This is a game changer<\/p>\n
NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Republished on June 1 with news on One UI 8\u2019s beta and release schedule, and eligible devices, bringing the new kill switch and other security upgrades. <\/p>\n
Samsung is moving quickly to recover ground lost through its One UI 7 delays<\/a>. The Galaxy-maker has now confirmed that early access to the One UI 8 beta is now available, \u201ckicking off a new era of software intelligence<\/a>.\u201d What happens next is critical. How far will Samsung fall behind Pixel\u2019s unbeatable June release<\/a>?<\/p>\n But the advantage Samsung has this time is the relatively modest scale of One UI 8 versus the wholesale One UI 7 update that still has not completed its rollout. But literally hidden in amongst the various tweaks we know are coming is a brilliant update that could be a game-changer. \u201cThink of it as a kill switch for your private digital life.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s how Android Police<\/a> describes the new \u201cHide Secure Folder\u201d button that instantly disappears the folder\u2019s icon and apps. \u201cWhen hidden, \u2018apps and data stored in Secure Folder are encrypted.\u2019 All apps within the folder will stop working and you will not receive any notifications from them until you unhide and decrypt the Secure Folder.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesWhy You Should Stop Texting On Your iPhone Or Android PhoneBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n This I really like. It is an OS-level deployment of the kind of personal security and privacy that\u2019s much needed when kids and others might browse through your phone, playing games or watching media or looking at photos. It also stops awkward notifications appearing when your phone might be on view to others.<\/p>\n Android Authority<\/a> has done its usual deep dive on the new upgrade, and says \u201cSecure Folder on One UI 8 is easier to use and safer than ever.\u201d This is especially welcome given the security vulnerabilities highlighted with Secure Folder<\/a> in recent months, and that Samsung has chosen to go a different way to Android\u2019s generic Private Space.<\/p>\n The other headline upgrade is forcing users to re-enrol their biometric security for Secure Folder, separating it into its own enclave. This means if you\u2019ve enrolled someone else\u2019s fingerprint for generic phone access \u2014 one of your kids or your partner, that does not mean they will have access to the personal Secure Folder which is hived off.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile your lock screen already helps keep the data on your phone safe from casual access,\u201d Android Authority says, this \u201coffers an extra layer of security, particularly handy if you know that other people are going to be using your device. You can move your most private data to its encrypted protection, and even hide its presence entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n That kill switch will grab the headlines though, \u201ca new Quick Settings button not just hides the Secure Folder without forcing you to did through settings menus, but also shuts down the apps you\u2019ve moved there and silences their notifications. Considering this is where Samsung encourages us to keep our most sensitive stuff, a super-quick way to just sweep it all under the rug feels like a completely on-brand addition.\u201d<\/p>\n This should completely change how you use Android and think about carving out data and apps that are for you and you alone. Once live, if this is a seamless and polished as promised, it\u2019s something other phones \u2014 including iPhone \u2014 should copy.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there\u2019s encouraging news for Samsung users who have just received One UI 7 and Android 15 after those long delays and will now be asking when One UI 8, Android 16 and the latest Secure Folder update will make it onto their phones.<\/p>\n Galaxy\u2019s new \u2018kill switch\u2019<\/p>\n Android Authority<\/p>\n Per SammyFans<\/a>, \u201cthe company is targeting an ambitious summer 2025 stable release timeline, potentially arriving as early as July, months ahead of Samsung\u2019s traditional fall update schedule. This accelerated development cycle aligns with Google\u2019s earlier-than-usual Android 16 launch, expected in June 2025, placing Samsung among the first manufacturers to deliver the latest Android experience to users.\u201d<\/p>\n Android 16 brings a new level of security to phones, with Google\u2019s new Advanced Data Mode shutting down many of its vulnerabilities, such as sideloaded apps and higher-risk network connections. This is now in beta on Pixels and is expected to come to Samsungs as well, albeit Galaxy phones are already better locked down than Pixels.<\/p>\n Samsung and Google have been at pains to stress the collaboration between the two companies as they accelerate the process of pushing One UI 8 out to users. This is unsurprising. One UI 7\u2019s delays leading to a six-month-plus gap between Pixel owners and Galaxy owners was a disaster no one wants to see again.<\/p>\n \u201cBy prioritizing speed, stability, and innovation,\u201d SammyFans says, \u201cSamsung signals it\u2019s done playing catch-up. For Samsung, One UI 8 represents not just a software update but a strategic repositioning that could redefine Galaxy users\u2019 expectations for future releases.\u201d It\u2019s now down to what actually happens over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n As for which phones will likely get the upgrade, SammyFans<\/a> suggests the following:<\/p>\n The website also suggests that while \u201cmid-range models like the Galaxy A55 and A35 may also qualify under the four-year policy,\u201d it\u2019s less clear whether \u201colder devices like the Galaxy S21 series\u201d will sneaky in or miss out. Some of this will depend on exactly when the OS upgrade arrives, before or after the four-year support term expires.<\/p>\n For those Galaxy users eager to try the beta for themselves as part of Samsung\u2019s more expedient, seamless process, there may already an issue. As reported by 9to5Google<\/a>, \u201cthe first One UI 8 beta opened to Galaxy S25 users just two days ago, but Samsung says the program is already full in the U.S. and has closed sign-ups for new users.\u201d To say this all happened quickly would be an understatement, \u201cthe One UI 8 beta opened on the morning of May 28, and was already closed as of the evening of May 29.\u201d<\/p>\n I say \u201cmay,\u201d because it\u2019s not entirely clear if this is the case. Some users have suggested they were able to join the beta even after reports it was closed first appeared. Confusion became the watch word for One UI 7\u2019s beta and release, so users should be used to this.<\/p>\n ForbesMicrosoft Confirms Password Deletion\u2014Now Just 8 Weeks AwayBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n\n