Samsung has just started rolling out Android 16–based One UI 8 to its flagship Galaxy devices, and leaks about One UI 8.5 are already surfacing online. In the last few days, leaks have detailed several changes in One UI 8.5, including the more customizable Quick Settings panel, some design changes, and a major overhaul to the Gallery app. Now, a hands-on video of Samsung’s next major One UI release running on the Galaxy S25 Ultra has popped up online, giving us a better look at all the changes.
While the One UI 8.5 firmware is still in early stages of development, it’s clear that Samsung is preparing some notable visual changes.
As part of the revamp, the Settings menu will get a rounder look, with larger gaps between each entry, complemented by new animations. The search bar will also move to the bottom, a design tweak Samsung first introduced in the One UI 8 app drawer.
Functionally, though, nothing major will change, as all options will remain in the same place.
The leaked firmware lacks a battery icon and only shows the remaining battery percentage. Since this is still an early test build, it could just be a bug. When the device is plugged into a charger, though, it plays the same charging animation found in One UI 8.
Notification panel and Quick Settings changes could be the bigger deal
Many first-party Samsung apps will get a visual overhaul with One UI 8.5 as well. This includes the Phone app, which will feature a floating tab bar at the bottom and a new Direct Voicemail option. It seems Samsung is bringing the floating tab bar to more of its apps, with the revamped Gallery app in One UI 8.5 also set to feature it.
One of the biggest changes Samsung is planning in One UI 8.5 is a revamp of the Quick Settings panel and notification shade. Not only will the notifications appear cleaner with better contrast, but the Quick Panel itself will become fully customizable. You can resize and rearrange toggles, move them around, and even make controls like the brightness slider vertical, similar to how it works on the iPhone.
Samsung will likely roll out One UI 8.5 alongside the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026. That leaves a few months of development, so plenty could change before launch. Still, if this early leaked firmware is any indication, One UI 8.5 is shaping up to be a bigger update than One UI 8.
