Samsung’s One UI does more than change the look of a Galaxy phone. It connects phones, tablets, watches and Windows PCs, adds control over sound and screen time, and builds security tools into the experience.
These features were tested on devices running this year’s One UI 9 and One UI 8.5. Not every Samsung phone will receive that software, but the features below are also available on One UI 8, which some older devices support. What makes them stand out? They turn separate devices into one connected system.
Five One UI features that change how Galaxy devices work
1. Multi Control connects your devices
Multi Control lets you connect one mouse and keyboard to multiple devices, then move those inputs between any combination of Galaxy devices and a Windows PC. You can control the native Android interface, type into text boxes on connected devices and drag files from one screen to another.
The biggest advantage is that a PC does not need to sit in the middle. Multi Control lets you share a mouse and keyboard between a phone and tablet without a PC in the mix, giving Samsung devices a connected workflow that feels closer to a desktop setup.
Until recently, Multi Control on PC worked only with Samsung computers such as Galaxy Books. As of this writing, Samsung has opened the functionality to any PC, expanding the feature beyond its own computer hardware.
2. Separate App Sound keeps audio in the right place
Samsung’s Separate App Sound solves a familiar problem: your phone is connected to your car’s Bluetooth, but you still want certain apps to use the phone’s own speaker. With this feature, you can route apps to specific outputs, sending TikTok and Instagram through the built-in speaker even when the car connection remains active.
To configure it, open Settings > Sounds and vibration > Separate app sound. You will pick an app and select its accompanying output device, giving you control over where different types of audio play.
3. Multi sound lets apps share audio
One UI also gives you more control over apps that compete for audio. Download Good Lock from the Galaxy Store, install the Sound Assistant module, then open the Multi sound setting to choose which apps can play audio at the same time as other apps.
You can also choose the All apps option. That prevents apps from pausing other apps’ audio across the system, pushing Android to handle sound more like a desktop operating system.
4. Samsung’s Digital Wellbeing tools go beyond screen time
Digital Wellbeing is Google’s built-in usage-tracking app, but Samsung Galaxy phones use their own version. Google requires Android manufacturers to include screen-time and parental-control tools at the top level of Settings, while allowing each manufacturer to use Google’s app or its own equivalent.
The feature shows a daily chart covering screen time, phone unlocks, notifications and the apps you use most. Tap an app to see how much time you spent in it that day, then set an app timer to cap daily usage. When the timer runs out, the icon dims and the app closes for the day before the timer resets at midnight.
Samsung adds comparisons between gaming, social media, productivity and finance apps. Its version can also track phone use while driving or walking, giving the usage report more context.
Bedtime mode fades the screen to grayscale and schedules Do Not Disturb. Focus mode pauses distracting apps and blocks their notifications. Work mode, handled through Modes and Routines, sets the phone to vibrate and turns on power saving.
You can set Work mode to activate during a time period, on selected week days or when you open a company message tool. You can also trigger it when you reach your office, but GPS must be turned on for that option. Other modes and routines can respond to time spent at the theater, driving, exercising, relaxing or gaming, and you can create your own.
5. One UI 9 adds protection against advanced threats
One UI 9 also includes features designed to protect phones against security threats and advanced malware. The available information does not describe each protection by name, but security is part of the software’s focus alongside device connections and user controls.
That combination matters because One UI is not just an interface. Samsung designed it as a software package covering everything from screenshot editing to weather apps, and the company has added more AI features over time. One UI began in 2018, with a design built around one-handed phone use that has adapted as Samsung’s phones grew larger.
What happens to One UI next?
Rumors have suggested that Samsung could rename its smartphone interface Galaxy OS. The speculation began on October 11, when the X user phonefuturist described the interface with that name, citing unnamed sources. Later, phonefuturist clarified that Galaxy OS was the term used by those sources.
Multiple publications then described Galaxy OS as a software package meant to replace One UI. Samsung has not officially denied the rumor, but no reporting has shown that the change is false either. The original source later said One UI was not being replaced and described the replacement claim as a translation error.
The rumor rests on vague sources, lacks official confirmation and has no deeper reporting to support it. Reports also linked it to another vague claim that One UI 10 would bring “significant changes,” which can make separate rumors look connected even when they are not.
Big changes remain possible, but One UI is in the middle of a rollout for One UI 9, which improves support for foldable phones and more device form factors and has been well received. Replacing the name would mean changing an ecosystem across Samsung’s phones and tablets while the current version is working well. If Galaxy OS ever becomes real, a rebrand of One UI looks more likely than a wholesale replacement.
The watch update leaves two older models behind
Samsung’s One UI 9 Watch update will not reach the Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, including limited editions such as the Galaxy Watch 4 Golf Edition and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Thom Browne Edition. Released in 2021, the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup already received four major OS upgrades: One UI Watch 4.5, One UI 5 Watch, One UI 6 Watch and One UI 8 Watch.
The Galaxy Watch 4 also marked Samsung’s move from Tizen OS to a custom-skinned Wear OS. While missing One UI 9 Watch will not affect performance, these watches will miss bug fixes, new features and security updates, and future app compatibility remains a question.
The Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and newer models will receive One UI 9 Watch by the end of 2026. The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 arrived in August with the operating system and five major OS upgrades, while their predecessors received four.
New watch features include a refined visual interface, wrist activation for an AI assistant, Daily Cardio Load and a Heart Health Score. The Galaxy Watch 9 also adds sleep apnea detection and skin temperature tracking. By comparison, the Pixel Watch 5 receives three years of guaranteed updates.
For Galaxy Watch 4 owners, an upgrade is one path forward, but an older watch can also become a dedicated sleep tracker, smart home dashboard or media remote. Samsung’s One UI story now stretches across phones, tablets, computers and watches, and that connected reach may matter more than any future name change.
Based on
- 5 Samsung One UI features you won’t get with other Android phones — engadget.com
- Samsung Probably Isn’t Rebranding One UI As Galaxy OS — engadget.com
- These Samsung Galaxy Watches Won’t Be Getting The New One UI Update — engadget.com
- The Built-In Android Phone App Most Users Never Bother To Use (But Should) — engadget.com
