Samsung starts rolling out stable One UI 8.5 to Galaxy S25 users in the US

At a glance:

• Samsung has begun the stable One UI 8.5 rollout to Galaxy S25 series phones in the US, after launching in South Korea last week.
• The update carries version numbers S938USQU9CZDP / S938UOYN9CZDP, weighs 4408.31 MB, and includes the April security patch.
• One UI 8.5 ports S26-exclusive features to S25 devices, including Agentic AI, Quick Share-AirDrop compatibility, and Creative Studio, with more phones set to receive it soon.

What's new in One UI 8.5

Samsung's first major post-launch software update for 2025 is finally reaching the US, bringing a wave of features that were originally exclusive to the Galaxy S26 lineup. According to tipster CID on X, stable One UI 8.5 is now available to Galaxy S25 users in the United States, with build numbers S938USQU9CZDP and S938UOYN9CZDP. The firmware weighs in at 4408.31 MB and also ships with the April security patch — a combination that signals Samsung is moving quickly on both feature delivery and vulnerability remediation.

The update transforms the Galaxy S25 experience in several key areas. On the AI front, Bixby Text Call can now screen incoming calls for you, letting a call assistant ask the caller who they are and why they're calling before you pick up. Image editing has been overhauled: you can edit photos with text prompts, change the color of someone's clothes, add objects to an empty table, or combine elements from different images using Photo Assist. Continuous image generation means you can chain multiple AI edits without saving each iteration, reviewing everything in your history when you're done. Creative Studio is now accessible directly from the Apps screen for creating custom wallpapers, stickers, and profile images.

Camera and document features

Camera improvements are among the most practical additions. A scan button now appears automatically whenever you point your camera at a document, and you can capture multiple pages into a single PDF with a new Remove tool that cleans up distracting fingers, folded corners, and unwanted moiré patterns. Auto motion photos will only record movement when the camera detects it, saving storage on still scenes. Dual recording lets you capture yourself and the action in front of you simultaneously by tapping the dual recording icon in video mode quick controls. For videographers, real-time Log color previews apply a cinematic LUT while you record, so you can see exactly how your final color-corrected footage will look before editing — and LUT previews are also available in Gallery and Studio. Three new portrait filters add vibrant, film-like effects to photos.

Home screen, lock screen, and weather

One UI 8.5 brings noticeable polish to the everyday interface. Lock screen layouts now adjust automatically when you choose a photo of a person or pet, ensuring the clock and widgets don't obscure important parts of the image. New downloadable wallpapers feature interactive elements without eating into storage. You can add weather effects directly from the wallpaper preview screen, and more clock font styles now support adjustable thickness for personalization.

The Weather widget has been enhanced to show a precipitation graph when rain or snow is expected in the coming hours, and a new pollen index helps users manage allergies by checking levels for trees, grass, and ragweed. On the Clock app, a weather alarm background displays current conditions when your alarm goes off, and a time zone converter slider lets you compare time differences at a glance.

Connectivity, Quick Share, and Auracast

Connectivity gets a suite of upgrades. Storage Share makes files from other Samsung phones, tablets, and PCs available in the My Files app, and you can access your phone's tiles on other Samsung devices — including your TV. Auto Hotspot lets you share your connection with your Samsung account family group or create a custom hotspot-sharing group. Family device sharing bundles Quick Share, Camera Share, Storage Share, Auto Hotspot, and Multi Control for Galaxy devices belonging to family members.

Quick Share has been extended to work with Apple devices: you can now share photos, videos, and files with iPhones, iPads, and Macs that support AirDrop. You can also restrict Quick Share to only receive files from devices signed into your Samsung or Google account, and Photo sharing suggestions recognize friends or family in shared pictures to recommend direct sharing.

Auracast features have been enhanced: both broadcasting and listening options are now in the Audio broadcast menu in Settings. Voice broadcasts let you transmit your voice via the phone's built-in microphone, and Smart View shortcuts on the home screen make it faster to mirror your screen to a TV or display.

Health, battery, and security

Samsung Health sees several quality-of-life improvements. Weekly reports now incorporate medication tracker and mindfulness session data, and workout sharing lets you mix exercise stats with photos for social media posts. You can start meditations directly from a Galaxy Watch without picking up your phone, and antioxidant measurements are available on Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch Ultra even when disconnected from the phone.

Battery settings have been redesigned to show remaining time, charging status, and weekly usage more clearly. Power saving now offers a Standard mode for moderate savings with customizable limits, or Maximum mode that disables all non-essential features. On the security side, privacy alerts notify you when an app's permissions could risk personal data, and Failed authentication lock auto-locks the screen after too many failed fingerprint, PIN, pattern, or password attempts. Auto blocker can now be set to re-enable automatically after 30 minutes, and Knox Matrix flags any supported Samsung-account devices that need a security update.

Accessibility and additional refinements

Accessibility receives thoughtful updates: Bluetooth hearing aid settings are reachable from the Accessibility shortcut with a pop-up for changing hearing programs and toggling Ambient sound. Magnification can now follow the cursor as you type or move with keyboard focus, and when using a mouse the magnified area shifts as the pointer approaches the screen edge. Dwell action and Corner actions split the former Auto action feature, letting you set custom behaviors when the pointer stops or assign different actions to each screen corner.

Beyond those headline categories, One UI 8.5 adds a more customizable quick panel where you can add, remove, reorder, and reorganize controls. Reminders now support early alerts so you can choose how far in advance to be notified. Partial screen recording lets you select only the portion of the screen you want to capture, Calculator nudges suggest clipboard numbers and formulas when you open the app, and DeX remembers app window sizes and positions across sessions.

Which devices are getting the update

Samsung's official first-phase rollout list for One UI 8.5 includes:

• Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, and S25 FE
• Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, S24 Ultra, and S24 FE
• Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7
• Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6
• Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra
• Galaxy Tab S10, Tab S10 Plus, Tab S10 Ultra

The update is expected to reach additional older Galaxy phones soon, possibly starting the same day it arrives on S25 devices in the US. Samsung users should keep an eye on their Settings app for the OTA notification.