What you need to know
- Samsung has expanded the One UI 8.5 beta to more Galaxy devices, including S23, Fold 5, Flip 5, and A36.
- The beta is rolling out in phases across regions like India, Korea, the U.K., and the U.S.
- One UI 8.5 brings new icons, redesigned apps, better Quick Settings, and more lock screen customization.
If you’ve been waiting to try Samsung’s One UI 8.5 on your older Galaxy device, you’re in luck, as Samsung has started expanding the beta to more devices across multiple regions.
As shared by Samsung in a blog post, the company has begun rolling out the One UI 8.5 beta to more devices, including the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy S23 FE, and even the Galaxy A36. This is the first time Samsung is offering a beta update for an A series device, as these typically only receive the stable release.
The update is available in select regions, including India, Korea, the U.K., and the U.S. Samsung says it’s a phased rollout, so it may take some time to reach your device. If you have an eligible phone, you can enroll via the Samsung Members app and then check for updates by going to Settings > Software update > Check for updates.
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(Image credit: Christine Persaud / Android Central)
One UI 8.5 brings a number of new features, including updated icons, redesigned apps, a more customizable Quick Settings panel, and additional lock screen customization options. There are also features like Shared Storage, which lets you access files on your Galaxy phone directly through a Samsung TV.
Samsung has also mentioned that the update brings support for AirDrop via Quick Share in the One UI 8.5 beta. However, the devices listed for this feature include the Galaxy S25 series, S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Fold 6, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 6. This means the devices that just received the beta don’t support this feature yet.
Samsung hasn’t confirmed whether it’ll expand AirDrop support to older devices, and given it’s missing from the current list, I wouldn’t be too hopeful for now.
Android Central’s Take
It’s good to see Samsung expanding the One UI 8.5 beta to more devices, especially the A series, but the lack of AirDrop support on these devices is a bit disappointing. Hopefully, that changes soon.
