Samsung’s One UI 9 beta rolling out to Galaxy S26 owners this week

Starting this week, Galaxy 26 owners can test One UI 9, built on Android 17. New features include a Quick Panel redesign and creative new options for Samsung Notes. Try to contain your enthusiasm.

Accessibility features may be the highlight. A beta version of UI 9 includes something people who use external keyboards will appreciate: the ability to adjust mouse key speed. There’s also a new feature called Text Spotlight that lets you zoom and clarify selected text in a floating window. And TalkBack, Samsung’s screen reader with text-to-speech (TTS) technology, is now integrated with Google’s feature of the same name.

There’s also a cool new security feature: One UI 9 could help you avoid installing malicious apps. The software can detect high-risk applications, warn you about them, and block their installation.

The rest of One UI 9’s new features are, shall we say, a bit ho-hum. Among them is a new Quick Panel layout. The panel’s brightness, sound, and media player controls are now independently adjustable and have more sizing options. Elsewhere, Samsung Notes gets new decorative digital stripes and more pen line styles. And the Contacts app now integrates with Creative Studio, letting you create custom profile cards without switching apps.

However, part of the reason for the disappointing feature list is that Samsung is saving new “advanced AI features” for the final version. The company says the final version of One UI 9 will come to “upcoming Galaxy flagship devices later this year.” This almost certainly refers to Samsung’s flagship foldable products, which are scheduled to launch in July.

Galaxy S26 owners can sign up for One UI 9 beta in the Samsung Members app. The program is only available in select markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Poland and Korea. The company says the software rollout will begin this week.