Samsung’s One UI 8.5 is a major software update for the company’s smartphones and introduces a host of feature improvements such as more accessible Family Sharing, improved device security measures, and generative AI tools. The biggest new features One UI 8.5 added to Galaxy phones are really exciting. Available for the first time for the latest in the Galaxy series, including the Galaxy 26, S26+ and S26 Ultra, the rollout is expected to extend to other phones – I’ve already downloaded and installed it on my Galaxy S25 Ultra. The official rollout began on May 6, with global versions available starting May 11 for most devices.
Here are all the Samsung phones that have been confirmed to have support, that already have it available, or that will see it rolled out soon:
- Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge and S25 FE
- Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra and S24 FE
- Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra and S23 FE
- Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, Flip 7 FE and Galaxy Z TriFold
- Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6
- Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5
- Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition
- Galaxy A56, A55, A54, A36, A35, A34, A26, A25, A17, A16 and A15
You’ll notice that most of the devices are from the last few years, with the Galaxy S23 and Z Fold 5 series first available in 2023.
More devices should see the software update
While the list above includes all permanently supported models that will benefit from the update, others will likely see one but have yet to receive official recognition. These devices are:
- Galaxy A24 and A06
- Galaxies F56, F55, F16, F15 and F06
- Galaxy M56, M55s, M55, M16, M15 and M06
- Galaxy XCover 7 and XCover 7 Pro
It’s not yet clear whether 4-year-old devices like the Galaxy S22 (including S22+ and S22 Ultra), Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Flip 4 will receive the One UI 8.5 update. Samsung will likely follow a four-year policy of major Android updates since the devices were launched in 2022, which would make this the last major update for these devices. This also falls right in line with Samsung’s predicted list of phones that will no longer receive updates in 2026. However, none of this means your phone will suddenly stop working. You simply won’t see any new updates if it’s not supported. With the launch of the Galaxy S24, Samsung later introduced a seven-year update policy, so newer devices need to be supported for longer. According to Samsung, you can also download the Samsung Members app to check which devices are compatible with the new update.
How will this update improve older Samsung devices?
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In addition to various improvements, the One UI 8.5 update brings Galaxy S26 features to older phones, improving usability in interesting ways. The new call screening feature, first added to the S26 series, is now supported on devices with the update, starting with the Galaxy S23. This feature allows the phone’s AI assistant to automatically take calls from unknown numbers, ask them what they want, and transcribe the call for you into an easy-to-access summary.
With all these new changes, it’s worth mentioning that there are a few mistakes you don’t want to make after updating your Android. These are smart habits you should form After Update software to help your device perform optimally. These include:
- Restart your device
- Clear cache
- Update old apps
- Delete apps and programs you no longer use
As with many software updates, availability depends on device model. Some devices may receive the update later than others, and a few may not receive the update at all. The biggest difference is that One UI 8.0 was based on Android 16 and One UI 8.5 is based on Android QPR2, so even some devices that support Android 16 may not receive the update.
