Samsung may look to gift Galaxy users a One UI 8.5 beta in December

What you need to know

• Reports are piling up on X, stating that Samsung could look to begin its One UI 8.5 Beta Program early in December.
• Another well-known tipster joins the rumors, stating Beta 1 could start December 8, Beta 2 on December 22, and Beta 3 on January 5, though these dates could shift.
• Previous rumors claimed a beta could've started late in November, but that seems to have been put on hold, as Samsung changed up its Galaxy S26 plans.

After over a month of silence, it seems rumors are back on the table about when a potential One UI 8.5 beta could begin.

These One UI 8.5 beta program rumors have been reported on X by a South Korean tipster, as well as Tarun Vats, who goes a bit further (via SamMobile). Vats quotes another tipster, who alleges that Samsung has "set their plan" to kickstart a One UI 8.5 beta program on December 8, though that date could change. Vats hops in, claiming that others have said similar things, and that this could be the case for "Phase 1."

Phase 1 is likely just what may be One UI 8.5 Beta 1, with the tipster claiming that Beta 2 could begin two weeks later, on December 22. Moreover, it seems that each "phase" or beta could bring in a different set of users.

The first is supposedly for the U.S., Korea, the U.K., and Germany, while the latter is aimed at bringing in India and Poland.

This beta is supposedly expected to roll into the new year, with a One UI 8.5 Beta 3 preparing for a potential January 5 due date. These betas are roughly two weeks after each other, as Samsung seemingly looks to get this software tested and ready for its eventual release. Previous rumors have expected this beta to hit the Galaxy S25 series first, but users on X are wondering about a chance for the Galaxy S24, though nothing's been stated yet.

It's beginning to look a lot like beta time

We've been playing with One UI 8.5 rumors since September, as previous rumors claimed we were headed toward a beta this fall. That alleged timeframe was supposedly for later in November, and while we're pretty much there now, the narrative has changed. Still, reports from October suggested that the first beta would roll out for U.S., Korean, and European users, similar to the current trend from X.

Several weeks after, shortly before Halloween, rumors said that Samsung was looking to hold off on a November beta, as it grappled with Galaxy S26 series changes.

The delay part here is reportedly due to Samsung dropping the Galaxy S26 Plus for a Galaxy S26 Edge. However, it seems that this may no longer happen, as the S25 Edge suffered low sales. Either way, One UI 8.5 has been positioned as quite a substantial update, which could debut alongside the Galaxy S26 next year during its alleged San Francisco Unpacked event in February. AI notifications, new Quick Settings, lock screen customization, and more are all expected to arrive in this new software update.