Samsung could be gearing up to launch an Android 16 beta this month

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One UI 8 might enter beta testing way sooner than expected.

A green and pink Android 16 logo on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on top of a pair of blue and orange shoes
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Samsung's One UI 8 beta could release later this month for Galaxy S25 users in limited regions.
  • More wider availability might arrive in June, ahead of the Samsung foldable launch expected to happen in July.
  • The fast pace of the brand's One UI 8 software upgrade comes following a disjointed and messy One UI 7 rollout.

Samsung might make a One UI 8 beta program available based on Android 16 this month, according to a report from SamMobile. The publication says that it hears the One UI 8 beta will kick off in the third week of May 2025, which is less than two weeks away. In terms of availability, it's expected the One UI 8 beta will be extremely limited to certain devices and regions initially, with expanded access in June 2025.

The move comes following Samsung's internal testing of One UI 8. A version of the Android 16-based upgrade appeared on test servers earlier today, May 8, which is a sign that the South Korean company is preparing for a public beta.

The update, with build version S938BXXU3ZYEA/S938BOXM3ZYEA/S938BXXU3BYEA, was spotted on a test server for the Samsung Galaxy S25 by Tarun Vats on X (formerly Twitter).

Previously, One UI 7 beta builds started appearing on test servers a few weeks before they became available to the public. This is the first time a One UI 8 beta build has appeared on a Samsung test server, and it's a key indicator that the beta program could start very soon.

Samsung One UI 7 interface on Galaxy A56

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The emergence of an early One UI 8 beta program might come as a surprise considering the struggles Samsung experienced delivering One UI 7, based on Android 15. That update was a multi-year overhaul that brought many challenges, whereas One UI 8 is expected to be a smaller and more manageable update. Paired with Google moving up its Android release schedule, this all helps explain why One UI 8 appears to be progressing quicker than expected.

Separately, it's rumored that Samsung will launch its new foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — with One UI 8 out of the box.

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming foldables, check out our Ultimate Guide.

Brady Snyder
Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist for Android Central, with a focus on news, phones, tablets, audio, wearables, and software. He has spent the last three years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. His work has been published in XDA, Android Police, Tech Advisor, iMore, Screen Rant, and Android Headlines. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching Big East basketball.

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