Samsung has finally launched the One UI 8.5 Beta for the Galaxy S25 series. The beta program is now live in South Korea, Germany, the US, and the UK. It is expected that the beta will be available in other eligible regions within the next few hours or days.
The first One UI 8.5 beta update for Galaxy S25 devices comes with build number ZYL8. The update is over 3GB in size on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and you can expect a similar size on other models.
Although One UI 8.5 is part of the mid-year updates for Galaxy devices, it packs several new features and improvements. Samsung has been internally testing this update for a few weeks, and its firmware was also leaked, revealing what the update brings. Based on these leaks, One UI 8.5 is as special as the One UI 8 update.
One UI 8.5 Beta Changelog
While the official changelog is not yet available to us, it is expected to be available within a few hours. However, the One UI 8.5 changelog was leaked recently, revealing the following changes:
Galaxy AI
- Continuous image generation
Keep creating without stopping. Photo Assist now lets you generate Al images using different Photo assist features without saving each iteration. When you’re done, you can review all your creations in your history and pick your favorites.
Bixby
- Smarter device control
Talk to Bixby in your own words. Bixby is now better at finding the setting or feature you need, even if you don’t use exact commands or feature names. Just say what you need and let Bixby do the rest. - Ask anything, anytime
Whether you need a quick answer or detailed information, just ask Bixby for an instant response. There’s no need to spend time on multiple searches or switching between apps. - Conversation history
Looking back at past conversations with Bixby is easier than ever. You can now access your conversation history from the side panel in the Bixby app.
Connectivity
- Storage share
Access your files anywhere. Files from your other Samsung phones, tablets, and PCs are available in the My Files app on your phone. You can also access your phone’s files on other Samsung devices, even your TV. - Quickly connect to Smart View devices
Connect to your favorite display faster. You can now add a shortcut on your Home screen to instantly mirror your phone’s screen to a TV or other display device. - Enhanced Auracast features
It’s easier than ever to listen to and broadcast sound with Auracast. Options for both broadcasting and listening are now located in the Audio broadcast menu in Settings. - Voice broadcasts
Broadcast your voice to people around you with Auracast. In addition to media sound, you can now broadcast your voice using your phone’s built-in microphone.
Battery and power
- Revamped battery info
See your battery use more clearly. The redesigned Battery settings screen makes it easier to check remaining time, charging status, and daily usage over the past week. - Improved Power saving
Use Power saving to make your battery last longer without charging. Choose Standard for moderate savings and customizable limits, or choose Maximum to turn off all non-essential features and make your battery last as long as possible.
Accessibility
- Easily control Bluetooth hearing aids
Access settings for your Bluetooth hearing aids directly from the Accessibility shortcut. A pop-up will appear that lets you change your hearing program, turn Ambient sound on or off, and more. - Control magnification with mouse or keyboard
Keep what you need magnified in view with these new options. You can make the magnified area follow the cursor as you type or move when you change focus using the keyboard. When using a mouse, you can make the magnified area shift as you move the pointer to the edge of the screen - Dwell action and Corner actions
The Auto action after pointer stops feature has been divided into 2 features. Dwell action lets you set custom actions when your mouse stops moving for a certain amount of time. Corner actions let you see a different action for each corner of the screen.
Clock
- Weather alarm backgrounds
Wake up to an alarm that gets you ready for the day’s weather. Your alarm screen can now show the current weather conditions as a background when it rings. - Time zone converter
Compare time zones at a glance. The new slider in the Clock app makes it easy to check the time difference between places around the world.
Samsung Health
- Enhanced weekly reports
See a fuller picture of your health each week. Weekly reports now include data from your medication tracker and mindfulness sessions. - Upgraded Sharing Experience
Share your workouts your way. Mix and match your exercise stats with photos from your workout to create the perfect social media post. - Start meditations from your watch
Find calm right from your wrist. You can now start favorite or recommended meditations directly on your Galaxy Watch without picking up your phone. - Antioxidant measurements from your watch
Check your antioxidant levels anytime. Measure directly from your Galaxy Watch even if it’s not connected to your phone. Works with Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Security and privacy
- Theft protection
Keep your phone and data safe in case it is lost or stolen. Turn on Failed authentication lock to automatically lock the screen in case there are too many failed attempts to verify your identity using your fingerprints, PIN, pattern, or password. Identity check also protects even more settings before. - Turn off Auto blocker temporarily
If you need to temporarily disable Auto blocker’s security protection, a new option lets you turn it on automatically 30 minutes later so you don’t forget.
Quick Share
- Avoid unwanted sharing requests
You can now set Quick Share to only receive files from other devices signed in to your Samsung account or Google account. - Photo sharing suggestions
Share photos with the right people faster. When you share pictures that include friends or family, Quick Share can recognize who’s in them and suggest sharing directly with those people.
Home and Lock screens
- Automatic Lock screen layout
Wallpapers with pictures of people or pets now fit perfectly every time. When you choose a photo for your Lock screen, the layout adjusts automatically so the clock and widget don’t cover important parts of the picture. - More customizable clock fonts
Personalize your Lock screen clock. You can now adjust the thickness of more font styles to match your preferred look.
Weather
- Enhanced weather widget
Quickly check upcoming precipitation in the Weather widget on your Home screen. The widget now shows a graph if precipitation is expected in the next few hours. - Pollen index
Check how much pollen is in the air to help manage your allergies. You can check pollen levels for trees, grass, and ragweed.
Even more improvements
- More customizable quick panel
Arrange your quick settings just the way you like them. You can now add, remove, reorder, and reorganize controls in the quick panel. - Early alerts for reminders
Get alerts before reminders are due to make sure you don’t forget important tasks. You can choose how far in advance to get an alert for each reminder. - Partial screen recording
Include only what you need in your screen recordings. You can now select only the part of the screen that you want to record. - Calculator nudges
Save time on calculations. Numbers and formulas copied to your clipboard will be suggested when you open Calculator so you can enter them with a quick tap. - Keep window sizes in DeX
DeX now remembers your app window sizes and positions. When you open an app again, it appears just as you left it.
How to Join One UI 8.5 Beta Program
If you own a Galaxy S25 device in the specified regions, you can join the beta program to experience One UI 8.5 before its official release. To register for the beta program, go to the Samsung Members app > Notices/Announcements > One UI 8.5 Beta > Register.
After joining the beta program, go to Settings > Software Update > Download and Install. Now you can install the One UI 8.5 beta on your phone. However, before proceeding, make sure that you have backed up your data and cleared enough storage.
If you own older Galaxy devices, there’s no confirmation yet whether the One UI 8.5 beta will be available on other models. However, there’s a chance that Samsung might make it available for a few more devices. We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung has in store.
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