What you need to know
- Samsung has officially launched the One UI 9 Beta program, giving Galaxy S26 users first access to Android 17 features.
- One UI 9 adds more customization tools in Samsung Notes, including decorative tapes and new pen styles.
- The beta program is rolling out first in Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK, and the U.S. through the Samsung Members app.
After much anticipation, Samsung is finally pulling back the curtains on its next big software chapter, and it looks like the wait for Android 17 is entering its home stretch.
Samsung has just announced the launch of the One UI 9 Beta program, and if you’re sporting a Galaxy S26, you’re first in line to witness how Samsung is rethinking the mobile experience this year.
While most of us are still waiting on stable One UI 8.5 rollouts, Samsung is already beta testing the next big thing. And it’s not shy about what’s new.
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Samsung Notes now has decorative tapes and extra pen line styles. The Contacts app now links directly to Creative Studio, so you can build custom profile cards without jumping between apps. That said, Creative Studio still needs a separate install and Samsung Account login, but once set up, it’s seamless.
Android Central’s Take
Faster betas and earlier testing should mean less delays and faster access to Android 17 features. However, while shipping betas early sounds good on paper, it won’t mean anything if the firm goes back to its delayed regional rollouts and half-baked feature drops that have left users disappointed in the past. Galaxy owners only want updates that are timely, work well, and don’t feel like they’ve been languishing in software purgatory for months while Google and Pixel users have already moved on to the next thing.
The Quick Panel gets a long-overdue upgrade. Brightness, sound, and the media player are now independently adjustable, with more size options.
For accessibility, you get adjustable mouse key speed for smoother cursor control, and a combined TalkBack package that merges what Google and Samsung previously offered separately. The new Text Spotlight feature shows selected text larger in a floating window — a small change that makes reading on a phone much easier.
In terms of security, One UI 9 now actively blocks high-risk apps. When it detects something suspicious, it warns you, blocks execution and installation, and recommends deletion.
The beta program kicks off this week in Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK, and the U.S. Just open the Samsung Members app and apply for the beta program.
That said, sign-ups aren’t live yet at the time of writing, and the beta program isn’t showing up on eligible Galaxy S26 devices we’ve checked. But we’ll keep an eye out for it.
