What's new in One UI 5.1?

Samsung sometimes launches new software releases in the form of a .1 update. These updates are similar to a Pixel feature drop, where the company rolls out a bunch of new features for its devices. The latest One UI software update is no different, and comes preinstalled on the Galaxy S23 series and brings a host of new features to the phones.

With One UI 5.1, Samsung is bringing tons of new functionality to its latest and best Galaxy smartphones while adding plenty more features to earlier Galaxy flagships as well. Here are the most notable features you can expect to see with One UI 5.1, as well as a full changelog provided by Samsung.

One UI 5.1 highlights

Notable changes include updates to the Gallery app, which is getting a more powerful search option and new capabilities like the ability to remaster GIFs along with photos. And for those of you that prefer to use manual settings when capturing images, Samsung's Expert RAW app is now accessible from the "more" section in the Camera app carousel.

Bixby is also getting a handy new feature. Now, when you don't feel like answering a call, you can have Bixby do it for you with Bixby Text Call. The feature is similar to Call Screen on Pixel phones, letting you view the live text from a caller. You'll be able to respond both with template options, or you can type your own messages to respond to the caller.

Another feature Samsung is "borrowing" from the Pixel is the new battery widget, which lets you check the battery status of your phone and various connected Galaxy devices such as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or Galaxy Watch 5.

Samsung also highlights a new collaboration with Google Meet to integrate the Samsung Notes app. This feature will allow users to "share documents, edit notes and collaborate" while on a live Meet call.

For the Galaxy S23 series, the Image Clipper allows users to pull objects from photos that they can copy and paste into other images. Tapping and holding an image will cut the subject out of the photo, separating it from the background using AI. It's a neat feature, although it has yet to appear on older Galaxy smartphones.

There are plenty of other features, like seamless browsing across devices with Samsung Internet, Spotify suggestions, better multitasking on smartphones and DeX, and much more. You can view the full changelog below.

One UI 5.1 changelog

Camera and Gallery

• Quickly change the color tone for selfies
  It's easier to change the color tone of your selfies using the Effects button at the top of the screen.
• Discover Expert RAW
  Expert RAW lets you take high-quality shots, perfect for those who want to have full control and edit photos later. Expert RAW is now easier to access from the More menu in Camera.
• More powerful search
  You can now search your Gallery for more than one person or subject at the same time. You can even search for people without tagging their names just by tapping their faces.
• Enhanced image remastering
  Remastering does more to make your pictures look great by removing shadows and reflections. You can also remaster GIFs for better resolution and clarity. Preview has also been improved to make it easier to compare the original picture with the remaster.
• Create a shared family album
  It's easier than ever to share pictures with your family. Gallery will recommend pictures to add to your shared family album by recognizing the faces of your family members. You get 5GB of storage for each family member (up to six people).
• Revamped info display
  When you swipe up while viewing a picture or video in your Gallery, you can see when and where the picture was taken, which device took the picture, where the picture is stored, and more. Now with a simpler layout.

Multitasking

• Easily minimize or switch to full screen
  You can now minimize or maximize an app window without going to the options menu. Just drag one of the corners.
• Access your most used apps in split screen
  When you start a split-screen view, the apps you use most often will be shown below your recently used apps to help you find the apps you need faster.
• Improved multitasking in DeX
  In split-screen view, you can now drag the divider in the center of the screen to resize both windows. You can also snap a window to one of the corners to make it fill a quarter of the screen.

Modes and Routines

• Change wallpapers based on your mode
  Set a different wallpaper based on your current activity. Choose one wallpaper for work, one for exercising, and more.
• More actions for routines
  New actions let you control Quick Share and Touch sensitivity, change your ringtone, and change your font style.

Weather

• Quick access to useful information
  Check severe weather alerts, daily weather summaries, and sunrise/sunset times at the top of the Weather app. The temperature graph now uses colors to show how the temperature changes throughout the day.
• Hourly precipitation graph
  An hourly graph now shows how much precipitation has fallen at different times of the day.
• Summary on Weather widget
  A brief summary of the current weather conditions now appears on the weather widget to let you know if it's sunny, cloudy, raining, or snowing.

Samsung Internet

• Continue browsing on another device
  If you're browsing the web on one Galaxy phone or tablet and later open the Internet app on another Galaxy device signed in to the same Samsung account, a button will appear that lets you open the last webpage you were viewing on the other device.
• Improved search
  Your searches now include the names of bookmark folders and tab groups. Improved search logic lets you find what you're looking for even if something isn't spelled correctly.

Additional changes

• Let Bixby take your calls
  Use Bixby text call to answer calls automatically and find out why the person is calling. You'll see what the caller says in a text chat, and you can tap or type responses that will be read aloud to the caller. Bixby text call is only available in English and Korean.
• Check the battery level of your devices
  The new Battery widget lets you check the battery level of your devices, right from the Home screen. You can see how much battery is left on your phone, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, S Pen, and other supported devices.
• Use up to 3 emojis in AR Emoji Camera
  Take fun pictures and videos with your friends in Mask mode. You can assign a different emoji to each person’s face.
• Settings suggestions
  While signed in to your Samsung account, suggestions will appear at the top of the Settings screen to help you share, connect, and enhance your experience across your Galaxy devices.
• Spotify suggestions
  The Smart suggestions widget now recommends Spotify tracks and playlists based on your current activity. Get the perfect tunes for driving, exercising, and more. To get suggestions, you need to sign in to a Spotify account in the latest version of the Spotify app.
• Choose where to save screenshots and screen recordings
  You can now change the folder where screenshots and screen recordings are saved.

One UI 5.1 eligible smartphones

One UI 5.1 is already available on the Galaxy S23 series, officially debuting alongside the devices. As far as which other phones will get it, Samsung says that much of its current batch of flagship phones running One UI 5 should be eligible for One UI 5.1. In fact, the company has already begun updating many of its smartphones to One UI 5.1, seemingly as far back as the Galaxy S20. The update initially rolled out across Europe and Asia, with other regions likely following closely.

Below are the models Samsung lists as eligible to receive One UI 5.1, with newly updated models listed in bold:

Galaxy S Series

• Samsung Galaxy S22/S22+/S22 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE/S21/S21+/S21 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE/S20/S20+/S20 Ultra

Galaxy Z Series

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4/Flip 4
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3/Flip 3
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip/5G

Galaxy Note Series

• Samsung Galaxy Note 20/Ultra

Samsung Galaxy A/M Series

• Samsung Galaxy A73
• Samsung Galaxy A53
• Samsung Galaxy M53
• Samsung Galaxy A33
• Samsung Galaxy A23
• Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

Samsung Galaxy Tab series

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S8/S8+/S8 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7/S7+

According to Samsung, the update has already begun to roll out worldwide for most of the above-listed models. Users started receiving the update in Europe and Asia first, and U.S. models are now receiving it as well. It also appears to bear the February security patch, which started appearing on other Samsung devices in prior weeks. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Fold 3 have also received the update shortly after the other models.

Since the announcement, One UI 5.1 has arrived on Galaxy devices across the Note 20 series, Z series, and mid-range A and M series phones. The update is also rolling out on Samsung's tablets, including the Galaxy Tab S8 series along with the Tab S7 series.

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