It's that time of the year again; Samsung is rolling out One UI 6.1, with the build now confirmed to be available in North America, Europe, and India. The software debuted on the Galaxy S24 series and has tricked down to a handful of additional models.
One of the biggest talking points in One UI 6.1 is Galaxy AI. Samsung's suite of AI-powered tools and features uses Gemini Pro to add smarts to its apps and the mobile Gemini Nano for on-device LLM tools.
Because of this collaboration, the Galaxy AI offers many of the same tricks you get on a Pixel 8 Pro, such as generative AI wallpapers and Circle to Search.
Samsung One UI 6.1: Release date
At the time of this writing, One UI 6.1 is rolling out in North America, Europe, and India. It's expected to be available for additional markets in Asia and elsewhere soon.
The update is around 3GB, and your carrier may force you to use a Wi-Fi connection to initiate the download. According to Samsung, expect the update to show up on unlocked and carrier phones first followed by the tablet-specific updates the first week of April.
Samsung On UI 6.1: Eligible devices
Currently, the One UI 6.1 update is confirmed for the following Samsung devices:
- Galaxy S23
- Galaxy S23+
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S23 FE
- Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Galaxy Tab S9
- Galaxy Tab S9+
- Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
The update for these devices includes the full Galaxy AI suite including features like Chat Assist and Live Translate.
Samsung is also testing One UI 6.1 on older models. These include the Galaxy S22 series, the Galaxy S21 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the Galaxy A54 and the Galaxy A34.
There's no official word on what features would be included for these older models.
Samsung One UI 6
Samsung is the brand to beat when it comes to timely software updates, and the South Korean manufacturer has done an incredible job in this area over the last three years. It is also the only brand other than Google that rolls out monthly security updates, and what's particularly great is that Samsung lavishes the same level of attention on its mid-range Galaxy A series as its flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Z portfolio.
With Samsung guaranteeing four Android OS updates to its flagships and Galaxy A devices, the best Samsung phones over the last three years are eligible to receive the stable One UI 6 update.
Like last year, the stable build will roll out to the Galaxy S23 series, followed by the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, and then make its way to last year's flagships and then the Galaxy A series. Here's the full breakdown of Samsung phones that will make the switch to the Android 14-based One UI 6:
Galaxy Z series
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- Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Galaxy Z Fold 4
- Galaxy Z Flip 4
- Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Galaxy Z Flip 3
Galaxy S series
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S23+
- Galaxy S23
- Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Galaxy S22+
- Galaxy S22
- Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Galaxy S21+
- Galaxy S21
- Galaxy S21 FE
Galaxy A series
- Galaxy A54
- Galaxy A34
- Galaxy A24
- Galaxy A14
- Galaxy A04s
- Galaxy A53
- Galaxy A73
- Galaxy A33
- Galaxy A23
- Galaxy A13
- Galaxy A72
- Galaxy A52s
- Galaxy A52 5G
- Galaxy A52 4G
Galaxy M series
- Galaxy M54
- Galaxy M34 5G
- Galaxy M53 5G
- Galaxy M33 5G
- Galaxy M23
Galaxy F series
- Galaxy F54
- Galaxy F34
- Galaxy F23
- Galaxy F14 5G
Galaxy Tab series
- Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
- Galaxy Tab S9+
- Galaxy Tab S9
- Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
- Galaxy Tab S8+
- Galaxy Tab S8
Samsung One UI 6: New features
The One UI 6 beta is slowly going out to more users, so if you're interested in trying out the latest features before they're officially released, now is the time to do so. That said, the beta is still rough around the edges, and I ran into a lot of bugs and crashes in the week I used it. So if you're thinking of using it on your primary phone, you should hold off until Samsung rolls out a few updates.
As for the new features, there's a lot to talk about, with Samsung making several changes to the visual design. The most noticeable is the notification pane, which now has two large toggles for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that sit above the rest of the quick toggles. This makes it easy to access those two radios, and while they have large tiles, they're not as massive as the Pixel.
I like the change, and the best part is that a single pull-down still surfaces the six toggles — you only see the larger tiles with the shade fully down.
Here's what Samsung has to say about it:
"One UI 6 makes a compelling first impression with its beautiful simplicity. Many elements have been tweaked to create a more modern look and feel, such as the impactful new default font and the new emojis on Samsung Keyboard. The Quick Panel has been revamped with an updated layout that makes it effortless for users to access their most used features."
"It is easier than ever to adjust screen visibility on the go as the brightness control bar is available by default in the compact Quick Panel. Furthermore, there is also a new instant access option to the full Quick Panel, providing faster access to settings with a single downward swipe at the upper right corner of the screen."
Another key change is the ability to customize the lock screen based on Modes and Routines, so you can set up different lock screens according to time and day. There's more customizability to the lock screen itself when it comes to styles and fonts.
One UI 6 also gets a new camera widget that lets you launch a particular mode with just a press of a button. So if you like to take portraits, just create a widget, put it on your home screen, and press that to launch the camera in that mode:
"One UI 6 is loaded with great new ways for users to customize the Galaxy experience based on their own habits and preferences, so it feels even more like an extension of themselves. For instance, it is now possible to set different lock screens according to specific Modes and Routines, such as a calming photo of a forest in Sleep Mode. There is also a new custom camera widget, which lets users preselect a camera mode and a storage location — like portrait mode and a folder just for headshots."
There's also a new system-wide font that looks cleaner than its predecessor. The settings page still looks the same, but the battery section has been moved into its own sub-menu.
On the subject of visual changes, there's a large media player card that sits in the notification shade, and like the Pixels, it has a squiggly seek bar along with large album art.
These are just some of the changes that are live in One UI 6 right now; Samsung is sure to add more features to the Android 14-based build over the coming weeks.
Samsung One UI 6: When will your phone get the update?
Predicting when your phone will get the One UI 6 update is down to a few factors, like the duration of the beta program. Traditionally, Samsung has offered beta builds for just over two months before rolling out the stable update, but with One UI 6, it's still too early to talk about the stable release.
What we know is that Samsung tends to roll out the stable update to its Galaxy S and Galaxy Z phones before the end of the year, so you won't have to wait too long to switch to the Android 14-based One UI 6 on your phone. I'll share further details once Samsung confirms plans for the One UI 6 stable build, but for now, if you've got an eligible device, the best way to take a look at all the new features is by installing the One UI 6 beta.
Samsung's best mid-ranger
The Galaxy A54 builds on the strengths of its predecessors, offering one of the best all-round packages in the mid-range category. With the phone set to be among the first to pick up the One UI 6 beta, now is as good a time as any to switch from an older Galaxy device.
