No Horizontal Lock for Galaxy S25 Ultra? Here’s What We Know

Samsung introduced several new camera features with the Galaxy S26 Ultra (review). Among them, Horizontal Lock stands out as a headline feature, delivering dramatically improved stability during handheld video recording. While the capability extends across the entire S26 lineup, its availability on older flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains uncertain, even with the stable One UI 8.5 update.

Galaxy S25 Ultra could miss out on Samsung’s Horizontal Lock feature

Unlike traditional stabilization methods that primarily smooth out minor shakes, Horizontal Lock aims to keep the horizon perfectly aligned regardless of movement. Whether you tilt, spin, or rotate the phone fully, the recorded footage remains steady and level, essentially mimicking the effect of a physical gimbal. This is achieved through synchronized use of the phone’s gyro and acceleration sensors, as well as advanced software processing.

Shortly after the Galaxy S26 series hit the market, a Samsung community moderator hinted that the firm is exploring the possibility of bringing Horizontal Lock to older models, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, almost two months have passed, and there’s still no concrete update since then.

Samsung also did not include Horizontal Lock in the One UI 8.5 Beta builds for the S25 series, which is often a strong indicator of what will (and won’t) arrive in the stable release. The leaked changelog for the final update didn’t mention it either. By the looks of it, this feature may not arrive on older Samsung flagships due to hardware constraints. The feature relies on hardware-level integration, and it may be difficult to overcome.

Nonetheless, One UI 8.5 will bring several Galaxy S26 features to older devices. Call Screening, Document Scanner, improved LOG filming, and new portrait features are a few to name. Samsung is expected to begin rollout later this week, starting in Korea. Stay tuned for further updates.