Samsung has started rolling out One UI 8.5 to the US Galaxy S25 series, adding new Quick Settings, lock screen options, and AI photo tools—along with some notable missing features.
Samsung Galaxy S25 owners in the United States are getting a long-awaited software upgrade: One UI 8.5 is now making its way to last year’s Galaxy S25 series.. The update. reported by users after arriving first on newer devices. brings a collection of visible interface changes and AI-assisted tools that Samsung says are ready to be used right away.
Reports from users on X indicate the rollout is active for Galaxy S25 models. making it a practical moment to check the phone’s software update settings.. For many owners. this type of staged release matters because it often reaches devices gradually rather than all at once. meaning timing can vary by region and carrier.
The headline change in One UI 8.5 is a more customizable Quick Settings panel.. Instead of being confined to a fixed layout. users can grab and resize individual controls and then reposition them wherever they prefer.. Samsung also reshapes how common controls behave: the volume and brightness sliders can be displayed vertically. while media controls can expand to a larger footprint.
Beyond day-to-day controls, the lock screen receives a set of personalization updates.. One UI 8.5 adds new clock fonts with animations. letting users choose a look that fits their style rather than settling for the default.. A thickness slider also allows for finer tuning of the clock’s appearance. adjusting how bold or streamlined the time display feels.
Samsung is also introducing a weather toggle on the lock screen. with the company describing live weather animations that appear on the wallpaper.. While it’s a small feature compared with larger system changes. it’s the kind of detail that can make the lock screen feel more dynamic without requiring users to open any apps.
The update’s most notable software capability comes from AI-powered photo editing tools.. One UI 8.5 adds several functions aimed at editing directly in photos: Erase for removing objects. Move for repositioning elements within an image. Create for generating sketched objects using AI. and Style for transforming selfies into cartoon-like versions.. Together, these features point to Samsung continuing its push to make complex edits accessible without switching to separate editing apps.
Still, the rollout isn’t being received as a straight win for everyone.. Even as Galaxy S25 models finally receive One UI 8.5. reports from Samsung forums in Korea say some features are missing. with users identifying up to nine omissions.. The biggest ones being highlighted are Now Nudge and a 24MP camera mode.
Other features reportedly absent include Notification Highlights. a Finder shortcut on the Home Screen. and “Ask AI” within Samsung Browser. among additional items.. The concern for users is that these gaps appear in the software experience. not as optional settings or regional differences. which has led to frustration about whether older hardware is being held back.
The missing features also raise questions about what drives feature availability on Samsung’s side.. It was suggested by users that none of the listed omissions appear tied to hardware changes associated with the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. which makes the limitations feel more like software gating than an unavoidable technical constraint.
This dynamic echoes a broader industry pattern where new capabilities arrive on the latest devices first and older phones later receive a partial version of the experience.. The practical implication for consumers is that the “update” headline can hide meaningful differences in day-to-day functionality. even when the software version name is the same across models.
Samsung One UI 8.5 Galaxy S25 update Quick Settings customization AI photo editing lock screen animations missing features