Samsung’s One UI 8.5 update was launched on the Galaxy S26 series, and it has also been slowly finding its way to other devices through the brand’s own beta program. Just today, we saw the beta update roll out to more devices, covering a wide range of notable Samsung flagship phones from the past.
Naturally, Samsung is one step ahead, working on its One UI 9 update that will be based on Android 17. While it might seem like the brand has plenty of time to work on this update, the reality is that Android 17 is set to roll out from Google sometime during the summer, with an accelerated release that could come as early as June.
A lot to look forward to
With that said, we’re getting some new details about the update from SammyGuru (via Android Headlines), sharing that One UI 9 will bring big changes to some of the bigger elements of the OS, like the Now Bar, Gallery, and Widgets.
The news outlet reports that the Now Bar will get a few visual changes, with the most important being improved legibility. In addition, track names when playing music will now appear in the upper section of the bar, and there will also be a new animation that runs along the bottom that should add a small pop to the overall look and feel.
One final change coming to the Now Bar will be the ability to long-press in order to gain access to important settings. If all of that wasn’t enough, Samsung will also make a major change to its Widgets, ditching the current rounded corners and moving towards a design that brings harder corners that add just a touch more definition.
While this change isn’t a game-changer by any means, this small one could give One UI 9 an entirely new look and feel. Now, longtime Samsung users could find this change jarring, which is why Samsung may include a way to customize the shape of Widgets with the upcoming update.
And the final change that could be coming with One UI 9 is that the Gallery app will be able to provide a preview of what you’re selecting by displaying thumbnails of the selected images at the top of the app. In its current iteration, users can select up to 15 images, which will get 15 corresponding thumbnails.
Now it should go without saying that all of this is subject to change. But, so far, we like what we’re seeing and hope that Samsung will make bolder moves going forward. With that said, it shouldn’t be long before we see this update head to devices. So, keep your eyes peeled for the next evolution of One UI.
