Samsung started officially In the launch of the open beta version of the interface One UI 5 for owners of the Galaxy S22 in the United States, Germany and South Korea. The update comes just a few weeks before the expected release of Android 13, and just a few days before the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Like the operating system on which the interface is based, One UI 5 beta looks like a relatively small update that adds some customization options, notification tweaks, as well as new access and security settings.
One UI 5 builds on the theme options in Android 13 by offering up to 16 preset color themes based on your wallpaper, and an additional 12 color options for your home screen, icons, and quick panels. It also offers a way to organize widgets of the same size on top of each other which should help create a less cluttered look.
There are some new accessibility features as well, including a magnifier tool that uses the phone’s camera to magnify real-world objects and text, as well as options to have your phone read keyboard input aloud.
Samsung explains several other features that One UI 5 has adopted from Android 13, such as new notification settings that require app developers to ask for your permission before sending you notifications. One UI 5 beta also lets you set your preferred language on an app-by-app basis, and gives you access to a redesigned security dashboard that scans your phone for potential issues.
When Samsung released the One UI 4 beta last year, it highlighted its release early each year. This time around, Samsung widened the gap between the previous update and released the update even earlier, surpassing the September 2021 One UI 4 beta release date by just over a month. As was the case with previous Samsung One UI versions, you can access the One UI 5 update by registering through the Samsung Members app.
While the new beta version of the interface is only available on S22 devices in the US, Germany and South Korea for now, Samsung plans to roll it out to more devices and regions in the near future. We may hear more about what One UI 5 will introduce at Samsung’s Unpacked event on August 10, where the Korean company was rumored to launch a slew of new devices, including the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Buds Pro 2.