Samsung Galaxy phone fans are in luck. The company has officially started the stable rollout of Android 16-based One UI 8, starting with the Galaxy S25 series. This makes them the first non-Google devices to receive the major software update.
Galaxy S25 users, the wait for stable Android 16 is finally over
It wasn’t an almost immediate rollout after Android 16 became available on Pixel phones. However, the wait has undoubtedly been shorter—and less excruciating—than that of the One UI 7 rollout. Back then, the major under-the-hood changes in One UI 7 and some issues that arose during development meant the company took a long time to ship the OTA. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case this time.
The One UI 8 stable update is now live for Samsung’s Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra users in South Korea. While the initial release is limited to that region, it is expected to expand to more countries within the next few days. Interestingly, the Galaxy S25 Edge is also getting its corresponding stable update. If you’re not aware, this particular model did not have a public beta testing phase. So, users of Samsung’s ultra-thin smartphone are in for a pleasant surprise.
For those who participated in the beta program, the update is a relatively small 555MB download. The OTA will move them directly from the beta to the stable version. For other Galaxy S25 users, the full firmware is a larger download of nearly 4GB.
Some key improvements
In addition to Android 16, One UI 8 brings a number of new features and design changes. These include an enhanced Now Brief that provides more personalized daily updates, a redesigned Quick Share page for a more streamlined sharing experience, and support for Auracast, a feature that allows users to broadcast audio from their phone to multiple nearby devices. Many of Samsung’s own apps, such as the file manager, Reminders, and Weather app, also got a new design.
The release for the Galaxy S25 is just the beginning. Samsung is also running a beta program for One UI 8 on other devices, including the Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Galaxy S23 series. These models—and many others—will receive the One UI 8 stable update in the coming weeks.
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