What you need to know
- Samsung has released One UI 8.5 beta 4 ahead of the Galaxy S26 launch, focusing on fixes and stability improvements.
- The new beta is rolling out to Galaxy S25 users in multiple regions and includes the February 2026 security patch.
- A new Direct Voicemail feature lets users send calls to voicemail and view live transcriptions inside the Phone app.
Ahead of the Galaxy S26 series launch, Samsung has released a new One UI 8.5 beta, refining the software further while also adding a useful new feature.
February is shaping up to be a big month for Samsung, with the Galaxy S26 series rumored to debut in just a few weeks. Alongside the upcoming phones, Samsung has continued work on One UI 8.5. Now, ahead of the software’s official unveiling alongside the Galaxy S26 lineup, the company has released One UI 8.5 beta 4 with several fixes in tow.
As spotted by Tarun Vats on X, Samsung has rolled out the new One UI 8.5 beta for the Galaxy S25 series with firmware version ZZAL in South Korea, India, Germany, the UK, and the US. This update follows the third One UI 8.5 beta released in December and weighs around 1.5 GB. It also includes the February 2026 security patch.
According to the official changelog, Samsung has fixed several issues, including a lock screen clock bug and a problem with AI Select. Here’s the official changelog:
- Fixed an issue where the clock on the lock screen moved down.
- Fixed an issue when clicking search history in the phone app.
- Resolved the problem where calls switch to the device under specific conditions while using a BT headset.
- Fixed an issue when pasting phone numbers into the keypad after clicking a call link.
- Fixed an issue where AI Select does not automatically close when “Copy” is selected.
If you own a Galaxy S25 series phone and are enrolled in the One UI 8.5 beta program, you can now download and install the update by going to Settings > Software update > Download and install.
What’s particularly interesting about this beta is that Samsung has also added a new Direct Voicemail feature to the Phone app (via Android Authority). With this feature, users can automatically send calls to voicemail after a set period or route all incoming calls directly to voicemail.
The voicemail is transcribed live, letting you view both audio and text inside the Phone app. Similar to how it works on Pixel phones and iPhones, you can also pick up the call while the caller is leaving a message. The feature works on-device inside the Phone app and doesn’t depend on your carrier.
Android Central’s Take
It’s good to see Samsung polishing the One UI 8.5 beta ahead of the Galaxy S26 series launch later this month. Samsung has been late with recent major Android upgrades, but it’s reassuring to see the company aiming to have Galaxy S26 users on the latest version with stable software and new features available out of the box from day one.
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