Samsung has flipped the switch on one of its biggest software updates of the year. As of today, May 11, the stable build of One UI 8.5 is rolling out globally after first debuting in South Korea last week. Users across North America, Europe, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are now starting to see the update notification appear on their Galaxy devices.
One UI 8.5 sits on top of Android 16 and represents a change in how Samsung wants Galaxy phones and tablets to feel, look, and behave, especially as AI becomes more deeply baked into everyday smartphone use.
Louis Eriakha
What One UI 8.5 actually changes on your Galaxy device
At a surface level, the first thing users will notice is the visual refresh. Samsung calls the new design language “Liquid Glass,” replacing older blur-heavy effects with frosted, glass-like layers and more physics-based animations. The interface feels lighter, more fluid, and clearly optimised for the high refresh rate displays that now define flagship Galaxy devices.
One UI 8.5 also introduces what Samsung describes as “Agentic AI,” essentially a heavily rebuilt version of Bixby that now behaves more like a smart assistant than a voice command tool. It can screen calls in real time, summarise who is calling and why, and even handle simple tasks like scheduling while the call is ongoing.
There’s also a new app called Creative Studio, powered by on-device generative AI. Users can create wallpapers from prompts, turn photos into stickers, remove objects from images, or even perform “outfit swaps” with simple text instructions. Add to that a system-wide real-time Audio Eraser that can isolate voices and remove wind or traffic noise during recordings or video calls, and it becomes clear that Samsung is leaning hard into practical AI features rather than just marketing terms.
Of course, these aren't the only new additions. Alongside these headline features are quieter improvements users will feel daily: faster app launches, smoother scrolling, better multitasking, improved battery optimisation, more stable camera performance, and interface tweaks for foldables. Early feedback from users on the beta suggests navigation simply feels faster and more responsive overall.
Which Galaxy devices will get the One UI 8.5 update first?
The initial wave of the rollout focuses on Samsung’s newest flagship hardware. That includes the Samsung Galaxy S25 series (S25, S25+, S25 Ultra), the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE.
On the foldable side, owners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and the speciality Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold are also first in line.
Shortly after this first wave, Samsung’s 2024 flagships are next. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 lineup are expected to receive the update later this month. Devices from 2023, including the S23 and Fold 5 generation, are scheduled for a third wave starting in early June.
Interestingly, regional announcements show that support varies slightly by market. In Germany, Samsung has confirmed that several Galaxy A-series phones across three generations will also receive One UI 8.5, while other regions have not yet listed mid-range devices explicitly.
Ejiro Onose
