Samsung’sOne UI 6 betahad a couple of false starts, but now it’s in full swing forSamsung Galaxy S23owners. The changes we’ve found so far are extensive and certainly more prevalent than last year’s One UI 5 update. They range from minor aesthetics to core functionality, so there will be plenty to get used to once the update arrives on your phone. Some changes are more welcome than others, so with that in mind, here are our favorite One UI 6 beta updates so far.
One UI 5 vs One UI 6 (left vs right)
For a long time, Samsung had theworst emojisof them all. They’ve had a fresh coat of paint in the beta, and they look fantastic, overtaking Google’s emoji design to become my new favorites. Their look is much more expressive, and some new shading adds depth that was missing before. To mach this breath of fresh air, Samsung has also updated the font used systemwide.
I know an emojis redesign may seem like a small change to many of us, but it’s pretty important when you look at the bigger picture. Emojis are used everywhere, especially by younger generations. If I had my way, we’d go back to Google’s old blobs, but that’s because I’m an out-of-touch millennial.
Less spam in the weather app
I’ve always loved Samsung’s weather app, especially since it got a redesign in One UI 5, but there’s one thing I wasn’t a fan of — the spammy ads. As you scrolled through the app, a large “news” section contained weather-related videos the app thought you’d be interested in. The problem was that the quality was terrible, and the videos were never about the area or country the user lived in.
These videos aren’t gone completely, but now they’re relegated to the very bottom of the app. Here, there are only two of them, and they won’t play unless you intentionally tap on the right spot, so accidental activation isn’t an issue anymore.
Aside from that, the icons, fonts, and colors have all been tweaked throughout the app and its widgets, and a new section shows solar and lunar cycles. An entirely new widget called weather insights shows current conditions and some extra info. If it’s raining, it’ll tell you how long it will last, and as the end of the day approaches, it will give previews of tomorrow’s weather. Overall, this may be my favorite widget of the bunch.
Redesigned quick settings
The notification shade has remained largely the same in One UI 6, with six quick settings toggles available at the top. When you pull down on the notification shade to reveal the full quick settings panel, and it’s a different story. Now you have two oversized Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles sitting next to each other, similar to what stock Android switched to with Android 12, with a larger collection of familiar circular toggles beneath. Below that, the brightness slider now has shortcuts for the blue light filter and dark mode, and then smart view and device control sit at the bottom.
One UI has needed a design change for a little while now. There wasn’t anything wrong with the old layout, but it had hardly changed from One UI 3, and it was starting to look dated. This rework seems more modern and implements elements of the Pixel UI while retaining the superior functionality it already had. Pixel phones only give you access to eight quick toggles per page, while Samsung gives you 12, plus the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles.
Direct access to quick settings
Speaking of redesigned quick settings, you can access them faster than ever with One UI 6. You can enable quick settings instant access in the quick settings edit screen. With this switched on, you can swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to skip the notification shade and go right to your quick settings. It’s very much a replica of what iOS has been doing with its Control Center for a long time, and it works well enough.
Better camera iconography
The iconography throughout the camera app has changed for the better. In One UI 5, the camera’s photo resolution and aspect ratio options sat in a single menu, and you couldn’t change the aspect ratio if you changed the resolution from 12MP to something higher, like 50 or 200MP. Now, these options have been split into two menus, and you can set the aspect ratio of your image to 3:4, 9:16, 1:1, or full screen, no matter which megapixel option you choose.
Aside from that, the icons for filters and motion photos have changed. The functionality remains the same, but the new icons better describe what menus are hidden behind them and look more intuitive overall.
Camera widget
Samsung’s widgets have been in top form since One UI 4, and they’ve improved with each update. One UI 6 is no exception, as it introduces a new camera widget. Once placed, you can select an image for the widget or have it automatically use the last photo you took, where photos taken with this widget will be stored, and what camera settings to utilize. You can add multiples of this widget with different settings to give you fast access to what suits the situation best.
The widget lets you choose between the selfie camera, the primary rear sensor, and any available modes, from portrait to slow motion. My only criticism is that you may’t choose which rear lens to use. I’d love a shortcut that instantly opens the 10X lens on my S23 Ultra, but that isn’t possible yet.
Chromecast screen sharing
In July, it was discovered that you could enter asecret smart view menuand enable screen sharing to Chromecasts, a much-requested feature. It was a bit of a faff, and while screen sharing worked, it was buggy.
Thankfully, the feature has received some attention from Samsung in One UI 6. As noted byBDTech on Twitter, the smart view labs menu now shows for everyone without jumping through any hoops, and Chromecast support is one of the toggles in the labs menu. Not only is it easier to enable, but in our testing, most of the bugs have been squashed as well, and casting to a Chromecast is a smooth experience, as it should be.
Smart View is also a lot easier to access than it was in the past. In previous versions of One UI it was a regular quick setting toggle, but now it has its replaced the old media output button at the bottom of the quick settings panel next to device control.
Samsung’s One UI 6 looks exciting
Those are our favorite One UI additions for now, but with more betas planned in the coming weeks, there are bound to be more new and exciting changes to find, and we’ll come back and update this list if any of them are big enough to become our favorites. Right now, you need a phone from the Galaxy S23 lineup to get started, but the One UI 6 beta will almost certainly expand to more devices in the future.
Samsung Galaxy S23
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the smallest and most affordable entry in the S23 lineup. If you’re looking for an easy way to enjoy One UI 6 that doesn’t entirely break the bank, it’s your best bet.
Samsung Galaxy S23+
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ is almost identical to the S23, but it packs a bigger screen and bigger battery. It’s a great choice if you want to experience One UI 6 in a bigger form factor.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the ulitmate way to experience One UI 6, and is a wonderful phone beyond that. It offers one of the most versatile camera setups in the markets, and it’s one of only a few phones to ship with a stylus, complete with a way to store it in the body.
