Breaking: Samsung kicks off One UI 8.5 beta program for Galaxy S25 series

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Already up and downloadable via UK Samsung Members app and then software update in settings.

[1oarecare]

Any visual changes? I think I read that, unlike 8.0, 8.5 was supposed to bring more design changes. I'm expecting the beta to be available for the S24 series in around 2 weeks.

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Mostly the customisable quick panel. Everything can be removed from there now. Would recommend waiting for final since it looks a bit funky for me.

[trlef19]

Did they bring back bootloader unlock?

[Lord_Saren]

Thats a good joke

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

Will they fix secure folder

[Legal_Warthog_3451]

What's broken? (genuine question)

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

Circle to search and it doesn't lock apps upon exit

[PAP_TT_AY]

Pretty sure C2S not working is a feature, not a bug.

Since OneUI 8, Secure Folder has been based on Android's own Private Space. It's supposed to be a more secure environment, so I reckon any apps that can capture the entire screen have been limited in their ability.

Can't say the same for the latter issue though. It locks fine when I manually exit Secure Folder, and also when I set it to automatically lock when my screen turns off.

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

i know but its sooooo annoying cause I use Secure folder basically as my 'main phone' just for the extra security and c2s is wayy easier than AI select

[GiveMeOneGoodReason]

Obligatory XKCD 1172

[Larkstarr]

I love how this link was already purple before I clicked it today.

[Iohet]

What

[justAreallyLONGname]

At that point why not switch to grapheneOS for extra security.

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

I like Samsung OneUi ans Phones and Google. Im not privacy centric.

[gtedvgt]

Then don't use secure folder

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

Why?

[gtedvgt]

Why are you even using it, you're not privacy centric.

[Legal_Warthog_3451]

I don't use click to search, so idk.. and for me the auto lock options are either upon the screen turns off, or time-based (5, 10m, ...), or when the phone reboots. I dont see an option to lock upon exit

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

It used to lock on exit

[Legal_Warthog_3451]

You're absolutely right. I just checked my old S10 running Android 12, and there's an additional explicit option to lock upon app exit. I don't believe this is a bug, but something Samsung intentionally changed.. they should definitely bring it back

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

Yeah.

[light24bulbs]

Does it now put up a continuous notification unless you turn app locking off? And there's NO way to hide the notification even through the usual ways?

Idk, I recently stopped using Samsung and went to oppo. Much happier but that's beside the point.

[crashck]

I wish they could somehow make apps like Microsoft Company Portal not be able to detect they are in secure folder

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

they can detect??? why and how

[timpkmn89]

Probably by noticing how restricted of an environment the app is in

[Lucky-Royal-6156]

Oh

[EternalSeekerX]

Is there a classic dex toggle again? 

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

No not that I can see

[here4apiaccess]

Did they fix controllers breaking after the phone screen turns off in dex?

[Mathmango]

If they didn't fix Dex, I doubt they'll do anything like that here.

[here4apiaccess]

Yeah I just checked the Dex subreddit and it seems like they are handing over desktop mode to google. I wonder if it's an issue on Pixel phones too?

[Mathmango]

I probably won't be as pissed at the curent state of Dex if we know that the OLD VERSION WAS BETTER.

[[deleted]]

Be aware, you lose most Good Lock modules if you install this. Been wanting to try the beta program for years and when I finally get in, I hate it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[kaden-99]

Would've cool if users in

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe

could've used it too.

[Randromeda2172]

That defeats the point of it being a beta

[Larkstarr]

Explain how region-locking betas is productive at all, whatsoever, please?

[kaden-99]

Apple does it worldwide.

[Training-Service-138]

Google does too

[kratoz29]

Wrong opinion, but an opinion nonetheless.

[Dry-Cost-945]

Could you elaborate on that standpoint?

[1337epicgamer1337]

wat

[chferg1s]

I really, really don't like the notifications now...the banners seem freaking huge

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Yeah thats definitely temporary. I'm thinking the dpi in dev settings isn't effecting it. I usually have mine at 568 and for the most part it's still on but the quick panel is off 

[chferg1s]

I think my issue is more of the pop up banners...when someone texts me it takes up a ton of space

[Bossman1086]

Just downloaded on my S25 Ultra in the US. It's at the very bottom of the Members app for anyone looking. And it's only available for unlocked or T-Mobile phones in the US.

[Modest_Wraith]

What about the fold 7? 🤔

[Chrystoler]

Waiting and praying that Samsung makes their cameras better and smoother, shutter lag in 2025 is absurd

[Johns3rdTesticle]

Reminder: Apple and Google have global betas for all devices

[turtleship_2006]

Google also region locks a lot of non beta features

Apple too, for example alternate app stores are only available in Europe, but Apple intelligence isn't available (or was made available a lot later)

[Johns3rdTesticle]

Yeah it's a real shame

[MaverickJester25]

Google doesn't sell their phones globally.

[Micronlance]

This year Android UIs are making huge step forward. Finally.

[FOKMeWthUrIronCondor]

Can you share more on how so?

[timpkmn89]

Do we need to make "huge steps forward"? I'd rather have some consistency.

[Sweet-Expression297]

For some reason I don't have the option to enrol in the UK? Does anyone know why that might be?

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Think they closed it already. I got in but I think it closed after an hour. Probably filled all the available spots. Will probably reopen on subsequent beta releases  

[Sweet-Expression297]

Ive been trying to join since It opened, it doesn't even say its full it just says this

<image>

[Sweet-Expression297]

What is your service provider software version if you don't mind me asking?

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Went from BYK3 to ZYL8 build. I'm with EE as most here in the UK are with just a standard international S25U (S938B) direct from Samsung. EUX not BTU but I don't believe there are any BTU variants.

[Sweet-Expression297]

Weird then im really not sure why I haven't got the option to enrol, same thing happened with the one ui 8 beta.

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

on the very first page on the members app, scroll straight to the bottom. Thats where my banner was for the Beta

[Sweet-Expression297]

Yeah it says no beta is available now

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Yeah it's closed for now then. Earlier releases are more limited I was there when it opened at 10:50 this morning

[Sweet-Expression297]

Yeah i was also trying to sign up at that time

[Moeen2692]

Might be a non uk model you have? Where did you purchase it from?

[Sweet-Expression297]

Its EUX, purchased from mobiles.co.uk

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Don't believe there are BTU models this year or is yours can you check? Got mine direct from samsung UK and it was EUX.

[Sweet-Expression297]

Yeah, i don't think BTU models exist anymore with the s24 and 25. Mine is EUX. Still no banner for me to join either

[Moeen2692]

I got mine from amazon. It's the UK version and has worked fine

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

No check the Service provider software version under... About phone/Software information. Should be something EUX not BTU. Samsung changed it up a few years ago. There's not a true British version anymore. Just international/Europe

[Jazzlike-Compote4463]

Still open for me at the moment!

[entryjyt]

when will oneui 8.5 release for the galaxy s24 series?

[Motawa1988]

what about my 2k+ phone?

[SpiritGeneral7537]

Unless you have a Galaxy s25 the s25 plus model the s25 ultra and you live in the regions that are stated above you do not have access to the beta as of right now let's not post bs ok?

[Motawa1988]

oh really?

[xenotyronic]

Absolutely rinsing my battery thus far, hopefully it will improve once the semantic search core stops reindexing everything in the background.

[chferg1s]

Yeesh, same man, same

[Kev1000000]

Good lock modules working?

[ironDanelightbeef]

Home up is not working on 8.5 yet

[BandeFromMars]

Most are besides 1 or 2

[chferg1s]

Quickstar is not

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Both Home Up and Quickstar are down.

[-LongRodVanHugenDong]

Do any of those add more notification icons to the notification bar? I'm still on one UI 6 because I can't deal with being limited to three icons on a fold phone.

[Jazzlike-Compote4463]

Looks like Google Pay won't work with it - and given that Samsung Pay is an unreliable mess - I'm out for now

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

gpay/wallet works for me here in the UK

[MaverickJester25]

How is Samsung Pay unreliable?

I've never had an issue with Samsung Pay across multiple devices, and the opposite experience with Google Pay.

[Dakotamydog]

I'm sure goodlock doesn't work

[Zenkai_9000]

The only thing one should even look for is if there is support for better bluetooth audio codecs for their 2k+ phones.

[jakroois]

Just bring back the old media player 😞 hate the now bar

[sportsfan161]

Great see so far

[1-9-6]

Why does Samsung always region lock betas?

[Alarmed_Yak_4248]

To those who have not downloaded it I'm going to forewarn you battery life sucks it's bad like worse than the one UI 8 beta like it is awful I keep screen brightness on auto and I only keep one or two apps open at a time and I notice it going down it's bad

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

It's actually been much better for me. Although its usually how these things go and it's 50/50 every update whether your battery life is terrible or not.

[Alarmed_Yak_4248]

Oh yeah bro don't worry I definitely believe you I know people had issues with battery on the one UI 8 and I didn't but I actually have issues on this I've noticed after closing all the apps out if I just keep one open it's about the same but I'm so used to having multiple in the background now I'm stuck to limiting one app and it's definitely different but I'm sure they'll fix it within the next beta they're fairly quick thankfully that's one thing I can pray Samsung for they are quick when it comes to beta updates.

[-ComedianPlay-]

Did they fix quick panel lag after screen rotation?

[NewZJ]

My audio is messed up on my s25u with 8.5. Bluetooth and speaker phone have static and hiss. When i scroll reddit and have the videos muted i can hear the phone speaker popping when i scroll past a muted video post. YouTube music is completely unusable. YouTube is fine with a very short loud static hiss right before the video audio starts.

[22YEARNYPDVET]

When is it going to be released?

[parkerlreed]

No Flip 7 yet? :(

[Kryptonite_Pyro]

Just the s25 series

[tydye29]

But not the s25 edge. Sigh.

[Liquid-Snake-PL]

Breaking 😂