galaxy S24 FE
- Galaxy S23
- Galaxy S23 Plus
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S23 FE
The Galaxy S25 series was part of the beta program, so it should be first in line after the S26 lineup.
Note: Devices that came at the time of the Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy S21 FE have technically reached their final promised Android version (Android 16). Since One UI 8.5 is also based on Android 16, we’ll have to wait for Samsung’s official confirmation.
Samsung Galaxy Z Series Eligible for One UI 8.5
Foldable users are also covered. These Galaxy Z devices are expected to get the One UI 8.5 update:
- Galaxy Z Fold 7
- Galaxy Z Flip 7
- Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE
- Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Galaxy Z Flip 6
- Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Galaxy Z Flip 5
Devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 may depend on Samsung’s final Android support clarification.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Series Eligible for One UI 8.5
If you’re using a Samsung tablet, you’re not left out.
Expected Galaxy Tab models:
- Galaxy Tab S11
- Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
- Galaxy Tab S10
- Galaxy Tab S10 Plus
- Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
- Galaxy Tab S10 FE
- Galaxy Tab S10 Lite
- Galaxy Tab S9
- Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
- Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
- Galaxy Tab S9 FE
Older Tab S8 models may or may not receive it, depending on Samsung’s Android 16 update cycle confirmation.
Will Galaxy A and F Series get the One UI 8.5 update?
Samsung will also roll out the One UI 8.5 update to several Galaxy A and F series devices. However, the company hasn’t published the complete mid-range list yet. Once Samsung confirms the official rollout timeline, we’ll have more clarity.
But there are chances that you might not get all the features that are promised for the flagship series. If your phone launched with Android 14 or later and has multiple major updates promised, your chances are strong.
Samsung One UI 8.5 Update Release Date
If you buy an S26 device, you already get One UI 8.5 out of the box. But, for older devices, Samsung hasn’t shared a detailed rollout calendar yet. But what we know is that the Galaxy S25 series should be the first to receive the stable One UI 8.5 update. It was the only lineup eligible for the beta program.
After that, the Galaxy S24 and S23 series should follow. Foldables like the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are also expected to be early in the queue. If we look at Samsung’s previous rollout patterns, we can expect a phased release starting within a few weeks after launch. So, the wider availability could begin rolling out between March and May 2026, depending on region and carrier approvals.
That’s it, peeps, with the One UI 8.5 update features, eligible device and release date. It looks like Samsung has taken a step towards giving a more refined and smart UI experience for users. Share your views about this on our X.
