- Samsung One UI 8.5 has leaked in a hands-on video
- There are some notable design changes on the way
- A double-tap back gesture could be added as well
With One UI 8 (based on Android 16) now making its way to more and more Samsung Galaxy handsets, we’re now starting to see leaks around the major One UI 8.5 update that’s expected to officially drop in 2026.
The team at SamMobile has managed to get an early test build working on a Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it looks like a pretty major visual overhaul is in store – though bear in mind this is far from the final release of the software.
Some icons are dropping their text labels, for example, while there’s more extensive use of drop shadows and floating menus. The layout of the Quick Settings panel that drops down at the top can now be customized to a greater extent as well.
Other changes that have been spotted are a bit more subtle, like a tweak to the battery percentage icon. Overall, the interface looks a little cleaner and easier to get around, even if there are likely to be more changes between now and its final release.
Double-tap to launch
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Some additional digging by Android Authority has revealed that One UI 8.5 might also be adding a double-tap back gesture, which is exactly what it sounds like: you would tap twice on the back of your Galaxy phone to launch some feature or function.
Some of the features you’ll apparently be able to launch using this gesture are the flashlight, the notifications pane, and the screenshot function. You’ll also be able to use it to quickly launch an app of your choosing, if you like.
Of course this is a feature that’s been available on iPhones, Pixels, and various other models for several years now, so it’s strange that Samsung has taken so long to get around to adding it (though you can already get third-party apps to do the same job).
We don’t really have any hints about when One UI 8.5 is going to be rolled out, but considering that One UI 9 (based on Android 17) will be due in the middle of 2026, this update could well see the light of day in the early part of next year.
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