Samsung One UI 9 beta expands to more Galaxy phones

Samsung One UI 9 beta expansion at a glance

The Samsung One UI 9 beta is moving beyond the Galaxy S26 family. Samsung announced on September 1, 2026 that six additional Galaxy phones will enter the program during September: the Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 FE.

This is a beta expansion, not the general public release of One UI 9. Samsung names India, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States as participating markets, while noting that availability and timing may differ by country. Owners should therefore treat the device list and regional list as eligibility boundaries, not a promise that the enrollment banner will appear on every phone at the same moment.

The update is based on Android 17 and develops the creative, personalization, accessibility and security changes Samsung first introduced with the Galaxy S26-series beta in May.

Eligible Galaxy phones

Samsung’s September announcement lists the following models. Carrier variants and unlocked models may not open enrollment at exactly the same time, so the Samsung Members notice on an individual phone remains the most reliable availability check.

The Galaxy S25 FE is particularly notable because it brings the test program to Samsung’s Fan Edition line. Readers comparing its hardware and support position can also see our Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review.

Where the beta is available

Samsung explicitly names four markets for this expansion: India, Korea, the U.K. and the U.S. The company’s footnote says availability and timing may vary by market. That means a supported model in one listed country can receive the invitation later than the same model elsewhere.

The earlier Galaxy S26 beta launch covered Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the U.K. and the U.S. Samsung’s September expansion notice does not add Germany or Poland to the newly eligible-device list, so owners should follow the newer announcement for the S25 and Fold7 generation instead of assuming the May market list applies unchanged.

What One UI 9 changes

One UI 9 is built on Android 17, but Samsung’s own interface and apps account for many of the visible changes. Samsung Notes gains decorative tapes and additional pen-line styles. Contacts can open Creative Studio directly to create personalized profile cards, although that feature requires the Creative Studio app, a network connection and a Samsung Account.

The Quick Panel becomes more flexible. Brightness, sound and media-player controls can be adjusted independently and offered in more sizes. This matters more than a cosmetic redesign because it lets users prioritize the controls they reach for most often instead of accepting one fixed arrangement.

Accessibility changes include adjustable Mouse Key speed, a combined TalkBack package and Text Spotlight, which displays selected text more prominently in a floating window. Availability can still depend on country, language, device and carrier.

Security and privacy additions

Samsung says One UI 9 strengthens protection against suspicious apps. When its security-policy updates identify a new high-risk app, the system can warn the user, block execution and installation, and recommend deletion. This is a policy-driven protection layer, so the list of identified risks can change as Samsung updates its assessment.

Now Brief also adds security and privacy insights alongside personalized cards. Those cards can highlight potential risks and suggest protective actions. Beta participants should still keep Google Play Protect and Samsung’s security services enabled; a test build is not a substitute for normal account, app and backup hygiene.

My FanCam, Now Brief and Now Nudge

A separate August 28 update for Galaxy S26-series beta testers introduced features already associated with Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z phones. My FanCam uses AI to keep a selected person in focus and can automatically reframe video into different aspect ratios for social platforms.

Now Brief groups information and recommendations into customizable cards based on routines and interests, while the enhanced Now Nudge is designed to offer more contextual suggestions during everyday tasks. Samsung announced these additions specifically for the S26 beta update. Owners joining on an S25 or Fold7-generation device should not assume every function will arrive in the first build or work identically on every model.

How to join through Samsung Members

1. Confirm that the phone is one of Samsung’s named eligible models and is being used in a supported market.
2. Update the Samsung Members app and sign in with the Samsung Account used on the phone.
3. Open Samsung Members and look for the One UI 9 beta notice or banner.
4. Read the beta terms, register, then check Settings > Software update > Download and install.
5. Keep the phone charged and connected to reliable Wi-Fi while the package downloads and installs.

If no notice appears, repeatedly forcing the update will not create eligibility. The sensible approach is to verify the model, region, Samsung Account and Members app, then wait for the local enrollment window.

Back up before installing a beta

Beta software exists to uncover problems before a stable release. App crashes, battery drain, heat, camera inconsistencies, payment-app restrictions or connectivity bugs are possible even when a build is usable day to day. Anyone who depends on the phone for work, two-factor authentication, travel or mobile payments should weigh that risk carefully.

Back up photos, messages, documents, authenticator recovery codes and other irreplaceable data before enrollment. Confirm that important banking, work-profile and accessibility apps support the beta. Leaving a beta can require a reset or a desktop recovery process, so the stable channel remains the better choice for users who cannot tolerate downtime.

What Galaxy owners should know

Galaxy S25 owners gain an early look at Android 17 and Samsung’s new interface without moving to the newer S26 hardware. If you are comparing generations, our Galaxy S26 specifications explain the hardware platform that received One UI 9 first.

For Fold7 and Flip7 owners, the important point is that Samsung now explicitly includes both foldable form factors. Layout behavior across the cover and inner displays is exactly the kind of experience a beta can refine, but Samsung’s announcement does not promise model-by-model feature parity or a universal release time.

Owners of older Galaxy A phones are not included in this September beta list. Our Galaxy A26 5G overview remains useful for hardware context, but it should not be read as evidence of One UI 9 beta eligibility.

Stable One UI 9 rollout: what is confirmed

Samsung says the full One UI 9 experience will be introduced with upcoming Galaxy flagship devices later in 2026. It has not provided a complete public stable-rollout calendar for every current phone in the three announcements used here.

That distinction matters. Beta eligibility confirms access to test builds, not the date of a stable update. Carrier certification, country rules and device-specific testing can affect timing. PhoneSpecX will treat future rollout dates as confirmed only when Samsung publishes them rather than converting beta timing into an unsupported stable-release prediction.