Everything to know about the Android skin

Android launchers offer limitless customization. They provide the interface hosting your home and apps screens while letting you organize their appearance and behavior. If you use a Google Pixel device, you have a near-stock version of Android. Since Android’s source code is open source, many manufacturers tweak the OS with their launchers and throw in apps you don’t find in the basic system.

Samsung’s One UI is among the popular ones, primarily because the Korean tech giant is the second best-selling brand worldwide. It’s a custom Android skin for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. It provides one-handed operation, improved accessibility, and efficient power usage, among other features. If you own a mid-range or flagship device, the skin is pre-installed. This article explains what One UI is and how it evolved over the years.

What is Samsung One UI?

One UI is a personalized launcher that Samsung designed for its Galaxy phones and tablets. It offers more design options than Google’s stock Android version. You can change your device’s themes and app icons and rearrange your home or apps screen layout to your satisfaction.

The launcher also makes it easier to navigate through your phone, considering how large Samsung mobile devices are. The UI shifts key details to the middle and bottom of the screen so that you can interact with them using one hand. This way, you don’t strain your fingers when scrolling or tapping.

Samsung also pre-installs its apps and services, such as Samsung Health, the Bixby virtual assistant, Phone, and Messages. You may consider many of these apps as bloatware and wish to remove them permanently. Samsung doesn’t let you do that unless you root your device. The best you can do without compromising the device is to deactivate unnecessary apps.

A brief history of Samsung One UI

Samsung’s software has come a long way since the early TouchWiz and Samsung Experience days. TouchWiz was colorful and was on Samsung devices before the company launched the first Galaxy S smartphone. It kept many of its pre-Android elements, and the company improved it with subsequent updates. However, many users criticized TouchWiz for its cluttered design and slow performance.

Samsung overhauled the user interface with a more minimal approach. This move brought Samsung Experience. The software matched the launch of the Galaxy S8, with a taller display and no center button. Although Samsung Experience’s design was more streamlined than TouchWiz, it still suffered from bloating and stuttering.

In December 2018, the company returned to the drawing board and developed One UI. It was a departure from its predecessors, featuring a polished interface. With smartphones getting larger, the software paid attention to one-handed use, a design element Google recently introduced to the Pixel UI.

Since its debut, One UI has continued to evolve, with Samsung regularly making changes and adding better functionality. Like most software, One UI gets its share of bugs. Samsung listens to customers and is committed to refining its user experience. Here’s how its famous launcher has evolved since its release.

One UI 1.0

The first version of Samsung’s software skin appeared in December 2018 and overlaid on the Android 9 Pie Operating System (OS). The company updated the Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, and Note 9 with it. Later, it was pre-installed as One UI 1.1. on the Galaxy S10 and A series, including the Z Fold.

Like Android 9, One UI brought several features that have become popular in the industry. For example, it came with Dark mode, refined Always-On Display, support for remapping the Bixby button, and gesture navigation.

Although One UI 1.1 was a minor software update, it optimized device cameras, performance, and fingerprint and facial recognition. Subsequently, Samsung released One UI 1.5 and pre-installed it on the Galaxy Note 10. It provided Link to Windows support following the company’s partnership with Microsoft.

One UI 2.0

Samsung launched the stable version of One UI 2.0 based on Android 10 on November 28, 2019. The software rolled out to the Galaxy Note 9, Note 10, S9, and S10 series. It also came pre-installed on the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite. Incremental versions, such as One UI 2.1, launched with the S20 series, while version 2.5 came with the Galaxy Note 20, Z Fold 2, and S20 FE devices.

One UI 2.0 introduced enhanced Dark Mode, a built-in screen recorder, a Trash folder within the Files app, and Dynamic Lock screen, which changes your lock screen wallpaper every time you turn on your display. One UI 2.1 took things further with Quick Share and additional camera modes. One UI 2.5 wasn’t particularly feature-packed but introduced DeX, Samsung’s tool for mirroring your device on a PC or compatible TV.

One UI 3.0

The third major version of Samsung’s custom skin was based on Android 11, and it came out in December 2020. Galaxy S20 devices were the first to get it, with others following between January and August 2021. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 came pre-installed with the updated One UI 3.1. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 came with One UI 3.1.1.

One UI 3.0 introduced a translucent notification panel and Samsung Free, the company’s version of Google Discover. It enhanced the animations and transitions throughout the software and redesigned the home screen widgets. One UI 3.1 had no notable UI changes but improved the camera touch auto-focus and auto-exposure control, among other camera-specific additions.

One UI 4.0

One UI 4.0, based on Android 12, was released publicly in November 2021 and rolled out to the Galaxy S21 and several older devices between December 2021 and August 2022. Like Android 10, One UI 4.0 focused on customization and privacy with improved haptic feedback, rounded widgets, and enhanced location features.

While it was pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, and Galaxy Tab S8, One UI 4.1 introduced a redesigned palette picker, Night Mode portraits, and a smarter calendar. The calendar detects dates and times in messages so that you can add events quickly. In addition, the company released a target-geared One UI 4.1.1 based on Android 12L for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, Tab S6, Tab S7, and Tab S8 series.

One UI 5.0

Samsung publicly released One UI 5 based on Android 13 on October 24, 2022. The stable version of the software quickly arrived on the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra. One UI 5 came with deeper Material You integration, allowing for color palette changes that applied to all aspects of the UI.

There’s also a better theming engine with support for more colors, improved widget stacking, and the ability to add multiple users, including a guest profile, to your device (a feature Android has supported for ages). There are a couple more recent improvements in One UI 5 that you may find interesting.

One UI 5.1 debuted on the Galaxy S22 and Z Fold 4 as updates and launched with the S23 series out of the box. Although it seems like an incremental update, One UI 5.1 has several tricks, including a smarter gallery, a new battery widget, and expert RAW integration, among other current features. Users call it the most “buttery smooth” version of Samsung’s skin.

One UI 6.0

One UI 6 is Samsung’s latest launcher version, and it’s rolling out with the Android 14 update. The company released a beta version for the S23 series in August 2023 and a stable build in late October. The UI brings camera widgets to your home screen, something you couldn’t do before the update. You can add a specific camera mode, whether Pro, Video, or Night, and instantly create shots.

You can also switch between resolutions within the app with one tap. Flagships reaching 200MP may still need to tap twice. One tap displays your choices, and the second tap selects your preferred resolution. The Quick settings layout also changed and offers a simple arrangement for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplane modes, among other toggles. Your lock screen isn’t exempt from the customization. You can now move the clock around. It also added fonts and designs.

Another cool feature is Auto blocker, which restricts third-party apps, images within messages, and malicious USB cables from commanding your device when connected. You may wonder when a One UI 6 update notification will appear on your screen. It’s not long from now, as Samsung’s roll-out schedule indicates that the release should wrap up in December. Before then, check the schedule to know if your device is eligible for the update.

Use your Samsung phone to the fullest

Most Android phones are comparable in hardware. They have similar processors, storage options, cameras, and more. What differentiates them is the software, with varying animation, customization, and camera features. One UI brings a fresh user experience to Samsung smartphones and adds diversity to the Android ecosystem as a whole.

If you upgraded your Galaxy devices to the latest version, set up your home and lock screens and take advantage of the features.