Samsung aims to improve the One UI 9.0 with new optimizations that target a smoother user interface and new accessibility features that are core to its experience. Targeting accessibility to strengthen support for all Galaxy smartphone users, aiding visibility, access, and optimizations.

Updates through One UI 8.5 already bring a range of accessibility features, but One UI 9.0 goes a step further, giving this segment its biggest overhaul in the past few years. That includes a couple of new options that target text, keyboard, mouse, gestures, talkback, and more.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new accessibility features in the latest update.

Text Spotlight

Text spotlight – You can expand and highlight text with a tap to make it easier to read. With its options, you can customize the size, colors, scrolling speed, and hover window. You can also add the new text spotlight shortcut for instant access.

Physical keyboard shortcut

You can now directly turn on or off accessibility features from your physical keyboard without touching your Galaxy device. It supports selection from talkback, to visibility, and key controls.

Control the mouse with the keyboard

This new addition will let you control the mouse with the keyboard. Besides movement, the keyboard will also support mouse clicks, click and hold, as well as scroll actions.

Replace swipe with a single tap

Samsung has restructured the menu for this feature and made it easy to find in the settings.

Talkback updates

Talkback has been a good companion for many users, and it’s getting new upgrades, including:

• Customizable braille display commands
• Dynamic web page browsing improvements
• Talkback gives keyboard hints while using the physical accessory

Select to speak

One major feature in this update comes with select to speak, which lets you tap specific items on your screen to hear them read or described aloud instead of reading everything. It’s like tap to highlight the text, but for voice readout.

Rollout

These new accessibility features are currently available with One UI 9.0 beta and will expand for all users with the stable release later this year.

Samsung One UI 9.0 is more of a refinement release rather than a massive transformation for Galaxy phones. The new software is available in the Beta Program, and the company is expected to officially reveal it at the July Unpacked.

The software update mechanism is a crucial document for smartphone owners. Samsung is one of the biggest examples, which is teaching its rival brands (not Apple and Google, of course) how transparent they should be.

As of June 2026, Samsung has two kinds of software strategies for all Galaxy devices:

1. Seven years of updates – Flagship/premium Galaxy devices
2. Six years of updates – All the remaining Galaxy devices

Samsung’s 7-year update strategy came into effect in 2024 and is applicable to Galaxy S24 and newer lineups. However, the previous software guarantees had mixed tiers for entry-level, budget, mid-range, and premium devices.

Take Galaxy S22 and S23, for example; the two lineups are eligible for four years of software updates, while the Galaxy S24 series is promised for seven years.

Here is a tentative list of devices to be excluded from the official rollout:

Flagship phones ineligible for One UI 9

• Galaxy S22 Series: Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra
• Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Note: The standard S21 series will have already stopped at an earlier version like One UI 7).

Non-flagship devices

• Galaxy A73 5G
• Galaxy A53 5G
• Galaxy A33 5G
• Galaxy A14 (both LTE and 5G variants)
• Galaxy A06 LTE (The 5G variant may qualify, but the LTE build is capped).
• Galaxy A05 / A05s
• Galaxy M53 5G / F53 5G
• Galaxy M33 5G / F33 5G
• Galaxy M14 / F14

Note: This is not a confirmed list.

With Samsung maintaining two tiers for a few years now, things will settle when older lineups get ousted from the stream. Still, detecting which device is eligible and ineligible isn’t too tricky, thanks to Samsung’s commitments.

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 A35
4. Galaxy A34
5. Galaxy A17
6. 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 23, 2026.

On May 6, 2026, Samsung announced the rollout of the One UI 8.5 stable update for Galaxy devices. The software remained in Beta testing phase for over five months. Well, the second wave of rollout was crazy enough, spreading blazingly fast.

The day Samsung began One UI 8.5 stable rollout, plenty of Galaxy devices received the update. The availability in Wave 1 was limited to South Korea. However, the Wave 2 rollout covered millions of Galaxy devices on May 11, 2026.

As part of One UI 8.5, Samsung is bringing select AI features from the Galaxy S26 series across the Galaxy ecosystem. The update focuses on enhancing communication and creative experiences on Galaxy mobile phones and tablets.

These devices have received the Stable update first – Wave 1

• Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra
• Galaxy S25 Edge
• Galaxy S25 FE
• Galaxy Z TriFold
• Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7
• Galaxy Z Flip7 FE

Major expansion started on May 11

Samsung devices that have received the update on May 6 in South Korea have received the OTA in the Global markets. The second phase of rollout has also begun in South Korea, before hitting the worldwide market.

The first wave targets flagship models released in 2025, including the Galaxy S25 series, Z7 series foldables, and the TriFold phone. The second wave aimed at the Galaxy S24 series and the Z6 series foldables in South Korea.

In its Global press release, Samsung confirmed that the update is gradually starting to arrive on the Galaxy S25 series, S25 FE, S24 series, S24 FE, Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, Galaxy Tab S11 series, and Tab S10 series.

These devices have received the Stable update – Wave 2

• Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra
• Galaxy S24 FE
• Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6
• Galaxy Z Fold SE

Wave 3 of One UI 8.5 update expansion

• Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra
• Galaxy S23 FE
• Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5
• Galaxy A56 and A36
• Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra

5th wave of One UI 8.5 expansion

Galaxy A Series

• Galaxy A17 and A07
• Galaxy A56, A36, A26, A16, and A06
• Galaxy A55, A35, A25, and A15
• Galaxy A54, A34, and A24

Galaxy M Series

• Galaxy M07, M17 and M17e
• Galaxy M56, M36, M16, and M06
• Galaxy M55, M55s, M35, and M15
• Galaxy M54

Galaxy F Series

• Galaxy F17 and F70e
• Galaxy F56, F16, and F06
• Galaxy F55 and F15
• Galaxy F54 and F34

Galaxy Tab S/A/XCover/Active Series

• Galaxy Tab S9 series
• Galaxy Tab S9 FE series
• Galaxy Tab S10 series
• Galaxy Tab S10 Lite
• Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
• Galaxy XCover 7 and XCover 7 Pro
• Galaxy XCover 5 Pro
• Galaxy Tab A11 and A11+
• Galaxy Tab A9+
• Galaxy Tab Active 5 and P5o

Updated on June 17, 2026.

Latest Samsung leaks reveal much more about the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches, which are set to launch next month. Credible inputs shed light on the design of the wearables as well as the refined user interface.

Galaxy Watch 9 will look familiar, but the design refinements are worth welcoming. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is getting some incredible revisions that influence its overall appearance and fix the biggest flaw of the OG model.

Samsung has made the Ultra Watch boxier than the OG model. The smartwatch reportedly features Classic-like clock numbering. The bezels are going thinner, the side button area is improved, and the Quick button color has adopted an Orange outline.

Samsung would bring its smartwatches in three colors, including Black, Silver, and Beige. GalaxyTechie shared even more insights, including band colors and designs, which are as follows:

• Beige would be exclusive to the base variant.
• Black version would bring a Bluish band stapled.
• Silver variant would carry a Green band along.

Classic model, which is famous for the physical rotating bezel, isn’t coming this year.

On the software side, the software-sourced renders highlight the Sinus rhythm feature. Another picture spotlights the revamped icon for the Compass app.

Samsung is expected to hold the Galaxy Unpacked event in London. Korean media reports that the event could be held on July 22. The smartwatches will be unveiled alongside three foldable phones and potentially the smart glasses.

Galaxy Watch Ultra will bring steep battery life improvements. It’s reportedly getting a 34 percent bigger battery than the Apple Watch Ultra and 35 percent larger battery than the original Galaxy Watch Ultra released in 2024.