One UI 8.5 Beta Changelog Reveals AI, Bixby, and Health Upgrades for Galaxy S24
Samsung is preparing to roll out the first beta version of One UI 8.5, based on Android 16 QPR2, for the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra. While the beta program itself has not yet officially launched, the detailed changelog has surfaced, offering a comprehensive look at the new features and refinements users can expect. This update focuses heavily on enhancing Galaxy AI capabilities, making Bixby more intuitive, and expanding health and connectivity tools.
Galaxy AI and Bixby Get Smarter
The update brings significant improvements to Samsung's AI ecosystem. For Galaxy AI, the Photo Assist feature now supports continuous image generation, allowing users to create multiple AI images without saving each iteration, then review all creations in a history to select favorites. Bixby receives a substantial upgrade in natural language understanding for smarter device control, enabling users to phrase requests in their own words without exact commands. It also gains an "ask anything" feature for instant answers and a new side panel in the Bixby app to access conversation history easily.
Enhanced Connectivity and Sharing
Connectivity features see notable additions. Storage Share allows files from other Samsung phones, tablets, and PCs to appear in the My Files app, with reciprocal access from the phone to other devices, including TVs. A new Home screen shortcut enables faster connection to Smart View devices for screen mirroring. Auracast features are consolidated into a single Audio broadcast menu in Settings for easier management. Quick Share gains privacy controls to limit file reception to devices signed into the user's Samsung or Google account and can now suggest photo sharing by recognizing people in pictures.
Health, Personalization, and System Refinements
Samsung Health is bolstered with enhanced weekly reports that include medication tracker and mindfulness data, an upgraded sharing experience for workouts with photos, and the ability to start meditations directly from a Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch8 and Watch Ultra can also measure antioxidant levels independently. Personalization updates include automatic Lock screen layout adjustment for photos of people or pets, more customizable clock fonts, and a Weather widget that shows precipitation graphs. The Clock app adds weather alarm backgrounds and a time zone converter slider. Battery settings are revamped for clearer usage stats, and Power Saving offers Standard and Maximum modes. Security features like Theft Protection and Auto Blocker receive refinements, and Accessibility improvements include easier Bluetooth hearing aid controls.
Conclusion
The One UI 8.5 beta changelog for the Galaxy S24 series outlines a feature-rich update that deepens integration of AI, enhances core apps like Bixby and Samsung Health, and refines system utilities for better user control and privacy. While still in beta, these changes suggest Samsung is focusing on making its software more intuitive, connected, and health-conscious. Users enrolled in the upcoming beta program will be among the first to test these advancements ahead of a stable public release.