David Nield is a innovation newsman from Manchester in the U.K. who has been penning concerning gadgets and apps for additional than 20 years.
He has a bachelor's flat in English Literature from Durham University, anywhere he additionally spent a term as publishing company of the award-winning pupil newspaper Palatinate. His reporting occupation started in imprint media, anywhere he contributed to and edited multiple innovation magazines and bookazines sold in the U.K. and internationally.
More recently, he has worked as a freelancer for several of the biggest innovation publications on the web, covering everything from on-the-ground reporting concerning merchandise launches, to detailed explainers and how-to guides on apps, gadgets, and platforms. His ability covers broad areas of person tech, including smartphones, laptops, wearables, and AI.
Samsung is rolling out a important One UI 9 update, based on Android 17. If you've got among the Galaxy S26 handsets launched at the commencement of the year, you should see it pop up on your equipment shortly (it came pre-installed on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 devices unveiled in July).
After the Galaxy S26, next in row for the update are the Galaxy S25, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 phones—though Samsung hasn't stated exactly whenever the application volition attain for those devices. After that, phones from as far rear as 2023 should eventually get One UI 9, including the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 handsets.
If you do have an eligible phone, you'll desire to dive in and commencement making the most of the update as quickly as possible. These 10 hacks should get you up and running. From making your equipment additional safe to creating your own tradition widgets, these are my favorite tricks and tips for the updated OS.
Cut downward your doomscrolling alongside "AI Network Guard"
AI Network Guard is a new characteristic in One UI 9 that cuts off the net whenever you open an app you've put on a particular restricted list. It's really designed to halt kids from stumbling throughout unsuitable content, but it plant awesome for limiting doomscrolling for grown-ups as well.
The characteristic isn't uncomplicated to find, though—it's on the identical hidden list that features Samsung's wifi indication scanner (why Samsung is keeping it hidden is anyone's guess). From Settings, tap Connections and Wi-Fi, afterward tap the three dots in the top correct border and choose Intelligent Wi-Fi. On the next screen, tap the Intelligent Wi-Fi clasp seven times to disclose a new Connectivity Labs option.
Go into Connectivity Labs, and you volition at final detect AI Network Guard. Follow the instructions to set up a PIN, and you can afterward choice the apps you desire to obstacle net admission for. Use the Downtime characteristic (via the three dots, top right) to set certain periods in the day whenever those apps can be used as normal.
Tailor your phone's menus by adjusting "Quick Panel" shortcuts
One UI has continually impressed in conditions of the figure of customization options it gives users, and there's a new tweak accessible in the latest update. If you rub downward from the top correct border of the display to get to the Quick Panel, afterward tap the pencil edit button, you've got additional liberty to modify its layout. You've continually been capable to toggle widgets in and out, but now you can stance them in any way you akin (just tap and drag), and alter their sizes (via the handles about the edges). The audio clasp is additionally now decoupled from the quantity slider, so you can oversee them separately. Tap Add a control to current new elements, and tap Done whenever you're finished.
Use "My FanCam" to spotlight one individual in your videos
If you desire one individual in particular to be the celebrity of a video, My FanCam is current for you in One UI 9. It lets you burden up a video you've already recorded and create a new clip alongside a particular idiosyncratic forefront and center. The apparent use case for this is your kid in the academy perform or at sports day, but you can use it for any you want. You do need to provision My FanCam plentifulness of matter to activity alongside in conditions of footage and framing—it can't magically create new angles or new clips out of nothing.
To get started, open up a video from the Gallery app, afterward tap the Galaxy AI clasp (the stars) and My FanCam to get started. After a few moments, you'll be capable to choose the individual you desire to prosecute and choose crop and aspect proportion settings.
Build your own "Now Brief" cards to obtain additional applicable alerts
Samsung Now Brief is aiming to provision you timely alerts throughout the day concerning data that's applicable to you—such as climate updates or project reminders—and in One UI 9 you can create it additional helpful alongside the choice to create your own cards. From Settings, tap Galaxy AI > Now Brief, afterward choose Custom cards. You can have three energetic at any one time, centered about climate details, health statistics, or particular categories of video pulled from the web.
Cut downward on car sickness alongside "Motion Assist"
Google has eventually gotten about to construction item to equivalent the anti-car sickness Vehicle Motion Cues characteristic that Apple put into iOS final year, and it's called Motion Assist. It was rolled out as part of the Android 17 update, and Samsung has carried it complete to its own One UI 9 upgrade.
To discover it, open up Settings, afterward choose Google services > All services > Motion assist. Beyond enabling and disabling the feature, you can customize the color, shape, and opacity of the dots that stream throughout the display during you're moving, and which volition (hopefully) keep any nausea at bay.
Liven up the interface alongside a "Motion Photo" wallpaper
Give your wallpaper equivalent a bit of a lift by environment a Motion Photo as your phone's backdrop, fairly than a fixed image. These images are accompanied by abbreviated videos whenever they're captured, giving you a second or so on either flank of the motionless frame—tap the small icon that's an 'A' inner a sequence of rectangles to rotate it on in the Camera app.
One UI 9 lets you set these Motion Photos as wallpaper to add a bit additional movement and interest. You motionless set the wallpaper in the identical way: Wallpaper and style, afterward Change wallpapers > Gallery from Settings. You should see a Motion photo choice appear on compatible images.
Search your phone additional quickly by adding "Finder" to the residence screen
The Finder is the hunt tool built into One UI, and it's traditionally been accessible at the top or base of the app drawer that appears whenever you rub up on a residence screen: You fair category in the app or document you desire to discover on your phone. One of the nice tweaks introduced alongside One UI 9 is the choice to have the Finder on the residence display for additional convenient access. Open Settings, afterward choose Home display > Show hunt on Home screen to allow it.
Keep an eye on what your AI assistants are up to
AI continues to rotate into additional unified into our phones, and Galaxy handsets are no exception: You may fine have multiple third-party AI apps on commission your device, as fine as the built-in Galaxy AI features. One UI 9 ushers in a new "AI Assistant Activity" dashboard that lets you keep tabs on what AI apps and their agents are doing on your phone, from booking achievement tickets to analyzing photos. You can see everything that's been happening in one place. You can discover the dashboard from Settings by tapping Security and privacy > AI aide activity. Any actions AIs have taken on your behalf can be viewed app by app, alongside filters for action complete the final seven days or the final 24 hours.
Learn faster by taping complete your Samsung Notes
Perhaps not a One UI 9 upgrade that's going to catch many headlines, but a helpful one nevertheless: Samsung Notes now has a Tape tool that plant exactly akin the name suggests: It lets you put a bit of digital "tape" complete part of your note. You can use this as a revision aid, as a decoration for scrapbooking or journaling, or to defend delicate data whenever you're sharing screenshots of your notes. You'll discover it alongside the base toolbar whenever a note is open (the icon looks akin a part of tape). You can choose distinct colors and patterns for your tape, alter the size, and have the app automatically straighten your taping too. Use the strip icon on the tool pop-up to display or conceal all your tape.
Run diagnostics to place possible problems in the new "Warranty and Care" menu
This is a tip that you'll hopefully not have to call on too often, but there's a new Warranty and Care division in Settings that brings together a few older features and adds several new ones on top. From here, you can sign up for Samsung Care+, inspect if your phone is motionless under warranty, publish repairs for your device, or run a diagnostics inspect on your phone. You can equal ask Bixby for several troubleshooting tips and advice.
David Nield is a innovation newsman from Manchester in the U.K. who has been penning concerning gadgets and apps for additional than 20 years.
