Samsung is acting fast this year with One UI 8 development — something it lacked pretty badly with the previous version. The brand has already kicked off the One UI 8 beta program for select Galaxy devices, and the stable release is also confirmed to arrive much earlier than the usual timeline. Here’s everything you need to know about One UI 8, including the release timeline, eligible devices, and the latest changes.
One UI 8 release timeline
Samsung hasn’t announced a release date for One UI 8. However, it has confirmed that the new version will begin rolling out to eligible devices “this summer.” That means anything between June and September.
The brand has also confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 will be the first devices to come with stable One UI 8. Although the launch date remains undisclosed, reports suggest that these foldables will be released in July 2025.
While the One UI 8 release date has not been confirmed, it’s pretty clear that the update will arrive much earlier than last year. This isn’t very surprising, as Google has already released the stable version of Android 16, and it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks for other brands to release the update with their custom skins (such as One UI) on the top.
The stable release is at least a month away, but you can get early hands-on with the newest software via the One UI 8 beta program. The prerequisites are: you must have a Galaxy S25 model and that you’re living in a supported region (read more about it here).
One UI 8 eligible devices
Galaxy S series
- S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge
- S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE
- S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE
- S22, S22+, S22 Ultra
- S21 FE
Galaxy Z series
- Z Fold SE
- Z Fold 6, Flip 6
- Z Fold 5, Flip 5
- Z Fold 4, Flip 4
Galaxy Tab series
- Tab S10+, S10 Ultra, S10 FE, S10 FE+
- Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra, S9 FE, S9 FE+
- Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra
- Tab S6 Lite (2024)
- Tab A9, A9+
- Tab Active 5 Pro, Active 5
Galaxy A series
- A73
- A56, A55, A54, A53
- A36, A35, A34, A33
- A26, A25, A24, A23
- A16 (LTE/5G), A15 (LTE/5G), A14 (LTE/5G)
- A06 (LTE/5G)
Galaxy M series
- M56, M55, M55s, M54, M53
- M35, M34, M33
- M16, M15
- M06, M05
Galaxy F series
- F56, F55, F54
- F34
- F16, F15, F14 (LTE)
- F06, F05
Galaxy C series
- Galaxy C55
Galaxy XCover series
- XCover 7, 7 Pro
Related: One UI 8 will be the last major upgrade for these Galaxy devices
One UI 8 new features and changes
One UI 8 doesn’t bring major changes like One UI 7, but still, there are many useful additions and improvements to look forward to. Here are the major highlights of One UI 8.
1. Enhanced productivity and multitasking
One UI 8 brings a dedicated full screen layout for Quick Share. Tapping on the icon in the Quick Settings panel triggers the “Ready to receive” action. There’s also a “Send” tab that allows you to send files without needing to use a different app.
The split screen has become more useful with the latest changes. You can now stretch one app to as much as you want, previously limited to around 70% of the screen. When you tap the minimized app, it takes the larger space, and the other app gets minimized.
Samsung Dex also gets nice upgrades. It now allows users to change the screen resolution. The display rotation can also be tweaked, which is particularly helpful when you want to use a monitor vertically.
2. Personalization and automation
The update brings new dynamic live wallpapers that change the colors based on the time. They are usually bright and colorful during the day and gradually transition to a darker theme as the sun sets. Although not a major thing, it’s a nice quality-of-life improvement.
One UI 7 introduced significant changes to modes and routines, and the new version builds upon that. It brings new routines, such as Cold weather alert, Morning briefing, and Umbrella reminder.
The latest changes make it easier to customize a Profile Card by displaying the full layout while making changes.
3. Redesigned and smarter apps
One UI 8 brings meaningful changes to many apps, making them more useful, easier to use, and offering a cleaner look. Take the Gallery app, for example: it automatically sorts screenshots into categories such as Boarding passes, Coupons, Shopping, and Locations for quicker access.
The downloaded files in the My Files app now allow you to filter files based on the app from which they were downloaded. There are also some UI changes. The categories are now compact, making room for more content on the screen. The Weather app has also been updated with smoother animations and features hyper-realistic backgrounds.
The Reminder app receives a fresh, modern look, with categories displayed prominently at the top of the home screen in rounded boxes. The app now suggests templates or past reminders as you type, speeding up the process. There’s also a new toolbar that lets you add checkmarks, media, date, location, and assign reminders to categories directly from the input area.
The Calendar app isn’t left out, as it also gets several meaningful upgrades. It now features a cleaner, modern look with deeper black backgrounds for improved eye comfort. It’s now integrated with the Reminders app, and as a result, you can now create reminders directly from the Calendar app. This simplifies task and schedule management.
Another helpful feature is that you can easily reschedule reminders in the Calendar app by dragging and dropping them to new dates.
4. Privacy and accessibility
The Secure Folder gets more secure in One UI 8 with the latest features. You can now assign a different fingerprint to access the Secure Folder. You can also hide other apps within for additional protection. One UI 8 allows users to completely hide Secure Folder, which means it won’t show any notifications or appear in app suggestions.
One UI 8 also brings several accessibility improvements, such as zooming the screen with buttons, controlling mouse actions with a keyboard, magnifying the onscreen keyboard, and pairing Bluetooth hearing ads directly from Accessibility settings.
5. Other notable improvements
The Camera app now lets you customize the swipe-down/swipe-up action to open the camera controls; previously, it was limited to camera switching. One UI 8 also makes it easier to connect multiple Bluetooth audio devices by allowing other users to scan the QR code to join the audio.
Users can now control all alarms in a group directly from a Home screen widget. Also, they can add existing alarms to groups. The Samsung Health app gets a nice addition that lets you challenge friends to fitness goals. The app also reminds you to have good, provided that you have set it up already.
Also read:
1. Why One UI 8 is a far more important upgrade than you think
2. One UI 8 update won’t come to these Samsung devices
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