It appears details of Samsung’s upcoming One UI 8.5 update have been leaked, revealing the wave of new features the software installment will likely bring to your current Galaxy handset – and potentially what the Galaxy S26 series will launch with.
The information was posted on X by leaker Tarun Vats (via Android Police), who claims to have exclusively got hold of the One UI 8.5 changelog detailing what appears to be pretty much every change.
While we can’t be sure this leak is accurate, take what it reveals with a pinch of salt, it does appear to fall in line with rumors and reports to date.
Exclusive! 🔥
The One UI 8.5 beta changelog is here!
We have seen many of the changes through leaked firmware already, and they’re al there in the changelog
All details are in the images attached.
Repost, Galaxy Fam! pic.twitter.com/xTAZ4gI67P
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the leak claims the One UI 8.5 update will expand AI capabilities within the software, including “Continuous image generation” which the notes say “lets you generate AI images using different Photo assist features without saving each iteration. When you’re done, you can review all your creations in your history and pick your favorites.”
Samsung’s own AI assistant, Bixby, could also become more useful, with the ability to understand natural language requests – meaning you shouldn’t need to be quite so prescriptive when you’re asking it to do something, plus it might be able to deliver quick answers faster.
Samsung Health also appears to be in line for some updates, with enhanced weekly reports, upgraded sharing, and improved watch controls.
And for those of you who like to keep an eye on the forecast, the weather widget is set to be enhanced with precipitations graphs, while pollen index information is also tipped to be added.
According to the leak, there will also be enhancements when it comes to connectivity, accessibility, battery, security and privacy.
What this leak doesn’t mention though, are any model-specific updates which might arrive with One UI 8.5. Sometimes we see certain devices get focused updates around their cameras, battery or other key features. So there could be more to come if you own the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, or one of the Galaxy S25 handsets, for example.
When One UI 8.5 does become available, don’t expect it to hit all Galaxy phones and tablets at the same time. Samsung could well follow the staggered rollout it did for One UI 8, with the S25 series first in line, with the update arriving on older devices over the following weeks and months.
In terms of when you can expect One UI 8.5 to hit your phone, its release is still unconfirmed. There are reports saying Samsung could open its beta program for the update as soon as December 8 for users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Korea, and Germany, but the firm hasn’t said anything officially yet.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.