Samsung One UI 6 Beta Based On Android 14 Teases These Features Headed To Galaxy Phones
"Our mission with One UI is to reflect the unique preferences of our users in every aspect of their mobile experience," said Samsung mobile experience head Janghyun Yoon. The new software builds on the lock screen customization from recent One UI 5 builds, giving users the option of having distinct lock screens for modes and routines. There's also a camera widget that will let you preselect camera modes and storage locations.
Samsung also says the One UI interface has been tweaked to "create a more modern look and feel." It cites the redesigned quick settings panel here, which has a brightness slider by default. The layout of the toggles has a different flow, with the most important ones up top in a separate area and a customizable list below that. One UI 6 also borrows from Samsung's Good Lock suite to add a shortcut to quick settings, bypassing the notification shade. Just drag down from the top right to get to the toggles.
There's probably more to see in One UI 6, but Samsung hasn't offered a full changelog yet. This is still beta software, so things are inevitably going to change. If you have a Galaxy S23 phone, you can join the beta by opening the Samsung Members app on your phone. The test is starting in the United States, Germany, and South Korea. It may expand to new regions after the first few updates, though.
Google will most likely release the newest version of Android this fall. Pixel phones will get the update that very day, but Samsung will have to wait until the beta is over and updates have been tested on all its various devices. Carriers in the US will also have to certify the software before it's released. Samsung has streamlined the process compared to years past. If it keeps pace with the last update cycle, the final Android 14 with One UI 6 should start arriving on Galaxy S23 phones in late 2023. Other devices, even the brand-new foldables, will have to wait another month or two beyond that.
