With the presentation of the series Samsung Galaxy S23 we have discovered one of its main novelties, namely the One UI 5.1. Not just hardware improvements, including Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips customized, a more efficient one 200 MP camera and the controversial ones limitations of basic S23. Like every new flagship release, even the new top of the range from Samsung bring with them a renewed version of the software, of which we now know all the news.
Here are the news of One UI 5.1, debuting with the Samsung Galaxy S23 series
All the news
Although it is not a major update, still based on Android 13 like One UI 5.0, that of One UI 5.1 is a rather large list of innovations that touch various aspects. What Samsung has focused the most on is the ecosystem improvement: with Samsung Multi Control you can communicate more effectively between smartphones, tablets and PCs to copy/paste files and share web history, but also use the Galaxy Book trackpad and keyboard on smartphones and the tablet as a second PC screen.
For its camera-focused flagships, Samsung has finally integrated the app RAW Expert within the photo app for quicker access. In this way, users can take RAW photos without compression and with Auto Share automatically send them to the PC for post-production. If, on the other hand, you prefer to edit from a smartphone, Samsung has announced the integration of Adobe Lightroom in the Expert RAW app (both on smartphone and PC) to have professional calibration tools.
Speaking of collaborations, the one with Big G means not only that the S Pen is more compatible with the Google app, but also that you can use the Notes app to edit documents in a video call on Google Meet.
With the One UI 5.1 there are also news for the block screen, now further customizable thanks to the additional options that we already found in the Good Lock suites. The widgets also change, to which you can add personalized stickers created from your photos, with the addition of the Smart Suggestions widget which studies the use of the smartphone and consequently advises the user on what to do during the day. There are also news for the home automation: for example, with a simple click the Cinema mode prepares the living room for watching a film; more generally, thanks to Mode and Routine you can set different wallpapers, ringtones, etc. based on the activity in progress
The has also been added Maintenance mode, which the user can activate before sending the smartphone for assistance and prevent anyone from accessing their private data. Finally, there would also be Bixby Text Call, with which the Samsung assistant is able to automatically answer calls for you and convert the conversation into text form; however, it is only compatible in English and Korean.
Which models will update
The launch of the One UI 5.1 update took place with the Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra series, which have the new firmware pre-installed from the factory. Apart from the new top of the range, an official roadmap has not yet been released, but in this article find a list calculated on the basis of the update policy that Samsung usually follows. According to what was leaked, here are what should be the first models to receive it:
- Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, S21, S21+, S21 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20, Note 20 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Fold 3, Z Fold 2
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, Z Flip 3, Z Flip 5G
Complete changelog
- Room and Gallery
- Quickly change the color tone of selfies
Changing the color tone of your selfies is now easier using the Effects button at the top of the screen. - Discover Expert RAW
Expert RAW allows you to take high-quality photos and is perfect for those who want to take full control and edit photos later. Now accessing Expert RAW is easier, directly from the More menu in Camera.
- Create a shared family album
With Shared Family Album, sharing photos with your family members is easier than ever. Gallery will recommend photos to add to the shared family album by recognizing the faces of your family members in the photos. - Greater versatility
Processing automatically removes shadows and reflections to make your photos look great. It also applies to GIFs, which gain in resolution and clarity. - Information screen revamped
With a swipe up while viewing an image or video in the gallery, you can see where and when the image was taken, on which device, where it is stored and more. - More powerful search
You can now search for more than one person or subject in your Gallery at the same time. You can even search for people without tagging their name, just by tapping on their faces. - Choose where to save your screenshots and screen recordings
You can save screenshots and screen recordings in a folder of your choice, with the appropriate entry in advanced features.
- Quickly change the color tone of selfies
- AR Zones and AR Emojis
- Use up to 3 emojis in AR Emoji Camera
Take fun photos and videos with friends (up to 3) in Mask mode. You can replace your friends' faces with other characters by tapping on the emoji. - AR Doodles layout and editing improvements
Brushes now available on the AR Doodle home screen for faster access. You can also resize and move drawings even after they've been created, and the new Eraser tool lets you erase even areas of drawings without erasing them completely.
- Use up to 3 emojis in AR Emoji Camera
- widget
- Check the battery level from your devices
The new widget lets you check the battery level of your Galaxy devices. Directly from the home screen you can check the remaining level of smartphones, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch and other supported devices. - Intuitive weather widget
The new style of illustrations and the summary of current weather conditions make it easier for you to know the weather conditions, whether it is sunny, cloudy, raining or snowing.
- Check the battery level from your devices
- Modes and Routines
- Change the background according to the mode
Set different wallpapers for the lock screen and home screen according to your activities. Choose a background for work, one for training, and so on. - More actions for Routines
Trigger automatic actions when you turn on Airplane Mode or Mobile Hotspot. Actions can now open some apps, change left/right audio balance, and more. New Actions let you control Quick Share and touch sensitivity, as well as change the ringtone or font font.
- Change the background according to the mode
- Connectivity
- Collaboration in Samsung Notes
Create a shared note that more than one person can edit at the same time. Write a report with colleagues, take notes for a group study, or draw a drawing with a friend. The possibilities are endless. - It's easier to invite to App Shares
Now you can more easily invite people to shared albums, notes and calendars using a link that can be sent via messenger, email and social apps. - Advanced multiple controls between Galaxy Book and smartphone
Now you can use your Galaxy Book's mouse, keyboard or trackpad with not only your Galaxy tablet but also with your Galaxy smartphone. You can easily copy and paste text or drag and drop images from one device to another as if you were doing it within the same device. - Media output for Wi-Fi speakers
If you want to continue listening to music on Wi-Fi speakers via Spotify Connect or Chromecast built-in, just open Media Output from the Quick Access Toolbar, not from the streaming app. - Continue browsing on your PC
If you navigate through Samsung Internet on your smartphone and then move to your PC, you can easily find the sites you have opened on your smartphone and continue browsing using your PC browser.
- Collaboration in Samsung Notes
- multitasking
- Minimize windows or switch to full screen mode more easily
- Now you can minimize or full screen an application window without going to the Options menu. Just drag one of the corners.
- Access your most used applications in split screen
- When you launch split screen, the apps you use most often will be shown among the recently used apps to help you find them faster
- Access your most used applications in split screen
- Now you can minimize or full screen an application window without going to the Options menu. Just drag one of the corners.
- Minimize windows or switch to full screen mode more easily
- Samsung DeX
- Improved multitasking in DeX
In split screen mode you can drag the divider in the center of the screen to resize both windows. You can also dock a window to one of the corners to make it occupy a quarter of the screen.
- Improved multitasking in DeX
- Settings
- Settings tips
Tips now appear at the top of the settings section, letting you discover cool features to try or which sections need attention.
- Settings tips
- Samsung Internet
- Improved search
Now you can filter bookmarks by folder names or tabs by group name. Improved search logic lets you find what you're looking for even if something is misspelled.
- Improved search
- Setup Wizard
- It's now easier and faster to set up a Galaxy for the first time
When switching from a Galaxy or other Android to a new Galaxy, just scan the QR code on your old device to automatically transfer known Wi-Fi networks, Samsung or Google accounts to your new device without typing anything.
- It's now easier and faster to set up a Galaxy for the first time
- weather
- Detailed weather information at a glance
Useful weather information is now shown on the Weather app home screen. You can check severe weather alerts, daily bulletins, precipitation and temperature graph.
- Detailed weather information at a glance
- Further changes
- Spotify tips
The smart recommendations widget now recommends tracks and playlists from Spotify based on your current activity. Get the perfect tunes for driving, training and more. You must be signed in to a Spotify account using the latest version of the Spotify app to receive tips.
- Spotify tips
