One UI 8.5 could let you browse social media without worrying about data limits

Data saver is a staple of modern-day smartphone operating systems, with Android offering its own version for several years now. Given that a lot has changed since then, including app usage habits, manufacturers have to get creative in conserving cellular data, particularly for users who don’t have the luxury of an unlimited data usage plan. Samsung appears to have recognized this and is working on a data-saving feature designed specifically for social media apps.

Looking through the pre-beta One UI 8.5 build, the folks at Android Authority have discovered a feature called “Adaptive data saver” that will curb data consumption when you’re doomscrolling on your favorite social media app.

One of the strings uncovered by the site plainly states what this feature is supposed to do: “Use less data in social media apps by only downloading videos when you’re ready to watch them. In most cases, you won’t notice any change in video speed or quality.“

No need to wait for Wi-Fi to scroll your feed

While all of this sounds fairly straightforward, the technical details on how Samsung will achieve this feat are unavailable. Android Authority speculates that Adaptive data saver may modify the prefetching behavior in social media apps.

For the uninitiated, prefetching enables apps to download content even before the user scrolls through the feed, providing a seamless experience with little to no waiting time as they scroll. Perhaps Samsung will devise a way to reduce prefetching in some form to conserve data.

The code also specifies that users won’t “notice” any change in the quality and loading speeds of videos, which is crucial if Samsung wants Galaxy device owners to actually use this feature. We expect future builds of One UI 8.5 to provide additional info about this data-saving feature.

While One UI 8 didn’t bring significant changes from One UI 7, One UI 8.5 will be a different story. We’ve already noticed several new additions expected to be bundled with Samsung’s upcoming software, including shareable camera presets, improved lock screen customization, and a revamped Quick panel with updated elements, among several others.

While it was initially believed that the first beta would drop towards the end of November, this doesn’t appear to be the case anymore, possibly linked to reports of Samsung delaying the launch of the Galaxy S26.