Samsung’s One UI 8.0, which runs Android 16 on top, is finally up and in action on the Galaxy S25 series. The first beta has arrived and has introduced a host of significant features and changes; here’s a detailed look at the features that came in One UI 8.
Samsung One UI 8.0 Builds on One UI 7 with Enhanced Design and Features
While the Galaxy S25 family is currently running One UI 8.0 beta, the latest build is not at all a minor update but surprisingly turned out to be the most amazing build that apparently takes the One UI 7 functionalities to the next level while also adding some new features to the list.
Adorable Dynamic Wallpapers
First things first, the wallpapers, of course, which certainly come up first while turning the phone on. Most prominently, with One UI 8.0, Samsung has pulled off some interesting dynamic wallpapers this time.
Users can pick from different styles, while the word dynamic itself suggests that the wallpaper will change its color, being bright blue in the morning, orange in the evening, and dark hues in the night. Not just this, the wallpaper also adds stunning gradient animations on the lock screen and when unlocking the phone.
Stunning Lock Screen
Next is the lock screen. One UI 8.0 triggers the lock screen widgets, and now they are slightly better than the ones that could be noticed in the previous One UI version. The widgets apparently hold a more sophisticated design for better readability.
Beyond this, the update also integrated a few new animated clock styles in the lock screen customization options. Alongside that comes a new create note shortcut that can be added on the lock screen to allow users to access Samsung Notes in a floating window.
The most significant factor: Now Bar
Now Bar was indeed one of the biggest additions in One UI 7, while guess what? It’s getting various new features in One UI 8.0. Samsung has now added a small haptic feedback the moment when the user taps the Now Bar. Not just that, the Now Bar also receives the support for calls, as it now shows the running calls and call duration at the same time. All in all, the Now Bar feature has now become more helpful and handy at the same time.
Visual changes
Visually, the latest One UI 8.0 version adds up a host of changes. First up, the home screen widgets have now become slightly bigger and bolder, making every widget look neater, and they are much more stretched out now, while the widgets now use the entire space on the screen better.
Another change can be noticed in the search that can be accessed from the app drawer, which has a new UI, with the cards organized in a different manner. Then, the update places the Quick Share into the Quick Settings, allowing users to open it quickly, and the entire UI has been refreshed, bringing send and receive tabs alongside new animations. Also, the Quick Share UI now has a Secure Folder tab that allows users to share it to apps inside the Secure Folder.
Lastly, One UI 8.0 brings the predictive back gesture feature to the Samsung apps and other places like Settings; however, with One UI 7, this feature was only limited to the Google apps. At the same time, the battery section now gets a new Advanced Protection option, which will now be shown as a separate toggle.
Exciting Multitasking
One UI 8’s multitasking becomes more exciting with Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive design. This makes multitasking easier and very handy at the same time. When putting two apps in split-screen mode, you now have the option to stretch the app’s border into a 90:10 ratio, while with One UI 7, the best you can do is 70:30 when splitting the apps.
App updates
With One UI 8, Samsung has offered some interesting updates for a host of Samsung apps. First up, users can now get all their recorded calls directly from the contacts page, which makes it easier to find recorded calls from a specific contact.
Next up, Secure Folder will now allow users to set separate fingerprints while also letting apps in the Secure Folder run in the background when it is locked.
Then, the Modes and Routines app now integrates Reminder, Notes, Calendar, and Clock apps in order to set reminders quickly and even add reminders in the Calendar app.
Next up, the new audio technology Auracast will allow seamless audio connectivity via QR code scanning and sharing. Beyond this, the Weather app gets a significant visual overhaul, where the animations are extremely rich and detailed, with the cards being more translucent now.
Coming to the My Files app, where the categories are now arranged at the top, which significantly offers a more sleek look to the entire UI. Basically, the entire UI of the My Files app becomes cleaner while also consuming the space much better than before.
Now what’s to expect?
Well, surprisingly, Samsung has enriched the latest One UI 8.0 build with a host of interesting features and changes while also refining certain functionalities of One UI 7 out of the box. And this is just the beginning of the beta phase, also considering how Samsung has been a little strict and on time with One UI 8.0 Beta as Android 16 is already running in its final stage; the expectations can go higher when Samsung drops the stable update.
