The official One UI 8.5 have finally begin rolling out starting with the Galaxy S25 series. It will be rolled out to other devices soon. One UI 8.5 is a major update that brings new features, tools, and a refreshed UI. There are several settings and tweaks you can adjust to improve your overall experience after updating your Galaxy device to One UI 8.5 update.
Whether you’re using the beta or stable version of One UI 8.5, you can follow these tips to enhance your overall experience on your Samsung device. This guide covers both basic tweaks and more advanced tweaks to help you get the most out of One UI 8.5.
Try these things after updating your Galaxy device to One UI 8.5
Here’s a checklist of things you should do first after upgrading to One UI 8.5. Making the most of an optimized software update is essential, whether it’s power, performance, or memory, everything needs to be properly set up for the best experience.
Check for App Updates
App updates are essential because they usually include performance and optimization improvements, bug fixes, and additional features. Since we’re talking about Samsung devices, it’s important to check updates for important apps in both the Google Play Store and the Galaxy App Store.
Samsung has updated many first party apps that include new features in their latest version. So even after installing the One UI 8.5, these new features may not be available until you update specific apps.
Important apps that you need to update mainly includes Samsung’s Good Lock modules such as QuickStar, LockStar, along with other apps like Quick Share. It is recommended that you launch the Good Lock app and see if any of the installed modules require any updates.
It’s always good to keep all your apps updated and ready to use whenever you have a major software update for your smartphone.
Experience the updated Adaptive Clock Styles
Samsung introduced adaptive clock style with One UI 8 update. This feature adapts subjects and then adjust the clock shape and size according to it. However, in One UI 8, it only worked on wallpapers with People and Animals.
Wallpaper from PhoneWalls App
The One UI 8.5 update now support more subjects like trees, buildings, vehicles, and more. If you have tried it in One UI 8, the process remains same. However, if you haven’t tried it, go to lock screen > long tap > unlock the device to enter customization > tap Gallery > select the wallpaper. Now tap the clock icon and then select the second clock style. It will adapt the clock shape and size according to the subject.
Play around with the Lock Screen Notifications
If you want to make your Galaxy device’s lock screen notifications simple without the app icons in the status bar, you can simply display dots in the status bar when your device’s lock screen is on. Here’s how you can do that.
- Open the Settings app and tap on Notifications.
- Now, tap on Lock Screen.
- Here you will see the notification Styles.
- Select Dot as the option.
Now, when the lock screen is enabled, you will only see the dots in the top left corner of the lock screen. This is a useful setting for those who want to reduce getting distracted from checking their phone to see what notifications they have received and from which apps.
Adjust the Quick Setting Panel
With One UI 8.5, you can finally adjust the size of the tile, place them however you like, and you can also choose from the many more shortcut options that you want to add to your Quick Settings panel.
- Pull down the Quick Settings panel and tap on the Edit icon.
- To resize a tile, tap on it and drag its edges to the left or the right.
- You can tap on the volume or brightness slider and slide it to the left or right- a quick and easy way to change its orientation.
- You can tap on the Add Shortcut text at the bottom of the Quick Settings panel to add or remove shortcuts for instant access.
This complete customization of the Quick Settings panel gives users the freedom to decide to design their Quick Panels and also remove shortcuts they do not use.
Block Excessive App notifications
Certain apps out there just love to bombard you with notifications that are either offers, discounts, or probably new product releases. Yes, we are looking at you, Samsung Shop. In One UI 8.5, you can block those particular notifications from apps that keep pushing them. Here’s what you need to do.
- Open the Settings app and tap on Device Care.
- Now tap on the Settings text at the top.
- Select the Block Apps with Excessive Notifications.
- Tap on the Intelligent Blocking toggle to switch it on.
Your Samsung device will use AI to detect these ads or spammy type notifications from specific apps and block them right away. You now get a screen from unwanted notifications and a less distracting and annoying experience when using your Galaxy device on One UI 8.5.
More Secure Device with Failed Authentication Lock
One UI 8.5 helps you keep your Galaxy device even more secure by locking it completely when someone tries to access an app or feature too many times and fails to successfully authenticate. Follow these steps to enable it.
- Open the Settings app and select Security and Privacy.
- Tap on Lost Device Protection followed by Theft Protection.
- You should see the Failed Authentication Lock toggle. Switch it on.
Set Data Processing for Photo Assist to on Device Only
Here’s a feature that’s useful for users who make use of the Galaxy AI tool called Photo Assist. Photo Assist lets you erase, move, and generate new objects in images. By default, this AI processing is done via the cloud. You can now change how the processing works and set it to happen on-device by following these steps.
- Open the Gallery app and tap on the hamburger menu at the bottom right of the screen.
- Now choose the Settings option and then select Photo Assist.
- Scroll down and select AI Eraser and Move.
- Switch the toggle on to where it says Process Data only on Device. This is device specific.
Enable DIM Strobing
Are you someone who has epilepsy and problems when you look at strobe lights and strobe effects? Well, Samsung has taken care of that by providing a new feature that you can enable. Here’s how you can enable this
- Launch the Settings app and tap on Accessibility.
- Select Visual Enhancements and tap on Dim Strobing to switch the toggle on.
When this feature is enabled, and you play a video that has strobe lights or strobe-like effects, your Galaxy smartphone will now dim the screen, which helps to prevent headaches and seizures for users who have issues with these types of lights and effects.
Show or Hide the Battery Background
Ever since the battery icon for One UI changed with the launch of One UI 7, there have been options to hide or show the battery percentage. Well, now in one UI 8.5, there is a new way to get that done. Here’s how.
- Open the Settings app and tap on Notifications.
- Select Status Bar.
- You will see a toggle for Show Battery background.
- If you switch it on, you will see the battery background. Turning it off will simply show you the battery percentage.
Enable Audio Playback During Video
While taking a video, you may have noticed that if you have audio playing and you start recording a video, the audio playback stops. If this annoys you, well, you need to change this setting by following these steps.
- Open the Camera app and tap the four dots (above camera switch button) on the right to open the camera settings shortcuts.
- Select the settings gear icon to open the Camera Settings page.
- Under the Video section, tap on Audio Options,
- Now, switch the toggle on to where it says Audio Playback.
Now, when you have audio playing in the background, it will no longer pause or stop whenever you use the Camera app to record a video.
Closing Thoughts
This concludes the settings that you need to adjust or change as and when your eligible Samsung Galaxy device gets the update to One UI 8.5. What are your thoughts on the new One UI 8.5 update? Is this a feature-rich update or just a regular update for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
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