Samsung has quietly begun redefining what its Settings app looks like, and the early signs coming from the One UI 9 beta suggest that the company is finally ready to embrace the simplicity it has resisted for years. After One UI 8.5 delivered one of the most significant visual overhauls in Samsung's software history, One UI 9 is building on that foundation with a cleaner, calmer, and more intuitive Settings experience. Here is a full breakdown of every confirmed visual change.
Why Samsung Is Rethinking Settings
The Settings app on One UI has always been one of its most functional and most cluttered areas. Over successive releases Samsung kept adding toggles, labels, and explanatory text until the interface became genuinely overwhelming for new users. One UI 9 marks a clear shift in philosophy. Rather than adding more, Samsung is stripping back, trusting that users understand their own device, and letting the interface breathe.
Display Section Full-Phone Previews Replace Half-Device Cards
The most immediately noticeable change in the One UI 9 Settings is at the very top of the Display section. Samsung has replaced the old half-device card previews for Light and Dark mode with full-phone previews that show exactly how the chosen theme looks across the entire device. This brings Samsung's approach closer to what Google has been doing with its Material You design language and makes the visual distinction between modes far more informative at a glance.
Battery Settings Redesigned for Clarity
The Battery settings page has been redesigned to present information in a cleaner and more readable format. The layout improvements make it easier to understand charging status, usage patterns, and power saving options without having to dig through sub-menus. Samsung has also improved the Power Saving mode itself in One UI 9, which is expected to extend battery life more effectively than the previous implementation.
Status Bar Bigger, Bolder, Cleaner Icons
One UI 9 introduces a reworked Status bar with bigger, bolder, and cleaner icons and text. The changes are directly connected to the refinements made to the Quick Panel, creating a more consistent visual thread between the top of the screen and the notification shade. Visibility has improved noticeably compared to One UI 8.5, particularly for users who rely on status indicators throughout the day.
Quick Panel More Flexible and More Visual
The Quick Panel receives several meaningful changes in One UI 9. Brightness and volume sliders are now thicker and more tactile, making them easier to interact with accurately. Users can independently resize the brightness slider, volume slider, and media player widget to suit their preferences. Sound Mode and Display Mode toggles can now be separated from the sliders for a cleaner overall layout. Toggle buttons have also been made slightly more compact in Beta 2, giving the panel a tidier appearance without sacrificing accessibility.
Lock Screen Media Player Colorful Waveform Animations
The lock screen media player has been enhanced with colorful waveform animations that synchronize with music playback in real time, adding a visual dimension that makes the lock screen feel more alive during audio sessions. The media progress bar is now thicker and easier to read. Song names and artist names are now displayed together rather than alternating, removing a small but persistent annoyance. The audio output option has also been relabeled from "Media Output" to the clearer "This Phone" for selecting playback destinations. Some media controls have transitioned to circular button shapes rather than being grouped inside rectangular containers.
Modes and Routines Discover Tab Refreshed
The Discover tab inside the Modes and Routines app has received a visual update in One UI 9 that makes it cleaner, simpler, and more modern compared to its One UI 8.5 appearance. Routine suggestions are now easier to see and interact with, and the overall layout feels less cluttered and more in line with the simplified design direction Samsung is pursuing across the rest of the system.
Animations Smoother and More Consistent Throughout
One UI 9 brings improved animation timing across the entire interface. Transitions between apps, the recent apps menu, lock screen interactions, and widget resizing all feel more fluid. Scrolling effects have been refined system-wide, contributing to an overall sense of polish that goes beyond any single settings change.
When Is One UI 9 Coming and Who Gets It?
Samsung launched the One UI 9 Beta Program on May 13, 2026, for the Galaxy S26 series in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, South Korea, and India. Beta 2 followed on May 26, expanding coverage to India and Poland. The stable release of One UI 9 is expected in mid-2026, most likely arriving with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 at what is expected to be a Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, 2026. Rollout to the Galaxy S25 and S24 series is anticipated in August and September, followed by mid-range and budget devices later in the year.
For Galaxy S24 and S25 users currently on stable One UI 8.5, joining the beta is not recommended. One UI 9 Beta carries the usual risks of battery drain, random glitches, and frequent update requirements and the visual improvements so far are incremental rather than transformative. The most meaningful gains for older Galaxy devices came with One UI 8.5. One UI 9 stable will arrive when it is ready, and it will be worth waiting for.
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