6 One UI 8.5 Changes That Have Leaked
When Samsung rolled out One UI 8, it was a relatively small update focused on minor refinements and a few new features like a DeX refresh and enhanced 90/10 multi-tasking. While some praised the smoother animations and AI-powered additions, it felt more like a polish of the existing software rather than a major overhaul. However, leaked information for One UI 8.5 suggests a more substantial change is on the way, bringing a comprehensive visual redesign and an array of significant new features that could dramatically alter the user experience.
Quick Settings
Samsung’s Quick Panel has always offered some degree of customization, letting you rearrange toggles and adjust your quick settings. Recent leaks from One UI 8.5 firmware files suggest the upcoming update will push this to a new level. According to tweets from @wr3cckl3ss1, the new update could introduce a completely customizable control panel. This isn't just about moving icons. This is about a complete, free-form experience that lets you change the position and size of individual toggles like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Mobile Data. You appear to be able to remove entire sections or persistent toggles you never use such as those for SmartThings or Smart View.
Phone App
In addition to the Quick Panel, the Phone app is also getting a redesign that’s been leaked by @ThatJoshGuy69. The leak highlights several key changes to the interface, including a new floating pill-shaped navigation bar that combines the three main tabs—Keypad, Recents and Contacts—into a single element.
Files App
One UI 8.5 is also bringing a fresh design to the My Files app, as revealed in a leak from SammyGuru. Key changes include circular categories for files, a new look for the recent files and downloads card and the swap to yellow folder icons. The internal storage is now its own category and shows usage as a percentage. The search bar has been relocated to the bottom inside another pill as well.
AI Notification Summaries
According to Tarun Vats, a well-known leaker, One UI 8.5 is also expected to include a new AI-powered feature called "Notification Intelligence Summarize." This feature is designed to provide brief summaries of notifications for messages, chats and emails. It will also group and prioritize these summarized notifications to help users quickly grasp the most important information without having to open each individual app. This addition demonstrates Samsung's continued focus on integrating more sophisticated AI capabilities directly into the core of its user interface to enhance productivity and organization.
Call Screening
Samsung also appears to be preparing an automatic call screening feature for Galaxy phones with the One UI 8.5 update. As discovered in a leaked firmware, this feature is similar to Google’s Call Screening on Pixel devices. It would automatically detect and answer suspicious calls, showing you a live transcript of the conversation without you having to manually tap the Bixby Text Call button. While the manual Bixby Text Call option will still be available, the new automatic feature is a significant improvement that would streamline the process and help users avoid spam calls. The leaked code also suggests the feature may have language selection options.
Modes and Routines
Adding to the growing list of AI features, One UI 8.5 will also include new "Ask Gemini" and "Ask Bixby" actions within the Routines app. This allows you to create automated routines that send a query to either Gemini or Bixby. This could be used for a wide range of tasks. For example, you could create a routine that sends a query to Gemini about the weather every morning, or you could ask Bixby to remember where you parked your car. The addition of these new actions demonstrates Samsung's continued effort to integrate more AI into its One UI experience and provide users with more customizable and powerful automation options.
UI Elements
All throughout you’ll notice small UI changes that do bear some resemblance to iOS, even if they aren’t going full glass. Material 3 Expressive has also been adopting some of these ideas, so it’s up to you to determine who is “copying” who. You’ll notice some elements at the top of the screen will pop out into bubbles that stay static while scrolling. At the bottom, there will now often be a floating pill that will contain menu items.