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Samsung has officially begun releasing One UI 8 for its smartphones, starting with the Galaxy S25 series devices. Over the coming weeks, the upgrade based on Android 16 will also be available for the Galaxy S24 lineup as well as last year’s foldable models from the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip families.
I’ve been using the One UI 8 update on my Galaxy Z Fold 7 for some time now, and overall, the experience has been quite smooth. This update doesn’t aim for a dramatic visual overhaul but instead emphasizes meaningful features that enhance how you interact with your device.
If you’ve already received the update or are eagerly waiting for it on your eligible Galaxy phone, here are some tips I recommend trying out.
Enhance Your Home Screen with Dynamic Wallpapers
Samsung has added a fun new feature in the wallpaper section. Once you open the wallpaper customization area and scroll to the featured section, you’ll notice a newly introduced Dynamic category. It offers four gradient-style live wallpapers, each representing one of the primary daytime phases: morning, noon, evening, and night. These wallpapers gently shift their colors throughout the day, creating a subtle but beautiful effect. When you unlock your phone, the gradient smoothly transitions to a lighter or darker hue that matches the current time, providing a calming visual cue that changes within seconds.
A little styling tip: choose a bold font set to “auto” for the clock widget, so its accent color evolves naturally during the day. Pair that with a bold, rounded text style that spans from edge to edge for a striking look—you’ll thank yourself later.
Boost Your Phone’s Security
With Android 16, Google introduced a new security layer known as Advanced Protection. Samsung has incorporated this feature into One UI 8, providing comprehensive safeguards for your device. To enable it, navigate to Settings > Google > Personal & Device Safety > Advanced Protection > Device Protection. Once activated, it encrypts your browsing history, call logs, messages, and apps in a secure environment. The phone will automatically lock itself after 72 hours of inactivity, and USB ports will switch to charging-only mode. Google’s malware detection also becomes more rigorous, with theft detection and enhanced threat monitoring, including suspicious web downloads.
Make Use of the Now Bar
One of the lesser-known, AI-powered features in One UI 8 is the Now Brief and Now Bar. These features keep you updated with weather forecasts, upcoming events, and actionable reminders. The update adds further personalization by offering traffic updates, daily routines, and tailored suggestions—especially useful if you pair your phone with a smartwatch like the Galaxy Watch 8. Available directly from the lock screen via the Galaxy AI dashboard, you can enable the option to expand Now Brief even when the device is locked. Customize the content it displays to focus only on the information that adds value to your day.
Secure Folder Gets Smarter
Samsung has enhanced the Secure Folder, which encrypts sensitive files, photos, videos, and apps using Knox security. Now, you can secure it further by adding biometric authentication—like a fingerprint—specifically for the folder. Within the app, go to Settings > Secure Folder lock and biometrics > Fingerprints. You can remove your device’s default unlock fingerprint and add a dedicated one for Secure Folder. Additionally, you can hide the folder from the app drawer with a single tap, and once hidden, apps within it are shut down, and notifications are blocked to prevent casual peek-ins.
Simplify Audio Noise Suppression
The AI-powered noise reduction feature, which has been available on high-end Samsung phones since One UI 7, has now become more accessible. In the Gallery app, when playing a video, tap the waveform/eraser icon (located above the sound toggle) to automatically isolate and remove background noise. You can also access granular controls to fine-tune noise suppression, useful when wind, traffic, or other ambient sounds interrupt your audio. Samsung is also expanding this feature to other apps—including the Notes and Recorder apps—making it easier to keep your audio recordings clean.
All these upgrades aim to make your device smarter, more secure, and more personalized—so take full advantage of what One UI 8 offers.
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