Samsung’s Android 16 One UI 8: Which Galaxy phones get it first?

Samsung has started releasing the Android 16 update with One UI 8 for its flagship and premium Galaxy lineup. The update rollout began this week and will continue in stages through December 2025.

According to Samsung, the first devices to receive the update are the Galaxy S series, the Galaxy Z foldable phones, and the Galaxy Tab S and A premium tablets. Mid-range models in the Galaxy F and M categories will get the software later in the cycle.

The Android 16-based One UI 8 upgrade covers a wide range of smartphones and tablets.

* Galaxy S series: From the Galaxy S21 FE up to the recently launched Galaxy S25 lineup, including S25 Ultra, S25 Plus, and S25 Edge. The Galaxy S25 FE already ships with Android 16 pre-installed.

* Galaxy Z foldables: Z Flip 3 through Z Flip 6, Z Fold 3 through Z Fold 6, and the new Z Fold Special Edition. The latest Z Fold7 and Flip7 models are also running One UI 8 out of the box.

* Galaxy A series: Devices such as Galaxy A23, A24, A25, A26, A32, A33, A34, A35 5G, A36, A53, A54, A55 5G, A56 5G, Galaxy A73 5G, A15, A14, and the newly listed A16.

* Galaxy M series: Galaxy M56, M55, M54, M53, M35, M34, M33, and M15.

* Galaxy F series: Models including F56, F55, F54, F34, F16, F15, and F06.

* Galaxy Tab S series: Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab S10 FE, Tab S9 FE+, Tab S9 FE, Tab S9 Ultra, Tab S9+, Tab S9, Tab S8 Ultra, Tab S8+, and Tab S8.

The new update introduces Google’s Material You (Material 3) design, improved animations, and features tailored for phones, tablets, and foldables.

Among the major additions is Live Updates, which allows compatible apps to display real-time information on the lock screen, such as food delivery status, e-commerce shipping updates, and cab arrival times. The feature works in sync with the Now Bar on the lock screen.

Security has also been strengthened. Android 16 brings Advanced Protection, which blocks scam calls, unsafe websites, malicious apps, and ensures stolen devices cannot be reused.

Samsung has layered its own enhancements on top. The new Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP) secures sensitive data used in AI-powered features like Now Brief. Each app gets its own encrypted storage environment, isolating private data from other applications.

The Knox Matrix upgrade adds automatic logouts from online accounts if the phone is compromised, while also sending alerts across linked Galaxy devices with steps to safeguard user information.

How to update

Galaxy users can install the Android 16-based One UI 8 by navigating to:

Settings > Software Update > Download and Install.

The company expects the phased rollout to conclude by the end of December 2025.