Samsung Launches One UI 9 Beta for Galaxy S26 Series Users

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the One UI 9 beta program, launching this week beginning with the Galaxy S26 series. Built on the new Android 17, One UI 9 beta delivers expanded creative tools, customisation options, a more accessible mobile experience and stronger protection against potential security threats.

The full experience of One UI 9 will be introduced with upcoming Galaxy flagship devices later this year, which will include advanced AI features that will make mobile interaction easy and effortless.

What’s New in One UI 9 Beta

One UI 9 beta introduces several updates across key areas of the mobile experience.

Samsung Notes^[1] gains creative new tools, including decorative tapes and a wider variety of pen line styles. Meanwhile, the Contacts app now offers direct access to Creative Studio^[2] for creating personalised profile cards without the need to switch between apps.

The updated Quick Panel^[3] gives users greater control over its layout. Brightness, sound and media player are each independently adjustable, with more size options to suit individual preferences.

Accessibility is significantly improved by an adjustable Mouse Key speed that enables smoother cursor control and a combined TalkBack package that brings together features previously offered separately by Google and Samsung. The new Text Spotlight feature — which displays selected text larger or more clearly in a floating window — has also been added to make reading easier.

One UI 9 also introduces enhanced protection against suspicious apps and potential threats: when new high-risk apps are detected, it now warns users, blocks execution and installation, and recommends deletion through security policy updates^[4].

Availability

The One UI 9 beta program will be available to Galaxy S26 series users in select markets, including the U.K. starting this week. Galaxy S26 series users can apply to join the beta program via the Samsung Members app.

[1] Service availability may vary by region/country, OS/One UI version, device model and phone carrier.

[2] Requires Creative Studio app installation. Creative Studio feature requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language or device model. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed. Sticker can only be shared with other Galaxy devices.

[3] Certain settings might be greyed out or will not appear if the feature is turned off.

[4] Samsung’s security policy updates are designed to improve device security through service operation policy changes and may include updates to list of potential high-risk apps according to Samsung’s internal assessment.