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Samsung has officially started rolling out the stable version of One UI 8.5. On May 6, 2026, Galaxy S25 smartphones in South Korea were the first to receive the update. These models became the launching pad for the final version of the shell after almost six months of beta testing, during which the company released 10 test builds.
On May 11, Samsung will launch the global rollout of One UI 8.5. The update will be available in Europe, Hong Kong, India, Latin America, North America, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan. The difference between the launch in the home region and the international release is only 2 days, which is a rather atypical pace for Samsung and indicates the company’s high confidence in the stability of the final build.
The first wave of devices to receive One UI 8.5 globally includes the Galaxy S25 line, including Edge and FE versions, the Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy S24 FE model, the Galaxy Fold 7 and Galaxy Flip 7 foldable, and the Galaxy Fold 6 and Galaxy Flip 6. In addition to smartphones, the update will be available for Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S10 tablets.
One UI 8.5 is based on Android 16 and brings 4 AI features to previous generations of devices that debuted with Galaxy S26. These include Call Screening, Advanced Audio Eraser for third-party apps, Creative Studio, and updated Photo Assist.
Samsung has moved its older flagship models, including the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S22 series, to the second wave of rollout. The company has confirmed their compatibility with One UI 8.5, but has not yet announced specific release dates for the update. Galaxy A series smartphones released over the past 3 years will also receive the new shell, but they will have a simplified set of AI capabilities called Awesome Intelligence.
One of the main visual innovations of One UI 8.5 is Ambient Design. Samsung has significantly redesigned the interface with blurring effects that are now applied to Quick Settings, the volume bar, notification center, and other system navigation elements. The company also made the Quick Panel fully modular for the first time, allowing users to freely move or remove any widgets, switches, and information cards.
Another notable change concerns Samsung’s proprietary apps. The search bar in apps such as Settings has been moved to the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed operation. This seemingly insignificant decision should have a significant impact on the daily use of the device.
The main practical focus of the update for owners of already released smartphones is on AI functions that Samsung has carried over from Galaxy S26. The Call Screening feature uses local AI processing to automatically answer calls from unknown numbers and simultaneously create a text transcript of the conversation in real time. This allows you to screen out spam calls without having to pick up the phone.
Advanced Audio Eraser now works not only in the standard Samsung camera app. The feature has been integrated into third-party services during content playback, so users will be able to remove background noise while watching videos on Netflix, Instagram, or YouTube. The update also brings Bixby integration based on Perplexity, and the Samsung Internet browser gets a new name, Samsung Browser, and the Ask AI feature. Samsung positions these changes as one of the most noticeable in the daily use of the system.
During the first phase of the rollout, the company is focusing on the current generations of its devices. The priority list includes the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S24 families, Galaxy Fold 7, Galaxy Flip 7, Galaxy Fold 6, Galaxy Flip 6, as well as Tab S11 and Tab S10 tablets.
The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S22 series officially remain on the list of compatible models, but their update has been postponed to the second phase without an approved launch date. The mid-range Galaxy A series smartphones released starting in 2023, including the Galaxy A56, Galaxy A55, and Galaxy A36, will also receive One UI 8.5, but only with some of the AI features available on the flagship models.
The update size for devices upgrading from One UI 8.0 is approximately 4.5 GB. For beta program participants, the package will be significantly smaller. You can check the availability of the firmware in the Settings menu, then Software update and Download and install. If the update is not yet visible in a particular region, Samsung reminds that the rollout is gradual depending on the carrier, and the notification usually arrives within 48-72 hours after the official launch in the region.
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