What you need to know
- One UI 8.5 finally lets Galaxy users control how long a routine stays active instead of running indefinitely.
- New scheduling options allow routines to run Forever, until a specific date, or just once.
- Manually triggered routines are the exception, as they still won’t support expiration scheduling.
Samsung is addressing one of the most frustrating issues with its automation tools. With One UI 8.5, Galaxy users can now choose how long a routine stays active, instead of having it run endlessly unless they turn it off themselves.
Samsung’s Modes and Routines feature has long been one of the most powerful built-in automation tools on Android. It lets Galaxy owners create simple “if this, then that” actions. For example, your phone can turn on Do Not Disturb at bedtime, enable Wi-Fi when you get home, or launch certain apps when you connect to your car.
Until now, routines had a clear drawback. Once you set one up, it would usually keep running until you went back and turned it off yourself.
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This is where One UI 8.5 comes in. Android Authority reports that Samsung’s latest update adds new scheduling controls, so you can decide exactly how long a routine stays active. Now, routines can follow three options: “Forever,” “Choose date,” or “Run only once.”
In the routine editor, you’ll see a new option called “Keep routine until.” Before this update, routines often stayed active long after you needed them. If you set up a temporary automation, like for a vacation, work trip, or special event, you had to remember to turn it off yourself later.
(Image credit: Android Authority)
With One UI 8.5, you no longer need to take that extra step. Now, you can set routines for temporary situations, like a travel routine that changes settings during a trip, a presentation routine that silences notifications during meetings, or a seasonal routine that only runs for certain months.
There is one exception. Routines that you start manually won’t have expiration settings, so you’ll still need to control those yourself.
The new scheduling options have already been spotted on devices running stable One UI 8.5, including the Galaxy S26 series. The feature is also visible on Galaxy S25 models participating in the One UI 8.5 beta, which suggests it should roll out more widely as the update expands across Samsung’s lineup.
As usual, the update will likely reach more Galaxy phones and tablets over time as Samsung rolls it out to more devices.
Android Central’s Take
I’ve always appreciated how powerful Samsung’s Modes and Routines system is, but it’s easy to forget about an old automation running in the background. Now, being able to set a routine to run once or expire on its own makes the system feel smarter and more flexible. This means less micromanaging and more confidence that your phone will do what you want, when you want it, and stop when you don’t.
