Signs point to a One UI 6.1 rollout coming this week

The vibrant display of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Some of the best features available on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series will make an appearance on older phones via the One UI 6.1 update.
  • Samsung previously said that the One UI 6.1 update would come to Galaxy devices from 2023 in March 2024.
  • That means it would make sense that a One UI 6.1 update would come this week, and Samsung has already confirmed that it will be available on March 28 in China.

Samsung's new lineup of flagship phones, the Galaxy S24 series, came with a slew of new artificial intelligence features. These are slated to make their way to Galaxy devices released in 2023 with the One UI 6.1 update. Samsung previously said that the One UI 6.1 update would be available in March 2024, and time is running out for the company to meet that self-imposed deadline. However, signs are pointing to a release of One UI 6.1 this week. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tarun Vats shared a notification from Samsung that stated OneUI 6.1 would roll out in China starting March 28 (via 9to5Google). The notification is fairly specific, covering the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. Besides being limited to those devices, it explicitly confirms the release date for users in China, not the rest of the world. However, it's reasonable to expect that One UI 6.1 will debut this week in other regions. 

Samsung first shipped the One UI 6.1 update as the day-one software for the Galaxy S24 series. It includes the new Galaxy AI suite of AI-enhanced software features, and users quickly speculated whether these tools would come to older phones. Later, the company confirmed that Galaxy AI features would be available on Galaxy devices released in 2023. For now, the prior Galaxy S22 series from 2022 is left out, but that could change.

It seems that Samsung will start the One UI 6.1 rollout with the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra devices. However, the company has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Tab S9 series will get One UI 6.1 as well. Based on Samsung's system notification to users in China, the rollout will likely begin with the Galaxy S23 series and appear on other Galaxy devices from 2023 in the days and weeks to follow. 

Owners of the Galaxy S23 series should be on the lookout for an update this week, although it isn't guaranteed. Users of the Galaxy S22 series still have a glimmer of hope for getting Galaxy AI, but that would be far out — if it even happens. 

Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist covering news at Android Central. He has spent the last two years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching sports.