Samsung just dropped One UI 8 at Galaxy Unpacked 2025, and it’s packed with enhanced new features for phones like the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7.

Let’s dive into what makes this update so awesome.

Now Bar

Now Bar is like your phone’s new best friend. Built into the Z Flip7’s full-screen FlexWindow, it shows notifications, widgets, and quick shortcuts. You can check what’s up without even unlocking your phone.

See Now Bar in action

Now Brief

Now Brief keeps you in the loop with news and updates tailored just for you. It’s got a slick 2×2 widget and live alerts during videos. Plus, it pulls in all kinds of content to keep things fresh.

Check out Now Brief

Photo Assist

Photo Assist is like having a photo editor in your pocket. It uses AI to tweak lighting, zap unwanted objects, and polish details. Whether you’re a selfie pro or just snapping for fun, it’s a game-changer.

Explore Photo Assist

Gemini Live

Gemini Live, powered by Google AI, makes your phone feel like a chatty assistant. It’s built into One UI 8 to answer questions, help with tasks, and give tips, all in a super natural way.

Meet Gemini Live

Browsing Assist and Writing Assist

Browsing Assist takes the hassle out of web surfing. It sums up pages, points out key info, and suggests stuff you’ll care about. Writing Assist fixes grammar, tweaks tone, and makes your messages crystal clear.

Learn about Browsing Assist and Writing Assist

One UI 8, paired with phones like the Z Fold7, makes your device feel smarter and smoother. Samsung’s Android 16 skin is all about making your phone work better for you. From editing pics to browsing or jotting notes, it’s got your back.

Samsung has confirmed that the Now Bar feature in One UI 8 will now work with third-party apps. At the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event, the company shows this expanded Now Bar support on Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphones.

The Now Bar was first introduced in One UI 7 on the Galaxy S25 series. It appears on the lock screen and shows useful information like music playing, sports scores, and updates. But until now, it only worked with Samsung apps and a few Google ones, which made it feel limited.

Today, Samsung announced new devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Watch 8. All of these devices come with One UI 8 and the improved Now Bar. Now, the Now Bar can connect with more third-party apps, though Samsung hasn’t said exactly which ones yet.

Source – Samsung Mobile Press

Samsung hasn’t listed all the supported apps yet, but this shows that the company is improving its Now Bar functionality. With third-party support, users might be able to see things like food delivery updates, flight details, or weather from their favorite apps right on the lock screen.

Aside from this, Samsung also said that the small cover screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the new Flip 7 FE will now support more apps, not just Samsung’s built-in widgets. This change will make the cover screen more useful, just like on other foldable phones.

Currently, stable One UI 8 is only available on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Galaxy Z Flip7 FE, and Galaxy Z Fold 7. These devices are now available for pre-order, with trade-in deals worth up to $1,000 and a $50 credit for early buyers.

Here are all the best Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 pre-order deals for US users – Samsung, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T and Xfinity Mobile

Samsung fans are talking about the One UI 8 update, based on Android 16 OS. With the Galaxy Unpacked event happening today, July 9, 2025, many are wondering if the rollout starts now.

Let’s break it down.

One UI 8 officially launched at Unpacked with an improved user interface and new features. The official debut of this software aligns with Samsung’s Summer timeline announced in May 2025.

Samsung’s Unpacked event is today, July 9, and the new Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7, and Flip7 FE debuted with One UI 8 pre-installed. This marks the official start of the rollout for these new foldables.

“Launching with the all-new One UI 8 on Android 16, Galaxy Z Fold7 debuts Samsung’s latest AI-powered platform on foldables, delivering the latest Android experience straight out of the box.” – Samsung.

One UI 7 Beta and Stable releases were delayed greatly due to UI changes. Meanwhile, Samsung has fixed most of the issues by advancing its Android version adoption timeline with Google.

Back in May 2025, Samsung started One UI 8 Beta for the Galaxy S25 series flagships. Beta users might get the stable update sooner, but there’s no confirmation it’s rolling out for all today.

Last month, Samsung dropped the second beta for S25 series users. Leaks from internal builds have showcased some big features and UI tweaks that may be provided with Beta 3 or the official release.

If you own a Galaxy S24, S23, or older foldables, you might need to wait. The update for these devices will likely start in August 2025, and the rollout is phased to ensure stability.

Samsung doesn’t stop here; it has been testing the new One UI 8 software on several Galaxy devices from the Galaxy S flagship lineup to the Galaxy A mid-range and budget series.

Usually, Samsung rolls out updates in stages to avoid bugs and ensure compatibility. New devices get priority, while older models follow after testing and verification among a low volume of users.

July 9 – Galaxy A35 joins A55 with One UI 8 testing

Samsung has now broadened its One UI 8 testing scope to another mid-range phone, the Galaxy A35 5G. It’s been two weeks since the Galaxy A55’s first Android 16 build was spotted, and now the younger sibling has joined the party.

• • First test build version – A356BXXU5CYG5

Samsung has already updated the Galaxy A55 and A35 with One UI 7 built on Android 15. This upgrade took a pretty long time in development, testing, and rollout. However, Samsung has sped things up for all Galaxy models with One UI 8.

New foldable phones launching today come pre-installed with One UI 8. The Beta Program is available for the Galaxy S25 series. At the same time, more older flagships are also testing the Android 16 software internally.

Related article – Samsung starts work on One UI 8 for Galaxy A54

Samsung may not expand the One UI 8 Beta to older Galaxy users. Fans are already busy exploring the One UI 7 update, and they literally don’t want a major OS upgrade at such a short distance, rather than the usual, a whole-year gap.

June 27 – Galaxy A55 testing One UI 8

New development reveals Samsung is working on the One UI 8 for the Galaxy A55 5G. Samsung’s Android 16 optimization for Galaxy devices is going on in full fledge, with mid-range models now being added to the testing zone.

As spotted by Alfaturk, Samsung is already testing One UI 8 on the Galaxy A55 5G. Recently, the smartphone with model number SM-A556E has appeared on Geekbench, revealing CPU performance scores.

The device, running One UI 8 internal build, scored 1150 and 3417 points in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. As the software isn’t final, performance may improve slightly while offering an elevated user experience.

That said, there’s no craze for One UI 8 Beta like we’ve seen for One UI 7. Samsung’s making One UI 8 a worthy upgrade, on a positive note. It will upscale the user interface and user experience in various ways apart from adding new features.

Launched back in March 2024, Galaxy A55 came with Android 14 OS. After the Android 15 rollout, Android 16 will mark its second major upgrade. Besides, Samsung will offer two more big OS updates to the device in the coming years.

Samsung appears to have started One UI 8 update preparations for the Galaxy A54 5G smartphone. In a recent development, a new major One UI build has surfaced on the software server, indicating the A54 is readying for its next big upgrade.

As spotted by TarunVats, Samsung has started One UI 8 testing on the Galaxy A54 5G. It’s the first build that is listed on the server, while the rollout may take a few months as flagships are first in line after the Beta Program closure.

At present, the firmware bears PDA build version A546BXXUEEYG5. The build version would keep changing until the official rollout. The last two characters will change more often based on the minor version and test month.

One UI 8 will succeed the One UI 7 update on the Galaxy A54. The users have recently received this major upgrade, and the company is already preparing the next big OS, which aims to refine the user interface and experience further.

Credit – Tarun Vats

Samsung’s Galaxy A54 launched with the Android 13 operating system. The smartphone is guaranteed to receive four major OS upgrades. Android 15 was the second big release, and the next Android 16-based One UI 8 will be the second last.

It means that Galaxy A54 users will be able to effortlessly use their device for at least three years. Android 16 is yet to be released, and Android 17’s software support will continue until at least the end of next year.