Samsung's new One UI 7 beta is officially live – what the free update means for your Galaxy phone

Software announcements are usually much less exciting than hardware ones, but Samsung’s rollout of its One UI 7 beta today, based on Android 15, might be the best (and biggest) news for Galaxy users lately.

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Part of the reason is that the software was actually expected to launch months ago, closer to the timeline of Google and other manufacturers’ Android 15 deliveries. However, repeated delays and internal setbacks meant that the biggest phone maker would be late to the party.

With Samsung opening beta access to One UI 7 today, Galaxy S24 users (for now) can enroll by applying for free via Samsung Members. Once accepted, users will be prompted to update their phones and begin testing the latest features, tools, and design overhauls the company has worked on over the past year. There will also be plenty of room for improvement, feedback windows, and bugs to report; hence this being a beta program. 

Some of the new features of One UI 7 include:

• Look Now: A new interactive “Now Bar” will appear at the bottom of the lock screen whenever a background task, such as music playing or multiple notifications, occurs. Tapping on the Now Bar expands it to show more glanceable information.
• Camera Ready: Users can switch between selected camera buttons, controls, and modes from the preview screen.
• Expanded Writing Tools: AI summarization and formatting tools now work without switching between applications.
• Call Transcript: So long as call recording is turned on, transcriptions will be generated and saved.

If things play out the way they did in the past, more Galaxy phone models will be eligible to sign up for the beta program in a matter of weeks, followed by the official public rollout early next year. 

Also: Android 15 is here, and you should update your phone ASAP. Here’s why

We’ll likely hear more about the software during the company’s rumored January Unpacked event. For now, those who own one of the latest Samsung phones, such as the S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra, will be able to get an early look at the Galaxy maker’s take on Android 15.