- The first version of One UI 9 has appeared
- We also have screenshots of the software.
- Expect a release later in 2026
We’re yet to see a wider release of the One UI 8.5 software that debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S26 phones (unveiled in late February), but it looks like progress is being made on One UI 9 as well, as the first version of the update has just appeared.
As tipster Tarun Vats reports, there’s now an official version of One UI 9 on Samsung’s servers, and the folks at SamMobile have been able to get it up and running on a phone. It is an important milestone in the development of any Android update and is worth mentioning.
The same source goes on to say that development will follow the same schedule we saw last year with One UI 8 (based on Android 16). You may remember that after months of beta testing, it launched in July 2025 with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7.
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Older phones started receiving One UI 8 starting in September 2025, so expect the same kind of cadence throughout 2026. It may not be long before a One UI 9 beta program opens up (although you’ll probably need a newer Samsung phone to access it).
This is what’s coming
BREAKING The first internal test build of One UI 9 for the Galaxy S26 series was spotted on the server today. 👀Build version: S948BXXU1BZC5/S948BOXM1BZC5/ S948BXXU1BZC5Samsung has officially started development of One UI 9, following the same schedule as last year. Repost 🔄 pic.twitter.com/1DyxBLb2X4March 16, 2026
At this early stage, the screenshots shared by SamMobile don’t show many possibilities, but we know that One UI 9 will be based on Android 17, which gives us some clues as to what could be coming with this major update.
Android 17 is already in beta testing on Pixel phones, and there are some interesting updates on the way: better support for lock screen widgets and app windows, for example, as well as improvements to the look and feel of Android on less typical screen sizes.
It also looks like Android 17 will support a notification setting similar to iOS, meaning you’ll be able to swipe down from the top left corner to show your notifications and swipe down from the top right corner to show Quick Settings.
There will undoubtedly be more to come with Android 17 before its big reveal at Google I/O 2026 in May as the Android 17 beta program continues. As usual, Samsung will also be applying its own tweaks and improvements on top of Google’s codebase.
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