Samsung One UI has different ways to control the media playback, including from the live notifications and lock screen, but One UI 9.0 gave these go-to destinations 5 new changes to enhance the user experience.

The overhaul includes both graphical and interactive improvements, regardless of which app you use to play songs in the background. We’ve compared this new experience with a previous One UI version and found a couple of new details.

Home screen

Here, we delve into the live notifications, which give you easy access to the media player from the status bar. However, now this compact window has interesting playback graphics.

Notice how the music timeline has a new color spectrum waveform compared to a light and an accent color in the previous version. The album name and the artist are aligned in a single line.

This change has allowed the company to increase the song’s length, font, and timeline size. Additionally, the playback button has round background shapes that are subtle but easy to notice.

Lock screen

A more noticeable design shift will be found on the lock screen as soon as you expand the music now bar (which also contains the new colorful waveform).

The album art contains the title and the artists, which were previously displayed below the album. However, the following section no longer contains the background shape wrapping around music controls. Instead, they are giving away a different vibe thanks to the new button background and that colorful timeline wavelength.

What makes these new visuals interesting is the animation. When you play/pause a song or move to the next, the system will show smooth animations to make it look interactive.

One UI 9.0 Media Player

Conclusion

With One UI 9.0, Samsung is focusing on polishing the existing software design, and the new Music player is a welcome step for a better user experience.

Samsung Galaxy S26 users enrolled in the One UI 9 Beta Program are now looking forward to the next Beta build, Beta 4. Samsung pushed the third Beta update this week, providing 9 major improvements for better UX.

One UI 9 Beta 4 should further enhance the overall user experience. The company is expected to maintain a gap of around two weeks between Beta builds. That said, the next Beta isn’t probably coming next week, starting on June 22.

Samsung launched Beta Program on May 13 and released the first Beta. The company had also provided confirmation of Beta 2 release, which landed on May 26. Before Beta 3 rollout on June 16, Samsung confirmed its release date.

Similarly, Samsung users could receive a Members app notice, confirming the release date of One UI 9 Beta 4. This is the first Beta Program, which is seeing special attention from Samsung, from the communication angle.

One UI 9 Beta releases so far:

• Beta 1 – May 13
• Beta 2 – May 26
• Beta 3 – June 16
• Beta 4 – June 30 (expected)

Since Beta 3 arrived on June 16, Samsung should likely push the Beta 4 update on June 30. This is not a confirmed release date as software rollouts depend heavily on internal verification and tests by engineers.

You may like: Samsung One UI 9 Beta 3 brings important changes and fixes; check all

One UI 9 official launch

Samsung has confirmed that the One UI 9 will officially launch with the upcoming Galaxy Z series phones. Reports suggest that the company may hold its Summer Unpacked event on July 22, which would also be the software’s release date.

Well, the official One UI 9 rollout won’t immediately start after the debut. Samsung would then expand the Beta Program to even more models. Meanwhile, the internal testing has already started for around three dozen Galaxy devices.

• Samsung is testing One UI 9.0 (Android 17) for these 21 Galaxy devices

Samsung phased out the Galaxy S22 series (and some others) from a major software update rollout, and we hope the Galaxy S23 series won’t meet the same fate in 2027.

Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra aren’t getting the One UI 8.5 update, and they will spend their remaining life on One UI 8.0. Both versions are based on Android 16, but the difference in QPR versions is the primary culprit.

Well, Samsung has provided One UI 8.5 to a $200 smartphone as well, so it doesn’t mean that one is better than the Galaxy S22 flagships in 2026.

Samsung Galaxy S23 shouldn’t be the next S22 in 2027

Samsung has already disappointed millions of users of the Galaxy S22 series. One UI 8.5 upgrade is bigger than the One UI 8.0, which would have elevated the user experience in multiple ways, not limited to the user interface.

The Galaxy S23 series is eligible for the Android 17-based One UI 9.0 upgrade. The Beta Program of this software is already live in 6 countries. Design-wise, the software has no major upgrades as the focus is on overall refinements.

The company is reportedly testing One UI 9 for Galaxy S23 series internally. A previous leak suggested that the Galaxy S27 series will launch with One UI 9.5. That said, the next x.5 software is slated for launch in 2027 as well.

Samsung may continue its strategy of basing One UI on Android QPR versions. If the 2026 method is retained in 2027, the One UI 9.0 will ship with Android 17 QPR1 atop, while One UI 9.5 could be based on the QPR2 version.

Like the S22 series become ineligible for the last One UI upgrade, Samsung shouldn’t do it for the S23 series in 2027. The 2023 flagships have an even larger consumer base than the 2022 models, and it will also be extremely upsetting.

Samsung is internally testing Android 17-based One UI 9.0 software for various Galaxy devices. This activity is running in parallel to the Open Beta Program. The public beta update is exclusively available for the Galaxy S26 series.

One UI 9.0 update will bring Android 17 to Samsung devices. The official debut is set for late July, while the rollout will take a few more weeks to start. Samsung will first prioritize new devices rather than sharing software advancements.

Samsung picked mid-May as the timeline to announce and start the One UI 9 Beta Program. As of the third week of June, the company has already rolled out three Beta builds to Galaxy S26 users in six countries around the world.

Open Beta Program

1. Galaxy S26
2. Galaxy S26+
3. Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung will keep the Beta Program limited to its latest flagship devices. Meanwhile, the internal testing has already started for plenty of models. It includes phones from the S series, foldables from the Z series, and tablets from the Tab series.

What’s more, some Galaxy A Series phones have also joined the party. The internal testing is expanding to unexpected models, including the budget ones. The pace is fast, and Samsung is gearing up for a faster rollout.

Internal Testing Stage

Galaxy S Series

1. Galaxy S25
2. Galaxy S25+
3. Galaxy S25 Ultra
4. Galaxy S24
5. Galaxy S24+
6. Galaxy S24 Ultra
7. Galaxy S24 FE
8. Galaxy S23
9. Galaxy S23+
10. Galaxy S23 Ultra

Galaxy Z Series

1. Galaxy Z Fold 7
2. Galaxy Z Flip 7

Galaxy A Series

1. Galaxy A57
2. Galaxy A56
3. Galaxy A34
4. Galaxy A17
5. Galaxy A16

Galaxy Tab S Series

1. Galaxy Tab S11
2. Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
3. Galaxy Tab S10+
4. Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra

The list is broad enough yet incomplete. Samsung will add even more Galaxy models to its internal software testing streak. Beta Program may open for more users, but it would only happen after the Summer Galaxy Unpacked event.

Updated on June 20, 2026.

June 17, 2026 | Samsung has recently released the third One UI 9 Beta update for the Galaxy S26 series. While everyone’s busy finding new features buried in the huge ~ 2GB update, our team discovered a silent design reversal.

The glow-up that Samsung’s Finder icon has in One UI 9 Beta has been lost in the One UI 9 Beta 3 version. The icon has returned to the design state it had in One UI 8.5, probably due to a bug, as the reversal doesn’t look fine at all.

Original story as follows

Samsung is Beta testing One UI 9 firmware, which brings big and small changes across the user interface. In particular, the Samsung Finder icon had also adopted a small tweak, which actually made a big visual impact.

Galaxy’s home screen brings a Samsung Finder icon tagged with page dots. It stays on the home screen to let you search within and outside the device. Samsung has amplified the aesthetics of the Finder icon in One UI 9.

Samsung Finder icon glows up in One UI 9

One UI 9 adopts a more refined Samsung Finder icon than One UI 8.5. The redesign has adopted a brighter appearance, which stands out.

Comparing the icons side-by-side in One UI 8.5 and One UI 9 reveals a major difference. The former looks boring next to the dynamically glowing version in One UI 9.

Samsung has retained the pill’s shape, internal component, and text. The change only applies to the entire look of the icon, which now displays wallpaper-inspired color as a background.

Image credit – Chanakya Shrutam of SammyFans

Samsung’s UI refinements are not just limited to minor tweaks. The new One UI 9 version has also cleaned up the entire Settings menu design. Tools and options have removed their descriptions on the main page for better clarity.

The Galaxy AI page, which consists of all the compatible tools, has also removed feature descriptions. Expanding a specific feature shows the relevant description, paving the way for the main menu to look cleaner than ever.

Next is Status bar, which is receiving major refinements for Galaxy user experience. The interface now features slightly larger icons for notifications. The text and icon have also applied a bolder shade of Black to match remaining visuals.

Samsung will unveil One UI 9 official update in late July 2026.