Samsung One UI 8.5 Battery Indicator Update: How to Hide the Battery “Pill” (Dec 15, 2025)

Samsung’s One UI 8.5 beta is quietly making one of the most-seen parts of your Galaxy phone feel cleaner: the battery indicator in the status bar. As of December 15, 2025, a new toggle lets you keep the battery percentage visible while removing the pill-shaped battery icon background—perfect for anyone who prefers a minimalist top bar without losing useful information. ^[1]

Below is what’s changed, exactly how to switch the new battery indicator style, and a quick roundup of other notable One UI 8.5–related developments making news today.

What changed with the battery indicator in One UI 8.5?

On older One UI versions, Samsung typically gave you a simple choice: show the battery percentage or hide it and rely on the pill-shaped icon alone. In One UI 8.5, Samsung changes that behavior—the battery level is shown as a number all the time, and the “choice” is now about how much visual chrome you want around it. ^[2]

The key addition is a new setting called:

“Show battery background”

ON: You get the familiar pill-shaped battery icon in the status bar.
OFF: The pill disappears, leaving a cleaner, text-forward battery readout (battery level + % sign). ^[3]

This is a small tweak, but it matters: the status bar is the one UI element you glance at constantly, and reducing clutter there can make the whole interface feel calmer—especially on larger phones where the top bar already competes with camera cutouts, network icons, and notification indicators.

How to change the battery indicator on One UI 8.5

If your Galaxy is running the One UI 8.5 beta, you can switch styles in seconds:

Open Settings
Tap Notifications
Go to Status bar
Toggle Show battery backgroundOn or Off ^[4]

That’s it—no Good Lock module required, no theme changes, and no extra downloads.

What you’ll see after switching

If you turn Show battery backgroundOFF, One UI 8.5 keeps the battery level visible as a number, but removes the pill-shaped background—resulting in a simpler, more “text-only” look. ^[5]

Who can use this battery indicator toggle right now?

At the moment, this option is tied to the One UI 8.5 beta, which Samsung officially launched on December 8, 2025. Samsung says the beta is first available for the Galaxy S25 series in select markets and can be joined through the Samsung Members app. ^[6]

Samsung lists the initial beta markets as:

Germany
India
Korea
Poland
UK
U.S. ^[7]

If you’re on an older Galaxy device (or you’re in a region where the beta isn’t open), you likely won’t see the “Show battery background” toggle yet.

One UI 8.5 is bigger than it sounds

Although “.5” updates can sound minor, multiple reports describe One UI 8.5 as a surprisingly visual release, with lots of interface refinement. ^[8]

Samsung’s official announcement frames One UI 8.5 beta around three priorities:

Creation: improved Photo Assist with edit history and continuous editing
Sharing: smarter Quick Share suggestions that recognize people in photos
Security: new theft-protection behaviors like Failed Authentication Lock and expanded identity checks ^[9]

Independent coverage echoes those themes and adds practical guidance for joining the beta via Samsung Members (with the usual “beta software may be buggy” warning). ^[10]

Battery-related extras: Power Saving gets a real upgrade in One UI 8.5

If you care enough to customize your battery icon, you probably care about battery life too—and One UI 8.5 is also making Power Saving more flexible.

According to Android Authority’s testing, One UI 8.5’s Power saving is now split into:

Standard (similar to classic power saving behavior)
Maximum (more aggressive restrictions, with controls for “essential apps” and exceptions) ^[11]

This makes it easier to choose between “stretch battery without ruining the phone” and “I need this to last as long as possible,” rather than relying on one blunt mode. ^[12]

All the other One UI 8.5–adjacent headlines from today (Dec 15, 2025)

Beyond the battery indicator tweak, several Samsung software stories broke or updated today that One UI watchers will want on their radar:

Good Lock: One Hand Operation+ updated for One UI 8.5 beta

Samsung is pushing an update to Good Lock’s One Hand Operation+ module, with the changelog calling out One UI 8.5 beta compatibility, plus bug fixes and stability improvements. ^[13]

Galaxy Wearable app is getting a One UI 8.5-style refresh

SamMobile reports Samsung is updating part of the Galaxy Wearable experience—specifically the screen used to download the plugin required to connect to a wearable—bringing a more polished design aligned with One UI 8.5’s look. ^[14]

Galaxy Watch 4 begins receiving One UI 8 Watch update

In wearable news, SamMobile reports Galaxy Watch 4 / Watch 4 Classic models are now receiving the One UI 8 Watch update, with rollout starting in Korea today and expected to expand to other markets in the coming days and weeks. ^[15]

Galaxy S23 gets a new security update

SamMobile also notes a new Galaxy S23 update is rolling out, framed as a security-focused release (starting in South Korea). ^[16]

Galaxy S26 Ultra chatter starts early, with One UI 8.5 mentioned

A separate report from Business Standard says the Galaxy S26 Ultra has appeared in an FCC-related story cycle and is expected to run One UI 8.5 (Android 16)—a reminder that One UI 8.5 isn’t just a beta experiment, but a platform Samsung is already tying to its next flagship generation narrative. ^[17]

If you don’t see “Show battery background,” here’s the most likely reason

In practical terms, the new battery indicator option depends on one of the following being true:

You’re on the One UI 8.5 beta (currently centered on the Galaxy S25 series, in select countries) ^[18]
Your device/region has received a build that includes the toggle (beta features can vary by rollout wave)

If you’re on One UI 8.0/8.1 or a stable channel build that hasn’t picked up these UI tweaks, the setting may simply not exist yet.

Bottom line

Samsung’s new “Show battery background” toggle in One UI 8.5 is exactly the kind of small, daily-use improvement that can make a phone feel “new” without changing how you use it. If you’ve ever wanted a cleaner status bar—but hated losing the battery percentage—this finally gives you a best-of-both-worlds option. ^[19]

And with One UI 8.5 beta activity continuing (plus Good Lock updates, wearables UI refreshes, and broader rollout signals), today’s news cycle makes it clear: Samsung is treating One UI 8.5 as more than a routine mid-cycle update. ^[20]

One UI 8 Battery Drain Issue FIXED!