Samsung Revamps Smart Manager in One UI 8.5, Still Exclusive to China

Device Care is one of the most useful One UI features, giving Galaxy users easy access to tools that help keep their phones running smoothly. However, in China, Samsung offers a far more advanced version of this feature known as Smart Manager. With One UI 8.5, Samsung appears to be giving Smart Manager a major upgrade. Unfortunately, its availability outside China still looks unlikely.

One UI 8.5 improves Samsung’s China-only Smart Manager

Leaker GalaxyTechie, known for highlighting China-exclusive One UI features on X, has shared an in-depth look at Samsung’s updated Smart Manager in One UI 8.5. The feature appears to have received a complete redesign along with several new functions. The revamped hub now organizes optimization and maintenance tools into two main sections, offering a more streamlined and powerful experience.

The Phone Status tab consolidates key areas such as Battery, Protection, Storage, Memory, Data Usage, and Blocked Calls/Messages, making it easier to monitor device health at a glance. Meanwhile, the Utilities section includes handy shortcuts like Power Boost, App Tools, Free Up Space, System Safety, Labs, and Additional Care.

Some Galaxy users might find this frustrating, but the China-only Smart Manager includes a few features that global users have long wanted. Most notably, you get native App Lock. This allows you to secure individual apps using a PIN, password, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Another handy addition, App State Restoration, lets you quickly restore apps to their previous state after a crash or freeze.

Smart Manager also offers Sleep Standby Optimization to conserve battery by limiting background activity when the phone is idle overnight. Users can further customize background activity through the new Background Control page, which categorizes apps as Unrestricted, Optimized, Restricted, or Deep Sleep for easy management. Privacy Lockdown, meanwhile, offers instant control over sensitive data and permissions.

The new Smart Manager will reportedly integrate with Live Notifications and the Now Bar, allowing users to receive real-time updates from apps and system processes. While it’s shaping up to be an incredibly useful utility, Samsung may keep it exclusive to China. One UI 8.5 should debut alongside the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026, though a beta rollout could begin before the end of this year.