Samsung releases first One UI 9 Beta 1; confirms a dozen major improvements

Yesterday, Samsung announced One UI 9 Beta, the latest long line of smartphone beta programs it has run in recent years. At the time, the company stated that its first Android 17-based beta would be 'starting this week' for Galaxy S26 series owners in Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, the UK and the US. It did not provide an exact timeline for the beta's rollout, though.

Nonetheless, One UI 9 Beta builds have now started landing internationally. Currently, Redditors have noticed Beta 1 arriving in Germany and the US. However, it appears that the Galaxy S26 Ultra (curr. $1,099 on Amazon) has temporarily taken priority over the smaller Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus.

As the picture below shows, One UI 9 Beta 1 is a 3.6 GB download with the May 5, 2026, security patches installed. Currently, Samsung is focusing on improving One UI in a dozen areas for its ninth release. For instance, One UI 9 Beta 1 is said to enhance Samsung DeX with updated desktop previews. Additionally, the beta build introduces more Quick Panel customisations, which were missing from One UI 8. Please see the screenshot below for a rundown of what One UI 9 Beta 1 brings to the table.