- The first version of One UI 9 appeared
- We also have screenshots of the software
- Expect a launch later in 2026
We’re yet to see a wider rollout of the One UI 8.5 software that debuted on Samsung Galaxy S26 phones (unveiled in late February), but it appears that progress is also being made on One UI 9 – 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 were able to get it working on a phone. This is a significant milestone in the development of any Android update and is worth noting.
The same source goes on to say that development will follow the same timeline that 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 sort of cadence throughout 2026. It might not be long before a One UI 9 beta program opens up (although you’ll probably need a newer Samsung phone to access it).
Here’s what’s coming
BREAKING The first One UI 9 internal test build 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 timeline as last year.Repost 🔄 pic.twitter.com/1DyxBLb2X4March 16, 2026
At this early stage, the screenshots shared by SamMobile don’t show much chance, but we do know that One UI 9 will be based on Android 17, and so that gives us some clues as to what could happen with this major update.
Android 17 is already in beta testing on Pixel phones, and there are some interesting upgrades on the way: better support for lock screen widgets and app windowing for example, as well as improvements to the way Android looks on less typical screen sizes.
It also looks like Android 17 will support an iOS-style notification tweak, meaning you’ll be able to swipe up from the top left corner to view your notifications, and swipe down from the top right corner to view quick settings.
There’s no doubt that there’s 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 apply its own changes and improvements to Google’s code base.
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