Samsung Expands One UI 8.5 Beta Program to More Galaxy Phones

Samsung announced on April 9, 2026, that it is expanding the One UI 8.5 beta program to additional Galaxy devices. This expansion allows a wider range of users to test the latest software version before its official stable release.

The current phase of the rollout includes the Galaxy S23 series, the Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5. In a first for the beta program, Samsung has also included a device from the A series, the Galaxy A36 5G.

Regional Availability and Device Restrictions

The One UI 8.5 beta is being deployed as a phased rollout in select markets, including the United States, Korea, the United Kingdom, and India. However, availability for specific models varies by region.

• The Galaxy A36 5G is supported exclusively in India.
• The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 are supported only in the United States and Korea.

Users who wish to participate in the testing phase can register for the program through the Samsung Members app.

New Cross-Platform Integration

A significant technical addition in the One UI 8.5 beta is the introduction of support for AirDrop through Quick Share. This feature is designed to enable more seamless cross-platform file sharing for Galaxy users on specific hardware.

While AirDrop support is already available on the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung is extending this functionality to several other devices through the beta. The supported devices for this feature include:

• Galaxy S25 series
• Galaxy S24 series
• Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7
• Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6

One UI 8.5 Rollout Timeline

The deployment of One UI 8.5 has followed a gradual trajectory since late 2025. Public beta testing for the software originally began in early December 2025 for the Galaxy S25 series.

In early March 2026, the Galaxy S26 was launched with One UI 8.5 as its native software. Following the S26 launch, Samsung expanded the beta program to include the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7.

A subsequent expansion occurred throughout March 2026, which brought the One UI 8.5 beta to several other flagship and tablet devices in the U.S., Korea, the U.K., and India. The devices included in the March rollout were:

• Galaxy S24 series
• Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6
• Galaxy S25 FE and Galaxy S24 FE
• Galaxy Tab S11 series

Samsung has indicated that the beta program will continue to expand to further Galaxy devices later in April 2026.