Top Features In One UI 8.5

Samsung has released One UI 8.5, and I’ve spent some time with it on my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Despite being a .5 update, this feels like the most consequential software release I’ve experienced on a Samsung device. We’re getting new AI-enhanced image editing features, a revamped Bixby powered by Perplexity, and improved screenshot tools.
While not the headline feature, I’m really pleased that Circle to Search is now available inside Secure Folder, along with Gemini on-screen. This makes searching so much easier — especially on Instagram.

Being able to run Perplexity searches and generate AI outfit/prompt ideas directly from Secure Folder makes it feel like a truly integrated part of the phone. In terms of day-to-day use, the phone feels noticeably more stable, fluid, and slightly faster overall. Opening apps from links (like Snapchat, ChatGPT, or Grok from the browser) is much more reliable now. It properly launches the native app instead of the website version, and the animations feel a bit smoother.
The icons remain the same style as One UI 8 but look punchier, brighter, and more three-dimensional.

One UI 8.5 borrows some cues from Apple’s Liquid Glass design language but executes it better in my opinion. The Gallery app — and much of the UI, including Settings — now features a glassy, compact, hover-style tab bar that smoothly switches between Pictures, Albums, Collections, and the menu. Tapping the Collections icon and scrolling reveals a Screenshots tab that lets you intelligently search by screenshot type (with decent but not perfect accuracy), including chats, social media posts, and more.

The AI Edge Screenshot feature has also been significantly improved. It feels faster and now auto-detects videos and GIFs. If it detects a GIF, it lets you record it directly. For videos, there’s a handy rewinding feature that allows you to capture a screenshot from up to 2 seconds before the Smart Select panel appears — very useful for timing the perfect shot. One small issue is that this feature is activated through the Edge Panel. Pressing on it means you may need to go into Settings to reposition the Edge Panel if you prefer it elsewhere. Additionally, the battery icon is now hard-coded into the software, so hiding the battery percentage is no longer possible without major tweaking or third-party tools which is annoying for people with battery anxiety and a phone (S24 Ultra) that has horrible SOT)

The Gallery also lets you chat with your photos and perform high-quality AI edits. You can stack and adjust multiple AI edits without saving the image each time. The quality is impressive — as you can see in my example, I added a jacket to Paisleys dress and it looks very realistic. This will be perfect for quick, natural-looking edits without needing Photoshop. You can also merge images, though I haven’t fully explored that yet. As for the new Bixby, it’s significantly revamped. It can now perform on-device and on-screen actions, like scanning text and correctly adding events to your calendar. It’s also more conversational and goes deeper into topics. However, it has lost some of its previous fluidity. For example, while an OKC Thunder game was in progress, I asked for the score and it gave me results from a different game. So Bixby still needs work on its app and web search integration. God bless and Tech Talk To You Later!!