Samsung’s One UI 9.0 Beta is already running on the Galaxy S26, and most of the coverage has gone to the creative tools and accessibility changes. The security upgrades have been quieter, but they’re worth understanding.

New security features of One UI 9 are inspired by Android 17. Google has long been focused on security and privacy aspects, and version 17 is no exception. One UI 9 has three big improvements for security.

One UI 9.0 on Galaxy S26 enhances security

Android 17’s contacts picker limits what data apps can see in the first place. Auto Blocker’s high-risk detection stops dangerous apps from running even after they’ve landed on the device.

The Security Report gives you visibility over what’s been blocked. Maximum Restrictions closes the physical attack surface for users who need that level of control.

Proactive high-risk app detection

Previous versions of Auto Blocker were largely preventive; they stopped you from installing apps from unauthorized sources. In One UI 9, the Auto Blocker can detect a high-risk app that’s already on your device and stop it from running.

When something trips the detection, you get a warning, the app is blocked from executing or installing further components, and the system recommends deletion.

A companion feature called Manage Unknown Apps handles the discovery side of this. It gathers every app installed from outside the Play Store or Galaxy Store into one place.

Auto Blocker’s new Security Report

Auto Blocker has been part of One UI since version 6, but it’s always worked silently. However, Samsung’s new One UI 9 changes that with a Security Report section inside Auto Blocker.

It logs every time the system blocks an app from an unknown source. The last seven days show up as a list; switch to the Month tab, and you get a graph. It’s a small UX addition, but it makes the feature visible in a way it never has been before.

Full USB connection blocking

Auto Blocker’s Maximum Restrictions mode is the strictest setting. In One UI 8.5, that mode blocked USB commands but left the physical connection open. In One UI 9, Maximum Restrictions cuts off the USB connection entirely.

This prevents unexpected attacks where a compromised public charging port attempts to push data or software to your phone, and physical data-extraction attempts that work at the hardware level rather than through software.

Well, it’s an opt-in mode, not a default.

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Earlier this week, Samsung released One UI 9.0 beta 3 for the Galaxy S26 series, and we’ve explored five improvements targeting the system and apps experience. If you are using the One UI beta, tag along and try to notice them by yourself.

Animations

The first thing is smoother animations; pulling down the notifications or quick panel shows a smooth, gradual unfolding of the content. Scrolling through the home screen and the content also feels slightly improved as well.

Camera fix

Users have previously reported this issue for the 30X camera zoom. The problem it used to create is that the focus automatically shifts away from the subject. It sometimes returns and sometimes remains blurred.

Another issue that was addressed in this update is the new camera preview screen, which previously cropped under certain conditions.

Performance

The one thing in this update is obvious, and that is the performance enhancements, specifically, the app openings are smoother and faster than the initial version. The app opening and closing sequence is also aligned with the smoothness.

Blackout bug fix

Last but not least, the random screen blackout bug is fixed with the One UI 9.0 beta 3. We’ve found this bug in the beta 2 while going back and forth through the background apps, but there’s no bug in this area any longer. That’s what I should give Samsung devs credit for resolving.

Battery

The beta 1 and 2 have been slightly offset from the good battery backup, but beta 3 has been performing well in terms of overall battery performance since installation. This experience might vary for testers, but we would like to read your own experience on this matter.

Conclusion

With these improvements, Samsung has really pushed the One UI 9.0 beta program to the next phase. However, there’s always room for more optimizations as we still have rollouts left before the stable release.

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Samsung One UI has different ways to control the media playback, including from the live notifications and lock screen, but One UI 9.0 gave these go-to destinations 5 new changes to enhance the user experience.

The overhaul includes both graphical and interactive improvements, regardless of which app you use to play songs in the background. We’ve compared this new experience with a previous One UI version and found a couple of new details.

Home screen

Here, we delve into the live notifications, which give you easy access to the media player from the status bar. However, now this compact window has interesting playback graphics.

Notice how the music timeline has a new color spectrum waveform compared to a light and an accent color in the previous version. The album name and the artist are aligned in a single line.

This change has allowed the company to increase the song’s length, font, and timeline size. Additionally, the playback button has round background shapes that are subtle but easy to notice.

Lock screen

A more noticeable design shift will be found on the lock screen as soon as you expand the music now bar (which also contains the new colorful waveform).

The album art contains the title and the artists, which were previously displayed below the album. However, the following section no longer contains the background shape wrapping around music controls. Instead, they are giving away a different vibe thanks to the new button background and that colorful timeline wavelength.

What makes these new visuals interesting is the animation. When you play/pause a song or move to the next, the system will show smooth animations to make it look interactive.

One UI 9.0 Media Player

Conclusion

With One UI 9.0, Samsung is focusing on polishing the existing software design, and the new Music player is a welcome step for a better user experience.

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Earlier this week, Google formally released Android 17, and some of its features indicate that this update is designed specifically for foldables, while missing major additions for flat-screen flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S-series.

Android 17 is tailored for large screens, especially foldables with features like app bubbles. It allows users to turn any app into a floating bubble icon, and it has a dedicated dock at the bottom of the screen. You can switch between apps with one tap and resize or maximize them to full-screen for faster multitasking.

Samsung phones already come with features like smart pop-up windows, which you minimize into a bubble. But Google’s version looks more streamlined.

The next feature is the new foldable gaming mode, using a 50-50 layout. It turns the second half into a dynamic gamepad, which is great for gaming in foldable devices.

The software has new parental controls and new security improvements, which will also make their way to Galaxy devices once the update is released.

Samsung and Google’s partnership

Last year, Samsung made a huge change in its software release cycle. The company gave foldables first seat in launching a new Android version, and the Galaxy S-series brings a separate feature pack over the same platform.

For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 were the first to run One UI 8.0 out of the box, and the Galaxy S26 series was released with One UI 8.5. Both have Android 16 in the base.

Besides, Google has found two major global Android smartphone launch events to promote its ecosystem, and both come from Samsung, its biggest partner.

This year won’t be different; Samsung will bring a top Android executive to talk about the new foldable features, One UI 9.0, and the Gemini for foldable devices. However, it’s already clear that Android 17 is likely to miss any surprising elements for the Galaxy S-series, while prioritizing the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip devices.

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Samsung is internally testing Android 17-based One UI 9.0 software for various Galaxy devices. This activity is running in parallel to the Open Beta Program. The public beta update is exclusively available for the Galaxy S26 series.

One UI 9.0 update will bring Android 17 to Samsung devices. The official debut is set for late July, while the rollout will take a few more weeks to start. Samsung will first prioritize new devices rather than sharing software advancements.

Samsung picked mid-May as the timeline to announce and start the One UI 9 Beta Program. As of the third week of June, the company has already rolled out three Beta builds to Galaxy S26 users in six countries around the world.

Open Beta Program

1. Galaxy S26
2. Galaxy S26+
3. Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung will keep the Beta Program limited to its latest flagship devices. Meanwhile, the internal testing has already started for plenty of models. It includes phones from the S series, foldables from the Z series, and tablets from the Tab series.

What’s more, some Galaxy A Series phones have also joined the party. The internal testing is expanding to unexpected models, including the budget ones. The pace is fast, and Samsung is gearing up for a faster rollout.

Internal Testing Stage

Galaxy S Series

1. Galaxy S25
2. Galaxy S25+
3. Galaxy S25 Ultra
4. Galaxy S24
5. Galaxy S24+
6. Galaxy S24 Ultra
7. Galaxy S24 FE
8. Galaxy S23
9. Galaxy S23+
10. Galaxy S23 Ultra

Galaxy Z Series

1. Galaxy Z Fold 7
2. Galaxy Z Flip 7

Galaxy A Series

1. Galaxy A57
2. Galaxy A56
3. Galaxy A34
4. Galaxy A17
5. Galaxy A16

Galaxy Tab S Series

1. Galaxy Tab S11
2. Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
3. Galaxy Tab S10+
4. Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra

The list is broad enough yet incomplete. Samsung will add even more Galaxy models to its internal software testing streak. Beta Program may open for more users, but it would only happen after the Summer Galaxy Unpacked event.

Updated on June 20, 2026.

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