Samsung expands One UI 9 beta testing to include more Galaxy devices
Samsung has expanded its One UI 9 beta testing to twelve hardware models as it prepares for an official software launch at the upcoming Unpacked event.
Samsung is currently expanding the beta testing phase for its upcoming One UI 9 operating system, incorporating a broader range of hardware models into the development cycle. As of Saturday, 4 July 2026, firmware tracking confirms that testing has reached twelve distinct hardware models. This rapid development pace precedes the official launch of the software, which is scheduled to occur during the Samsung Unpacked event later this month.
Expanded Testing Roster
According to information provided by firmware tracker Tarun Vats, internal testing for One UI 9 has extended to several additional handsets. The list of devices currently undergoing development includes the Galaxy S23, S24, S24 FE, S25, S26, A35, A56, A57, A37, M34, Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.
Media additions
Samsung is now running development across four generations of flagships, four A-series devices, one M-series budget phone and two 2024 foldables, all at the same time. These efforts are intended to prepare the software for the transition following the upcoming Unpacked presentation.
Software Refinements and Accessibility
Since One UI 8.5 already delivered the big visual overhaul, splitting the Quick Panel's brightness, volume and media controls into separate, resizable sliders, One UI 9 has mostly been about refinement rather than reinvention. The most notable additions are on the accessibility side: a combined TalkBack update that merges Samsung and Google's screen-reader tools into one system, a new Text Spotlight floating zoom tool for easier reading, and a high-risk app detection feature that warns you and blocks execution before an unsigned or suspicious app can run.
The Good Lock suite is also being updated to maintain compatibility with these changes. Specifically, the LockStar module, which handles lock screen and always-on display customization, has been updated to version v9.0.00.5 to provide full support for the One UI 9 environment.
Development Stability
Samsung has also kept up a two-week release schedule with the Galaxy S26’s beta program. Recent iterations have prioritized system stability over the introduction of new features. Beta 3, which arrived on 16 June 2026, fixed nine separate issues: camera preview cropping, inaccurate 30x zoom focus, lock screen weather and battery widgets not updating, S Pen swipe gestures failing on the home screen, a My Files scrolling bug, random reboots during video streaming, and a white or black screen glitch when receiving calls or pulling down the status bar.
Beta Development Timeline (Galaxy S26)
| Version | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Beta 1 | 13 May 2026 |
| Beta 2 | 26 May 2026 |
| Beta 3 | 16 June 2026 |
What to Watch Next
The transition from beta testing to stable release is set to occur following the hardware announcements scheduled for the end of July 2026. The official launch of One UI 9 will take place at the Samsung Unpacked event, when a stable One UI 9 lands on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. The rollout strategy will prioritize flagship models and recent foldable devices before expanding to Fan Edition and A-series handsets.
One UI 9 builds on a One UI 8.5 rollout that was AI-heavy. That release brought AI Call Screening, real-time voicemail transcripts, a smarter Bixby powered by Perplexity, and Creative Studio for AI-generated wallpapers and photo edits. Following the July event, users of older devices are expected to receive the update in subsequent phases.
