Summary
Samsung Galaxy owners, are you ready for Android 16? After reports that Samsung’s next big software update, One UI 8 (based on Android 16), would arrive earlier than expected this year, it’s already here. Today, Samsung started pushing out the first One UI 8 betas for the Galaxy S25.
Back in March, we heard thatSamsung had started internal testing of One UI 8, putting the rollout months ahead of the slow One UI 7 release, which faced several delays. Then, a few weeks ago, reports indicated that One UI 8 could arrive in May, which was true.
Which Galaxy Devices Can Try One UI 8 (So Far)
Starting today, May 28th, those with unlocked or T-Mobile variants of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, or Galaxy S25 Ultra can join Samsung’s One UI 8 beta. It’s only available in the United States, the UK, Germany, and Korea, although more regions and devices will likely follow shortly. The next devices will be the latest foldables.
This year, Samsung has a new and improved system for its software update beta program. As usual, you’ll need to register by joining the beta inside theSamsung Members app, so long as you have an eligible device. Once you open Samsung Members and log in, if you’re in an eligible region on an eligible device, you should see a box near the top that says, “Beta Program.” Click that, then join the beta.
From here, you can check for updates, download the large 3GB file, and install Android 16 (One UI 8) on your Galaxy phone. The entire process took under 10 minutes on my device. Remember that you may experience issues, so back up your device before proceeding.
So, how is this update arriving so quickly? During the initial announcement, Samsung said, “Through open communication, Samsung and Google actively shared their respective design systems and real-time feedback with one another, accelerating software development that made One UI 8 one of the first UI platforms to adopt Android 16.”
As you all know, beta versions of software may not be 100% stable, and features are likely missing. As the beta continues and the official update nears, the experience should improve. Samsung is already touting features that will help One UI 8 deliver an AI experience that’ll make your everyday smarter and more convenient. Those are new multimodal capabilities, UX improvements, and personalized suggestions throughout, like in the Now Bar.
While the update builds on top of Android 15 (One UI 7), which arrived late last year or in early 2025, it’s a rather small release. Sure, the update weighs in at 3GB, but my Galaxy S25+ still looks and feels mostly the same. However, I expect more changes over time. Other exciting new features include a better Quick Share, improvements to Now Bar and Now Brief, QR codes for Auracast, a better Reminders app, and much more. This is a developing story, and we’ll report back as we learn more.
