What you need to know
- Samsung begins rolling out One UI 8 beta for Galaxy S23 series in India, South Korea, and UK.
- Mid-range Galaxy A55, A54, A36, and A35 also get One UI 8 beta before Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 models.
- One UI 8, based on Android 16, brings 90:10 split-screen, Now Bar apps, and revamped Samsung apps.
After introducing it with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung has been working on expanding One UI 8 to other Galaxy smartphones. It looks like that is taking shape as Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 8 beta for Galaxy S23 and A-series smartphones.
As spotted by popular Samsung tipster Tarun Vats on X/Twitter, Samsung has begun rolling out One UI 8 beta for the Galaxy S23 series in India and South Korea. The update is hefty at around 3GB+ and comes with the latest September 2025 security patch.
According to one Reddit user, the update seems to be available in the UK as well, but there’s no news for regions like Germany and the U.S. However, considering it has started in a few countries, it should be available elsewhere soon.
If you want to try the One UI 8 beta on your Galaxy S23, you can do so by signing up using the Samsung Members app first and then downloading it via Settings > Software Update > Download and Install. The firmware version for the One UI 8 beta based on Android 16 for the Galaxy S23 series is “YHB.”.
One UI 8 beta is live on Galaxy S23, A55, A54, and more
Samsung announced last month that it would expand One UI 8 testing to older smartphones, and the Galaxy S23 beta follows that. The Galaxy S23 joins devices like Galaxy S24, Galaxy S25, Galaxy Z Flip 6, and Galaxy Z Fold 6, which have already been testing One UI 8.
In addition to the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung has started testing One UI 8 beta for some mid-range devices, including Galaxy A55, Galaxy A54, Galaxy A36, and Galaxy A35. This is notable since Samsung hasn’t started testing One UI 8 for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, but has expanded the program to mid-range devices first. We still expect Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 support sooner or later.
One UI 8 is Samsung’s flavor of Android 16, and while the company lagged in rolling out One UI 7 (Android 15), it is testing the new version comparatively faster for its flagships. One UI 8 is set to bring features like a 90:10 split-screen ratio, more supported apps for Now Bar, and revamped first-party apps like Reminders and Samsung Internet.
