Samsung has rolled out the latest version of its custom interface, One UI 8, and it brings with it a fresh wave of innovation to Galaxy devices.
One UI is Samsung's proprietary user interface available on many of its mobile devices, computing appliances, and TVs. As a UI, its job is to bridge the gap between the machine and the user, and ensure that it's a pleasant experience for all.
With One UI 8, which began its official rollout on September 15, it does that and much more. It incorporates many highly anticipated and highly requested features. As expected in this future-facing technological environment, Samsung's focus for this generation's UI is very much on artificial intelligence (AI) and expanding on what it can do for people.
One UI 8 is currently available on the Galaxy S25 series, with later generations expected to receive it later in 2025.
Summary of New Features in One UI 8
In short, the features available in One UI 8 include:
- Advanced Customization for FlexWindow
- AI Results View
- Audio Eraser
- Call Captions
- Circle to Search with Google
- Improved Secure Wi-Fi
- Keyboard Inputs in Interpreter
- Now Bar
- Now Brief
- Galaxy AI Optimized for Large Screens
- Gemini Live
- Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP)
- Knox Matrix
- Portrait Studio
In-Depth Look At One UI 8's Features
Generally speaking, Samsung has categorized these features into three main categories: Personalized suggestions with advanced security, intelligent multimodality, and UX optimized for multiple form factors.
First off, with suggestions, they'll now be more personalized and proactive with One UI 8. Why? This is down to Galaxy AI becoming more intelligent. This will be especially evident in the Now Brief, which provides users with information, reminders, and updates that reflect their interests and daily routines.
Now, you may be wondering about the security of your private data. To that end, Samsung has implemented a few steps to protect that. The first of which is Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection, or KEEP for short. It is described as "a new security architecture designed to safeguard the next generation of AI experiences used by Galaxy’s Personal Data Engine."
Adding to that layer of security is the Knox Matrix, which automatically signs devices out of the Samsung Account if serious risks or unusual behaviour are noticed. Secure Wi-Fi will also be upgraded with post-quantum cryptography that is "designed to strengthen network protection against emerging threats."
Moving on, multimodal AI will improve the way users engage with Samsung devices. This is present in tools such as Audio Eraser, Call Captions, Interpreter, and Portrait Studio. Gemini Live, Google's real-time voice assistant, will be available alongside Google's Circle to Search feature.
Finally, there have been sweeping improvements to the user experience (UX) across various Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
You'll notice the impact of One UI 8, especially if you're on a larger screen, as Galaxy AI has been optimized for this form factor. Multi Window now lets users drag and drop content into their work, while AI-powered Drawing Assist and Writing Assist enable a smoother workflow.
Furthermore, the AI Results View will now display information in either a Floating View or a separate Split View.