Just moments ago, the first beta build of One UI 8 surfaced on Samsung’s server, hinting at the ongoing development and a nearing public release. It looks like we won’t have to wait much longer. Samsung allegedly plans to open the One UI 8 beta program as early as this month. The first beta update may roll out in the third week of May.
Samsung’s One UI 8 beta program may start this month
Samsung is widely rumored to introduce its Android 16-based One UI 8 update in July, shipping it out of the box on its new foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7. Ahead of that, it may roll out beta versions to a few devices, at least the Galaxy S25 series. While the beta rollout was expected to begin in June, a new report hints at an earlier release.
According to the report, Samsung plans to release the first One UI 8 beta build for a small group of devices and markets in the third week of May. The Galaxy S25 series should be the first in the pipeline, with beta updates initially rolling out in Korea, the US, and select other regions. A broader rollout may follow in June.
Samsung has historically limited One UI beta testing to India, China, Korea, Germany, Poland, the UK, and the US. It’s unclear if this will remain unchanged for One UI 8 beta programs or if the company has other plans. If the new report is accurate — we won’t vouch for it just yet — more details should be available in the coming days.
Interestingly, Samsung hasn’t even completed the rollout of One UI 7 yet. Dozens of Galaxy devices are still waiting for the update, and the rollout could stretch well into June or beyond. It’s rare for a new major OS upgrade to arrive before the previous one finishes rolling out. But if Samsung is shifting to a mid-year release cycle for future One UI versions, it’s a welcome change.
