SEOUL, Korea – 9 December 2025 –Samsung just dropped the beta version of One UI 8.5, and honestly, it's packing some pretty neat upgrades that'll make your Galaxy phone feel a whole lot smarter. The company announced the beta program on December 9th, rolling it out to Galaxy S25 series users in select countries first.
So what's the big deal? Let's break down what's actually new and whether you should care.
Photo Assist Gets Way More Flexible
If you've ever gotten frustrated editing photos on your phone because you had to save every single version, Samsung heard you. The updated Photo Assist feature now lets you keep editing continuously without stopping to save each time. Think of it like having an undo button on steroids—you can generate multiple variations, try different edits, and then scroll through your entire edit history at the end to pick which ones you actually want to keep.
It's one of those "why wasn't this already a thing?" features that should make the whole creative process feel way less clunky.
Quick Share Actually Gets Smart
Quick Share is getting an AI boost that makes sharing photos less of a chore. The system now recognizes faces in your photos and automatically suggests sending them to the people who appear in them. So if you take a group photo with friends, your phone will basically go "hey, want to send this to Sarah and Mike?" without you having to think about it.
It's the kind of subtle improvement that sounds simple but will probably save you tons of time in the long run.
Audio Broadcast: Your Phone as a Microphone
Here's something actually innovative—Audio Broadcast now lets you use your Galaxy phone as a wireless microphone for nearby devices that support LE Audio and Auracast. Previously, you could only broadcast audio from media sources, but now you can broadcast your actual voice using the phone's built-in mic.
Samsung's pitching this for tour guides, event organizers, or anyone who needs to talk to a group of people. Could be genuinely useful if you're giving a presentation or leading a walking tour and want people to hear you clearly on their earbuds.
Storage Share: Your Files, Everywhere
This one's for people deep in the Samsung ecosystem. Storage Share lets you access files from all your Galaxy devices—phones, tablets, PCs, even your TV—directly through the My Files app. No more texting yourself files or dealing with cloud upload delays. Your tablet's documents just show up on your phone, and vice versa.
The catch? Everything needs to be signed into the same Samsung account, running One UI 7 or higher, with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. But if you're already all-in on Galaxy devices, this could be a game-changer for cross-device workflow.
Beefed-Up Security Features
Samsung's also taking security more seriously with Theft Protection that's designed to lock down your phone if it gets stolen. There's a new Failed Authentication Lock that automatically kicks in if someone tries too many wrong fingerprint scans or PIN attempts. The Identity Check feature now protects even more settings with an extra verification layer.
Nobody wants to think about their phone getting stolen, but these are solid safeguards to have in place.
When Can You Try It?
The One UI 8.5 beta launched on December 8th for Galaxy S25 series users in Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK, and the US. If you're in one of those markets and itching to test it out, you can apply through the Samsung Members app.
The update hits that sweet spot of improvements—nothing revolutionary, but a bunch of quality-of-life upgrades that'll make your daily phone experience smoother. Whether it's worth the beta bugs depends on how patient you are, but the final release should be worth the wait for most Galaxy users.
- PakChaq Riq
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