Samsung has already made an impressive beginning with the quickest update they have ever released.
It seems unbelievable, given the lengthy wait for the One UI 7 update, but the initial One UI 8 beta is now available for the Galaxy S25 series. One UI 8 introduces Android 16 to the Galaxy S25 for the first time, allowing select users to experiment with new features ahead of their public rollout.
Overall, One UI 8 is a progressive update featuring UI modifications and new functionalities for many of Samsung’s essential applications, including Samsung Health, Reminders, Routines, Internet, Calendar, Contacts, and beyond.
The update also revitalizes key aspects of the user interface, including a redesigned Quick Share UI that simplifies the process of sending and receiving files, enhanced accessibility options for users with vision and hearing challenges, as well as solutions for hard-to-locate UI components like Auracast.
Although the update encompasses numerous changes, I’ve highlighted my eight favorites, with some additional favorites discovered during my experience with the beta on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
AI Select evolves into Speed Racer
With One UI 7, Samsung modernized its outdated Smart Select feature into what is now termed AI Select, incorporating significant context-sensitive actions that enhance the tool’s usefulness. However, it felt like an eternity for it to initiate in One UI 7, which became rather frustrating for regular use.
This has been entirely rectified in One UI 8. Previously, it took about 5 seconds from clicking the “AI Select” button to the moment you could start selecting content on your display. Now, tapping AI Select renders the feature almost instantly available, enabling me to outline an image on the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen in approximately 2 seconds.
Multitasking improved to 90:10 standard
When the OnePlus Open debuted in 2023, it astonished us for various reasons, but its multitasking capabilities were among the most impressive features for daily use. Integral to that was OnePlus Canvas, allowing you to dock an app to 10% of one side of the screen and switch seamlessly between any opened app by tapping the window.
Android 16 and One UI 8 have embraced this 90:10 functionality, permitting you to resize a split window down to 10% of its standard size. This makes juggling between two apps with a single tap easy, without the cramped feeling typical of conventional split screens. It’s a significant enhancement over regular split-window multitasking, making me eager to utilize multiple apps concurrently.
Quick Share becomes even faster
Quick Share has been one of the most valuable additions to Android recently, but accepting files from non-contacts has posed some difficulties. A sleek new UI modification from Samsung significantly streamlines this process, commencing when you tap the Quick Share button in the quick toggles section.
The well-known Send screen remains the default when accessing Quick Share, but a new Receive tab allows you to effortlessly obtain files from anyone as long as the window is active. No more choosing between “no one, contacts only, or everyone” options. Just open the Receive window, and you’re set, regardless of who the sender is.
Enhanced reminders and routines
One of the less intelligent decisions Google ever made was to eliminate the location-based reminder function in Google Assistant. This advantage makes tools like Samsung’s Reminder app far superior, allowing you to be reminded of tasks when you arrive at a specific location, at a particular time or date, and more. The revamped Reminders app now features quick category buttons at the top, enabling you to locate everything you need at a glance.
Routines have also received an enhancement, now enabling you to pick from fresh preset routines like weather, which is quite handy if you need a nudge to grab your umbrella or raincoat before the rain starts, or sunscreen when the cloudy skies clear up.
Samsung Health is enhanced
In the past, I attempted to log my food intake to monitor calories, macros, and improve my health. The challenge was often forgetting to enter my meals, which would lead to vague recollections of what I had eaten. Now, Samsung Health can prompt you to log your meals throughout the day, resolving this common issue.
As you focus on healthier eating, you can also leverage peer encouragement to motivate you to exercise more frequently. An upgraded Together feature within Samsung Health enables you to issue running distance challenges to your contacts, setting goals to be the first to run a designated distance each week. It’s a terrific enhancement compared to the usual step count challenge.
The better to see (and hear) you with
If you have ever needed the zoom tool found in accessibility settings, you’ll
Read More