Following the rollout of the stable One UI 8.5 update for eligible Galaxy devices, Samsung is seemingly gearing up for the One UI 9.0 beta program. Indications of this preparation are evident as dedicated sections for the beta program have emerged on Samsung’s official forums across several countries, including Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, the UK, and the USA. These regions typically host Samsung’s One UI beta initiatives.
A One UI 9 firmware for the Galaxy S26 series has been detected on Samsung’s servers, suggesting that a beta update for the latest high-end phones could be released by the month’s end. However, this remains speculative, and Samsung might take additional time before the official release.
One UI 9.0, which is based on Android 17, is anticipated to bring a host of new and enhanced features. Google plans to unveil Android 17’s design and features during the Google I/O 2026 developers conference. Expected enhancements include more customization options for Quick Settings, expanded App Bubbles, an improved Desktop Mode, a broader Dark Theme, automatically themed app icons, and Live Updates for a wider range of apps, among other AI-driven innovations. One UI 9 is likely to integrate many of these features while incorporating Samsung’s unique design and functionality enhancements.
Historically, One UI x.0 releases have focused more on platform updates linked to new Android versions, with fewer major changes compared to the feature-rich One UI x.5 updates.
