SEOUL, Jan 23, 2026, 16:50 (KST)
- Samsung has outlined new Good Lock features tied to One UI 8.5, including custom images on Quick Settings tiles
- The One UI 8.5 beta remains limited to the Galaxy S25 lineup, with wider access likely later, SamMobile said
- Home Up adds larger icon sizing and editable labels, while other One UI 8.5 changes are emerging in early beta reports
Samsung has laid out new features coming to its Good Lock customisation suite for One UI 8.5, including the ability to swap quick settings tiles for user-chosen images and new controls for home screen folders, widgets and app labels, a company forum post showed. The planned update also adds new lock screen animation tools and fresh game performance options, according to the same post. (Samsung Members Community)
The disclosure matters because One UI 8.5 is shaping up as a software-heavy release, leaning on optional modules rather than a single, sweeping interface rewrite. For Samsung, those add-ons are a way to keep long-time Galaxy users from drifting, especially the ones who care more about how the phone feels day to day than the spec sheet.
The One UI 8.5 beta began with the Galaxy S25 series in early December and was still limited to those models as of Jan. 22, SamMobile reported. Based on how Samsung expanded earlier beta programs, the site said broader access could come in late February or March, potentially bringing in recent Galaxy S and Z foldable phones first. (SamMobile)
Quick settings is the pull-down control panel most users hit dozens of times a day. Giving it image-based tiles is a small change on paper, but it’s aimed straight at the people who treat their phone’s UI like a desktop they can tune.
Sammy Fans reported that an updated Home Up module is already pushing into that territory, adding new app icon size controls that run up to 110% and a switch that enables editing of icon labels on the home screen. The site said the change opens the door to renaming apps and altering how labels look, rather than living with default text. (Sammy Fans)
PhoneArena, reviewing what it described as early One UI 8.5 beta behaviour, pointed to changes outside Good Lock as well, including interface tweaks in Samsung apps and updates to Samsung DeX, the company’s desktop-style mode. It also flagged new security behaviour, such as locking a phone after repeated failed unlock attempts, and audio sharing features tied to Auracast, a Bluetooth LE standard that can broadcast audio to compatible devices. (PhoneArena)
Sammyguru said Samsung is pitching One UI 8.5 as an Android 16 QPR2-based release, referring to Google’s quarterly platform updates, and that some Good Lock features are already available to beta testers. The blog said most users will need to wait for the final build, which it said could arrive alongside Samsung’s next Galaxy S flagship launch. (SammyGuru)
The push underscores how smartphone makers are competing on software as much as cameras and chips. Apple and Google sell a largely uniform iOS and Pixel experience, while Samsung keeps stacking extra layers for users who want more control — and are willing to dig into menus to get it.
But the timing and the final feature list can still shift. Samsung has not published a public schedule for expanding the beta beyond the Galaxy S25 range, and companies routinely trim or delay features before a stable release ships, especially when they are delivered through separate modules rather than the core OS.
One UI is Samsung’s software layer on top of Android across its Galaxy devices, and Good Lock is its grab-bag of optional modules such as LockStar, QuickStar and Home Up. The company did not set a stable One UI 8.5 release date in the forum post.
