All New Features of One UI 8 (Android 16) Update for Galaxy S25, S24, S23, and S22

Samsung has officially been rolling out the One UI 8 update, built on top of Android 16, to the flagship Galaxy lineup, including the S25, S24, S23, and S22 series, and it's packed with a powerful suite of new features and enhancements.

The new features in this One UI 8 update focus on three core themes: making Galaxy AI more integrated and intelligent, offering deeper Personalization options, and delivering a significant boost in Productivity and Health.

This Galaxy S25 new features guide explains in detail all the new features of the One UI 8 (Android 16) update for Galaxy S25, S24, S23, and S22, one by one, to help you fully understand and use these new features. This guide complements the key highlights of the One UI 8 update.

Galaxy AI Gets Even Smarter

Galaxy AI is no longer just a set of tools; it's being woven into the fabric of the operating system with this One UI 8 update. Galaxy S24 introduced dozens of Galaxy AI features, and Galaxy S25 added additional state-of-the-art AI features in One UI 7. One UI 8 update continues improving Galaxy AI.

See Your Calls with Live Captions

During any phone call, you can now enable Call Captions to see a real-time transcription of what each person is saying. This is one of the most useful new features for accessibility and is also perfect for moments when you're in a loud environment.

• How to use: Look for the ‘Call Captions' or ‘CC' button on your in-call screen after receiving the One UI 8 update.

Portrait Studio Now for Your Pets

Your furry friends are finally getting the Portrait Studio (which was introduced in One UI 6.1.1) treatment. Previously reserved for people, you can now apply stunning portrait effects to your pictures of dogs and cats.

• How to use: You can find this new effect in the Gallery app. When editing a photo of your pet, tap the portrait effects icon to see the new styles like Fisheye lens and oil painting.

Clean Up Your Sound with Audio Eraser

That perfect video from your vacation, ruined by wind noise? Audio Eraser is the solution. This new tool is available across the Gallery, Video Player, Samsung Notes, Voice Recorder, and even the Phone app.

Audio Eraser was first introduced for video editing in One UI 7 (Android 15) to automatically reduce the volume of wind and other background noises.  In the One UI 8 update, it is extended to more apps beyond the Gallery app.

• How to use: To use Audio Eraser, open a video or voice note, tap Edit, and look for the Audio Eraser option in the toolbar.

Stay Up to Date with Now brief

Now brief is your new intelligent, proactive assistant. It provides timely updates and useful information throughout the day based on your current context and interests.

In One UI 7, Now Brief is exclusive to the Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Edge, and S25 Ultra. One UI 8 update makes this new feature available on older devices.

• How to use: You can enable its widget by long-pressing your Home screen or add it to your Edge panel via Settings > Display > Edge panels, as demonstrated in detail in this guide.

Translate Critical Emergency Alerts

You'll never have to worry about missing a critical emergency alert when traveling. If you receive an alert in a language different from your system language, Galaxy AI will automatically translate it for you. This critical safety feature is one of the most important new features for travelers.

Faster AI Select

When you initiate AI select (part of the advanced ‘Circle to Search‘ features and Smart Search), you can now select an area of the screen immediately, with no lag or waiting.

• How to use: Simply long-press the home button (if you are using the navigation buttons/bar) or navigation handle (if you are using navigation gestures) to activate, then immediately draw or circle your selection.

More Convenient AI Results View

When you're in landscape mode, using AI to summarize or translate content will now show the results in a convenient side-by-side view. This AI results view allows you to compare the generated text with the original content without having to switch views.

A More Personal Galaxy

Your phone should look and feel like yors. The One UI 8 update doubles down on deep customization.

A New Dynamic Lock Screen Clock

The Lock screen in One UI 8 gets a stylish new clock with a modern font. More importantly, this new clock is intelligent. It dynamically moves and blends with the shape of your wallpaper photo, ensuring it never covers the faces of people or animals in your pictures.

• How to use: To customize it, long-press your Lock screen, tap ‘Customize', and select the new dynamic clock style from the options.

Beautiful New Wallpapers

The One UI 8 update also brings an expanded selection of new interactive and dynamic options, including beautiful color gradients that subtly change and animate over time. This expands the dynamic lock screen functions.

AI-Powered Wallpaper Suggestions

With the One UI 8 update, your phone can now act as your personal designer. Get intelligent wallpaper recommendations by letting your phone scan your Gallery for your best photos.

• How to use: Find this new One UI 8 feature in Settings > Wallpaper and style > Change wallpapers, under the ‘Gallery–Suggested images' section, where it will provide Galaxy AI-suggested photos for the wallpaper.

Boosting Your Productivity

This One UI 8 update is packed with quality-of-life new features designed to help you get more done, faster.

Check Stocks on Your ‘Now bar'

For a quick, glanceable update, stocks you follow on Google Finance that have significant price changes will automatically appear on your ‘Now bar' (part of ‘Now brief‘) at the end of the- trading day.

Easier File Sharing with Quick Share

Quick Share, Samsung's high-speed, local file-sharing service (similar to AirDrop on Apple devices), has been redesigned for speed and is consistent with the Quick Share in the stock Android 16. A new Quick Share button in the quick settings panel lets you instantly open the sharing screen.

• How to use: To access it, swipe down your quick settings panel and tap the new ‘Quick Share' icon to instantly see send/receive options. When sharing files or photos, Quick Share will also appear as an option.

Annotate with Sticky Notes

Samsung Notes gets a powerful new non-destructive feature. You can now add Sticky Notes on top of your documents to make quick annotations.

• How to use: While viewing a PDF or Note, tap the ‘Insert' icon (paperclip) and select ‘Sticky Note'.

Find Downloads Faster in My Files

Tired of digging through your ‘Downloads' folder? You can now filter files based on the app that was used to download them.

• How to use: In the ‘Downloads' or ‘Recent' tab in My Files, tap the filter icon to see the new ‘Filter by app' option.

Redesigned Samsung Internet

The native Samsung Internet browser has been optimized in the One UI 8 update. The main menu is streamlined to make the features you use most often easier to access, and you can customize the layout.

Scientific Calculator in Portrait View

It's a simple change, but a massive win. You no longer need to rotate your phone to landscape to access the scientific calculator.

• How to use: Just open the standard Calculator app, and the scientific keys will be available without rotating your device to landscape mode.

Enhancing Multitasking & DeX

Samsung continues to lead the pack in multitasking. Samsung DeX, the platform that lets you power a full desktop-like experience on an external monitor or TV using just your phone, is getting even more powerful new features in the One UI 8 update. In addition, some of Samsung's multiwindow features have been ported to the stock Android 16 and have become the “standard” in Android devices.

Do More in DeX

When using DeX on a connected display, you can now add widgets to your DeX Home screen, just like on your phone.

• How to use: You can add widgets just as you would on your phone: by long-pressing the DeX Home screen.

Enhanced Display Support for DeX

The new Samsung DeX in the One UI 8 update offers more flexibility for external displays. You can now choose an optimized display resolution up to WQHD and rotate the DeX display 90, 180, or 270 degrees.

Enhanced Split Screen View

A new multitasking gesture is here. While you have two apps open in split screen, you can now “push” one app against the edge of the screen, keeping it partially visible in a small sliver.

• How to use: While in split screen, drag the central divider all the way to the edge until the app ‘snaps' into a small ‘peek' tab. Tap the tab to swap focus.

Reimagined Reminders & Calendar

Your built-in task management and scheduling tools are now more powerful and integrated in this One UI 8 update.

New Reminder Interface

The Reminder app has been completely redesigned with one of the most visually refreshing new features. Categories are now clearly shown at the top of the screen, letting you see how many reminders are in each category with a single glance.

New Sample Reminders

To help users discover what's possible, the Reminder app now includes sample reminder templates. You can explore these to see how you can manage complex tasks.

Add Reminders Instantly

Adding a new reminder is faster than ever. A new text box sits at the bottom of the screen. As you type, smart suggestions will appear. You can also quickly add checklists, locations, and pictures using the buttons below the text box.

Reminders are Now Natively in Calendar

This is a huge integration. You can now create reminders directly from the Calendar app without ever opening the Reminder app.

• How to use: In the Calendar app, tap the ‘+' icon and you will now see ‘Add reminder' as an option alongside ‘Add event'.

Quick Add for Events

When adding an event in the quick add menu, you'll now get smart suggestions for event names and times based on your past habits. This new feature saves you from repetitive typing.

A New Era for Samsung Health

Samsung Health is leveraging new hardware (on upcoming watches) and smarter software new features to provide deeper insights.

Personalized Running Coach

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned marathoner, the new Running coach feature provides personalized training programs and tips. (Works with Galaxy Watch7 or higher).

Smarter Bedtime Guidance

Get to sleep at the right time. This new feature analyzes your sleep data and daily patterns to recommend the best time to go to sleep each night.

New Running Challenges

Go beyond simple step challenges with this new feature. You can now challenge your friends to a running competition by setting a target distance or a time limit.

Check Your Antioxidant Intake (Labs)

A futuristic new metric. This feature uses your watch to detect the level of carotenoids in your skin. (Works with Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch Ultra).

Food Recording Reminders

A simple, helpful nudge to stay on track with your calorie and nutrition goals.

Track Your Vascular Load

This new feature lets you get a deeper look at your cardiovascular health. Use your watch to measure the amount of stress on your blood vessels. (Works with Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch Ultra).

Pro-Level Photo & Video

The camera experience gets some welcome UI tweaks and pro-level new features.

Swipe for Quick Camera Controls

You can now access quick camera controls (like resolution, aspect ratio, and timers) even faster.

• How to use: To enable this, go to Camera settings > Swipe up/down and change the action to ‘Open quick controls', instead of swapping front/rear cameras.

Pro-Level Exposure Monitors

For serious photographers and videographers, Pro and Pro Video modes now include exposure monitors.

• How to use: In Pro or Pro Video mode, look for the new ‘Exposure Monitor' icon (it may look like a ‘Zebra' or ‘FC') in the settings on your viewfinder.

Advanced Color Grading with Log Videos

This one is for the pros. You can now enable shooting in a Log format, capturing video with a flat color profile to preserve dynamic range for professional color grading.

• How to use: Enable this new feature in Camera settings > Advanced video options > Log format.

Seamless Audio & Communication

This section covers One UI 8's new features for your accessories and calls.

Quick Access to Galaxy Buds Settings

No more digging through the Galaxy Wearable app! You can now adjust your core Galaxy Buds settings directly from your phone's main Settings menu.

• How to use: Navigate to Settings > Connected devices and you will see your Galaxy Buds listed for direct configuration—a great new time-saver.

Easily Connect to Auracast

Auracast, a new Bluetooth technology that lets you broadcast audio from one device to multiple listeners (like a silent TV in a public space or a multi-person audio tour), is now easier to use.

• How to use: Look for the Auracast icon in your media output settings or scan a QR code provided by the broadcaster.

Improved Profile Cards

Your personal profile card, which can be shared with contacts, is now easier to create and edit, with better layout options for your name and picture.

Review Recorded Calls in Contacts

To make it easier to find past conversations, any calls you have recorded will now appear directly within that contact's history screen.

Enhanced Security & Privacy

The One UI 8 update also delivers critical new features for security.

Enhanced Secure Folder

Your private digital vault is getting stronger. You can now set Secure Folder to automatically close apps and prevent notifications as soon as you lock it.

• How to use: You can find these new lock options in Secure Folder settings > Auto-lock Secure Folder.

Stronger Account Security with Knox Matrix

Knox Matrix, Samsung's end-to-end security platform that links your Galaxy devices in a private chain, now actively scans all devices signed in to your Samsung account for security risks. If a serious risk is found on one device, it will be automatically signed out to prevent the risk from spreading.

Show or Hide Notification Content

This setting has a new home. The option to show or hide notification content while your phone is locked has been moved to the main Notifications settings menu for easier access.

Accessibility for All

The One UI 8 update continues Samsung's commitment to accessibility with these new features.

New Zoom Options for Assistant Menu

The Assistant menu now provides more ways to zoom, including new on-screen buttons in addition to the one-finger drag gesture.

• How to use: Enable the Assistant menu in Settings > Accessibility, then find the new zoom controls within the menu itself.

Control Your Mouse with a Keyboard

For users who can't or don't want to use a mouse, you can now turn on Mouse keys in Accessibility settings.

• How to use: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Interaction and dexterity > Mouse keys to turn it on.

Magnify Your On-Screen Keyboard

A new option in Magnification settings allows you to make the keys on the on-screen keyboard larger, making them easier to see and tap.

• How to use: Find this toggle in Settings > Accessibility > Vision enhancements > Magnification > Magnify keyboard while typing.

Easier Bluetooth Hearing Aid Pairing

You can now pair and connect your Bluetooth hearing aid devices directly from the dedicated Hearing aid support screen in Accessibility settings.

Smarter Modes & Routines

Routines (formerly Bixby Routines) gets some powerful new features for automation.

New Preset Routines

The “Discover” tab for Routines now includes new preset routines for weather and other advanced conditions.

• How to use: Open Modes and Routines from your settings or quick panel, and tap the ‘Discover' tab to find these new templates.

New Routine Actions

Routines are now even more powerful. New actions are available that can get data from the Clock, Calendar, and Samsung Notes apps, which you can then use in other conditions or actions.

• How to use: When building a routine, look for the new “Get data from…” actions in the ‘Then' section.

Even More Improvements

Easily Organize Alarms

You can now add existing alarms to an “alarm group” and add that group to a Home screen widget, letting you turn all alarms in the group on or off with a single tap.

How to use: In the Clock app, go to the ‘Alarm' tab, tap the menu (three dots) and select ‘Alarm groups'.

Enhanced App Notification Settings

You can now choose the specific pop-up notification style (e.g., brief or detailed) for each app individually in the app’s notification settings.

Revamped Weather Visuals

The Weather app gets a visual refresh with richer, more realistic images to help you intuitively understand the current weather conditions at a glance.

Do you have any questions about the new features of One UI 8 (Android 16) update for Galaxy S25, S24, S23, and S22?

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You may check other sections of Galaxy S25 Guides: Everything about Galaxy S25:

• The Galaxy S25 News and Updates section provides the latest news, updates, and analyses for Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, and S25 Slim. You can find a broad range of topics, including Galaxy S25 specifications, design features, One UI updates, and market dynamics so that Galaxy S25 owners or potential owners can remain well-informed about the latest updates and trends of Galaxy S25.
• The Galaxy S25 New Features Guides deliver an in-depth analysis of the advancements and new capabilities of the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra models compared to their predecessors in the Galaxy S series, as well as other leading Android flagship devices. These guides are an invaluable resource for answering technical questions related to Galaxy S25, while also offering detailed insights and comparative evaluations to facilitate informed decision-making in the purchasing process.
• The Galaxy AI Guides section comprises a thorough collection of resources and tools aimed at assisting users in effectively navigating and using the features of Galaxy AI on Galaxy S25, S25+, and SD25 Ultra. This section includes detailed explanations, comprehensive step-by-step instructions, and expert recommendations. Each guide is specifically designed to address particular functionalities, ensuring that individuals, regardless of their experience level, can enhance their knowledge and efficiency in utilizing Galaxy AI.
• The Galaxy S25 How-to Guides provide an extensive array of resources that deliver comprehensive instructions on using and personalizing the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra. These thorough guides encompass all facets of operating the Galaxy S25 series, including hardware and software features, functionalities of the Android operating system and One UI, as well as procedures for migration and data sharing. By consulting the Galaxy S25 How-to Guides, you can gain an in-depth understanding of both the capabilities and customization options available for your Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.
• The Galaxy S25 Camera Guides section offers a comprehensive compilation of instructional resources designed to assist Galaxy S25 owners in effectively using the Galaxy S25 camera for capturing exceptional photographs and recording high-quality videos. Additionally, it includes guidance on the application of the photo (and video) editor available on the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.
• The Galaxy S25 Accessories Guides section offers detailed guides on the usage of various accessories specifically designed to enhance functionality and protect the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra. These guides cover a wide range of topics, including protective accessories and feature augmentation accessories. Furthermore, this section provides comprehensive reviews of specific accessories for Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.
• The Galaxy S25 User Manual section comprises the official user manual for the Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra, available in PDF format. These user manuals have been released by Samsung across various regions and are organized according to the respective languages. The content of this material is comprehensive and structured, facilitating easier access to the necessary information for Galaxy S25 owners.
• The Galaxy S25 Reviews section is dedicated to reviews of the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra and their accessories. These reviews are all based on our own usage as consumers. Depending on the objects being reviewed, Galaxy S25 reviews include detailed technology and design evaluations, everyday usage and performance, and comparison to other similar products.

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