Samsung’s One UI is one of the most polished Android skins, and the Android 15-based One UI 7 brings even more refinements — it is currently only available for the Galaxy S25 series but will soon roll out to other models. However, there’s always room for improvement. As the company starts working on One UI 8, based on Android 16, here are some features we’d love to see in the next update.
Features we’d love to see Samsung add to One UI 8
One UI offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor their Galaxy phones to their liking. Samsung’s Android skin is also packed with features, making it one of the most versatile in the industry. However, there are still areas where One UI falls short. After using phones from various brands, we’ve found the following features that would make a great addition to One UI 8.
Lock Screen Depth Effect
Samsung already offers impressive customization options for the lock screen, with Good Lock’s LockStar unlocking a whole new world of customizations. A depth effect — similar to what Apple provides — would take it to the next level. Imagine wallpapers where subjects subtly overlay the clock or notifications for a more dynamic and premium look.
Built-in App Locker
Samsung’s Android skin lacks a built-in app locker. There is Secure Folder, but it works differently. Instead of locking the main app, it creates a clone and locks it. Anything you do within the Secure Folder environment remains isolated there, separate from the main app. However, it still isn’t a full-fledged app locker. We wish Samsung added it to One UI 8.
Power Button Shortcut to Turn Off Torch
One UI 7 introduced new lock screen shortcuts, including the ability to turn on/off the torch. It is a lot more convenient than swiping down the Quick Panel and tapping the torch icon. Samsung could further enhance the user experience by allowing them to turn off the flashlight by long-pressing the power button. Or maybe at least let users tap those lockscreen shortcuts rather than swipe them.
More Good Lock Features Integrated into One UI
Samsung’s Good Lock is an excellent tool for advanced customization, but it still feels too separate from One UI. The company did close the gap with One UI, integrating Home Up into home screen settings. We’d like to see more of Good Lock’s powerful features — like LockStar and NavStar — built into One UI by default.
Reverse Motion Video Recording
It might sound like a wild fantasy, but we want One Ui 8 to introduce a Reverse Motion Video Recording feature. It will allow users to record videos that automatically play in reverse without requiring third-party apps or manual editing. This could be a fun and creative addition to Samsung’s camera suite, with slow-motion or hyperlapse effects making it more enjoyable.
Fully Customizable Quick Panel
With One UI 7, Samsung made it possible to relocate all Quick Panel elements. You can move the brightness and volume sliders up, bring the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth shortcuts down, and so on. However, Samsung doesn’t let you remove anything from the Quick Panel. Even if you don’t use SmartThings or Smart View, these shortcuts are always there. We wish Samsung let us remove buttons that we don’t need.
Bixby Text Call Replaced with Google Call Screen
Some of you may not like it, but we find Google’s Call Screen more seamless and versatile than Samsung’s Bixby Text Call. It is great at handling spam calls and screening unknown numbers with real-time transcription. A direct integration with Google Call Screen would be a massive upgrade and a welcome step toward deeper Google-Samsung collaboration.
Custom Fingerprint Animations
One UI lets users tweak their lock screen and always-on display, but fingerprint scanner animations remain the same. Adding custom animations — or at least more options — would bring a fun and personalized touch to unlocking your device.
Custom Charging Animations
We’d also like to see Samsung offer custom charging animations on One UI 8. The company did improve things a bit with One UI 7, but you still can’t customize charging animations. The current animation is too bland and lacks that extra fun element.
Internet Speed Indicator on the Status Bar
A real-time internet speed indicator on the status bar would let users instantly monitor their network speed without relying on third-party apps. It would be especially useful for checking download speeds, troubleshooting slow connections, and ensuring a stable experience while streaming or gaming. A toggle in the settings to enable or customize it would make it even more user-friendly.
Sort App Drawer by Usage
One UI 7 offers a vertical app drawer by default, with apps arranged alphabetically. However, if you switch to the traditional horizontal drawer, you can no longer sort apps alphabetically. Instead, you get a custom order. While you can manually arrange apps, it appears to be a massive oversight from Samsung.
Hopefully, One UI 8 will address this issue and introduce additional options to sort the app drawer. Samsung should introduce an option to sort apps by usage frequency. This would allow users to quickly access their most-used apps without manually arranging them.
These are some of the features we find useful and think would make Samsung’s One UI 8 update more enjoyable. If you have anything in mind, reach out to us on X or other social platforms.
