The testing for Samsung's upcoming OS, One UI 8.5, is in full swing. The South Korea-based tech company has been testing the new OS skin on the Galaxy S25 series in Korea for nearly two months, and now it seems the program is no longer open for other testers to join.
Samsung's One UI 8.5 testers in South Korea can no longer join the beta program
Users who want to register to test the beta version of One UI 8.5 in Korea seem no longer able to join. There's a new message that users are seeing, which indicates that registrations for the beta program are officially closed and that the South Korea-based giant has no plans to bring in new testers at this time.
The message that South Korean users trying to join the beta are seeing. | Image Credit - @ya_sking12767 on X
Well, that doesn't mean that the beta program itself is over. It's still active and ongoing, but it's going to rely only on the Galaxy S25 users who have already joined and not new testers.
There's plenty of evidence to suggest that Samsung is preparing a fourth beta version for the Galaxy S25 series. The new message just means no new Galaxy S25 users can join at this time.
Would you try a One UI beta on your Galaxy phone?
One UI 8.5 is supposed to become official with the Galaxy S26 series
Tests for the new OS skin began in South Korea on December 8. Samsung has not yet unveiled an official One UI 8.5 roadmap. However, it's almost certain that the new One UI is going to appear first with the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung's upcoming flagship lineup.
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The trio is expected to be officially unveiled next month. So this means that One UI 8.5 is also getting officially launched then. Of course, after the Galaxy S26 series goes out, Samsung will start distributing the new OS to older, supported devices. Most likely, it will start with the Galaxy S25 series.
Currently, it's not clear if Samsung will continue accepting beta applications outside of Korea. For now, only users in Korea have received the message that the beta is closed, so if you've been willing to try it out, maybe now is your last chance to do that, before having to wait for the official release.
One UI 8.5 is going to bring a new floating tab bar and improved reachability for its buttons and app features across the interface. With the update, Samsung is also streamlining its on-device AI image editing. You will be able to apply many edits to photos without having to manually save each iteration. One UI 8.5 also improves Quick Share and Storage Share.
There's also a new QuickStar GoodLock module, which would allow you to personalize the Quci Settings toggle in unique ways, including with custom backgrounds and photos.
The new OS skin brings plenty of small tweaks and refinements here and there across the UI as well.
One UI 8.5 is not a huge upgrade, but it's still exciting
Samsung is not including a major redesign this time around, nor some huge feature that would make everyone's jaws drop. However, I think that the refinements here are not to be underestimated.
In my opinion, when it comes to software, sometimes the small tweaks and quality-of-life changes matter more than just revamping everything. I especially fancy the customization options that Samsung keeps adding to the GoodLock module. Android phones are kings of customization, and Galaxy phones may very well be sitting on top in terms of customization with One UI 8.5.
The Galaxy S26 series is also interesting to me, even though it seems Samsung may not have huge upgrades this time around. We expect full Qi2 support, a revamped look for the Ultra, and improvements in charging and battery. Let's see what else Samsung may surprise us with next month!
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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