Compared to the slow rollout of One UI 7 earlier this year, One UI 8 has already been a major improvement. Samsung released its Android 16–based One UI 8 update to Galaxy devices in September, just a few months after Android 16's debut, and is now already gearing up for its next major release: One UI 8.5.
The update brings several useful features, including an improved Photo Assist tool for easier photo editing, faster photo sharing via an enhanced Quick Share tool, and better storage sharing across Samsung devices.
The One UI 8.5 beta is now open for sign-up in select countries, including the US, UK, Germany, Poland, India, and Korea, through the Samsung Members app, which comes preinstalled on Galaxy phones. However, currently, the beta is only available for the Galaxy S25 series, so users with older devices will need to wait.
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One UI 8.5 focuses on improvements
Samsung is adding Storage Sense, which allows you to access your phone's file storage on other Samsung devices
One of the highlights of One UI 8.5 is the changes to Photo Assist, which now lets you edit photos continuously without saving each version. When you're finished editing a photo, you can easily view all the versions and choose your favorite to keep and share. So, if you're working on an image, you no longer have to save copies constantly; its version history is now accessible, so you can scroll through, select, and save the version you like best, including the original.
"One UI 8.5 enables users to do more with less effort, featuring upgrades that enable more seamless actions, device management and enhanced security," Samsung said in a press release.
Samsung is also updating Quick Share in One UI 8.5 so it can recognize the people in a photo and suggest sharing it with them if they're in your contacts. For example, if you take a family group photo, Quick Share will identify the faces, match them to your contacts, and prompt you to send it to them first in the list of options.
The change I'm most excited about with One UI 8.5 is Storage Share, which Samsung says "brings even more fluidity to the Galaxy ecosystem" by letting you access files on all your Samsung devices through the My Files app. So if you want to view your phone's files from another device, like your Samsung TV or tablet, you can now do that.
Other changes coming with One UI 8.5 include a new Audio Broadcast feature for Auracast, allowing you to broadcast your voice using your Galaxy's microphone, and improved security with Theft Protection, which helps safeguard sensitive data if your device is lost or stolen. There's also a new Failed Authentication Lock that automatically locks the screen after too many unsuccessful fingerprint, PIN, or password attempts.
If you own a Galaxy S25 series device and live in the US, UK, Germany, Poland, India, or Korea, you can now sign up for the One UI 8.5 beta through the Samsung Members app to be among the first to experience these new improvements before One UI 8.5 is officially released to everyone in the near future. In other Samsung news, the company recently announced the Galaxy Z TriFold, its first trifold phone.