- Samsung One UI 8.5 has leaked in a practical video
- There are some notable design changes on the way
- A double-tap back movement could also be added
With a UI 8 (based on Android 16), which now goes its way to more and more Samsung Galaxy hand sets, we are now starting to see leaks around the big UI 8.5 update that is expected to drop in 2026.
The team in Sammobile has managed to get an early test building working on a Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it seems that a rather large visual overhaul is waiting – although it is aware that this is far from the final release of the software.
Some icons drop their text labels, for example, while there is more comprehensive use of drop shadows and fluid menus. The Layout of the Panel Fast Settings that falls down at the top can now also be adapted to a greater extent.
Other changes that have been discovered are a bit more subtle, like a fine tuning to the battery percentage icon. In general, the interface looks a little cleaner and easier to get around, although there are probably more changes between now and its final release.
Double pressure to launch
Some additional digs from Android Authority have revealed that a UI 8.5 may also add a double-tap back gesture, which is exactly what it sounds like: you would tap twice on the back of your Galaxy phone to start a feature or feature.
Some of the features you can apparently launch using this gesture are the flashlight, the message pane and the screenshot feature. You can also use it to quickly start an app you choose if you want.
Of course, this is a feature that has been available on iPixes, pixels and various other models for several years now, so it’s weird that Samsung has taken so long to get around to add it (though you can already get third -party apps to do the same job).
We do not really have any hints about when a UI 8.5 should be rolled out, but given that a UI 9 (based on Android 17) is due in mid -2026, this update could see the light of day in the early part of next year.
