- One UI unifies intuitive design and maximum customization, integrating artificial intelligence and exclusive features to enhance the experience on Galaxy phones, tablets, and wearables.
- Samsung's layer stands out for its stability, speed of updates, and compatibility with an increasingly broad ecosystem of devices.
- Features like Galaxy AI, advanced automation, AI-powered media editing, and long-term support make One UI a benchmark in the Android landscape.
One UI is the user interface developed by Samsung Electronics , designed for its Galaxy devices such as phones, tablets, smartwatches, and soon other products in the ecosystem like TVs, monitors, and home appliances. This customization layer on top of Android has revolutionized the user experience, putting it at the forefront in terms of design, functionality, personalization, AI integration, and compatibility with a vast array of devices. Since its initial release, One UI has continuously evolved to adapt to new technological trends and the demands of all types of users, from developers to individuals seeking simplicity and accessibility.
What is One UI and what is its purpose?
One UI represents Samsung's vision to deliver an intuitive, modern, and consistent experience across all Galaxy devices. It's based on the concept that today's phones and tablets, with their increasingly larger screens, require a user-friendly interface that facilitates one-handed operation and provides quick access to frequently used functions.
Its development stems from the need to harmonize hardware and software to create a more natural and engaging experience. One UI's design approach is based on placing important, controllable elements at the bottom of the screen, easily accessible with the thumb, while secondary information (headers, information panels) is positioned at the top. This allows for one-handed operation, even on large phones.
Key design features of One UI:
- Visual minimalism: Use of soft colors, well-defined spaces, and absence of information saturation.
- Hierarchy: Panels with main actions below and informative sections above.
- Full compatibility: Available on most Samsung phones, tablets, foldables, wearables, and coming soon to TVs and more.
- Maximum customization: Themes, icons, backgrounds, animations and advanced settings to suit the user's taste.
- Focus on accessibility for people with disabilities or special needs.
History and evolution of One UI: from TouchWiz to AI integration
Samsung began its journey into Android customization with TouchWiz, an interface that defined an era but was heavily criticized for its excessive features, cluttered design, and resource consumption. The arrival of Samsung Experience was a step forward, but the true revolution came with One UI , an interface that has positioned Samsung as a global leader in Android user experience.
One UI Timeline and Major Releases
- TouchWiz (2009-2017): Foundation layer with significant performance shortcomings. Too colorful, over-saturated, and with pre-installed apps.
- Samsung Experience (2017-2018): Improved fluidity and design, but still far from the desired simplicity and cleanliness.
- One UI 1.0: Presented as the successor to TouchWiz and Experience, based on Android Pie, it introduces layered organization, dark mode, gesture navigation, and a much clearer and more unified experience.
- One UI 2.x: Based on Android 10, it refines gestures, digital wellbeing, a native screen recorder and support for Android Auto, a dynamic lock panel, and advanced privacy features.
- One UI 3.x: Based on Android 11, revamped widgets, improved multitasking, a translucent notification panel, floating volume controls, smoother animations, gallery improvements, and advanced camera features.
- One UI 4.x: Based on Android 12. Enter the game Material you (automatic theme color adjustment based on wallpaper), new privacy options with notifications, redesigned control panels, and greater integration with the Samsung ecosystem.
- One UI 5.x: Based on Android 13. More customization options, iOS-inspired lock screen, redesigned icons and widgets, extended Material You support, advanced RAM management, and improvements to gallery, camera, and multitasking.
- One UI 6.x: Based on Android 14. Completely revamped Quick Settings, advanced gallery editing, smoother animations, generative AI support for photo and video editing, summary features, and AI translation.
- One UI 6.1: It marks the arrival of Galaxy AI with native AI integration into translations, automatic summarization, image editing, transcriptions, Google Circle to Search, and much more.
- One UI 7.x: (Based on Android 15) Introduces Now Bar (real-time notifications and smart summary), even more customization options, refined system animations, full integration with the Galaxy ecosystem, expansion of Good Lock, better use of AI, and support for seven years of updates.
Each version has represented a qualitative leap in design, functionality, and efficiency, adapting to the most demanding needs of the Android community. Samsung has managed to differentiate itself thanks to its commitment to frequent updates and the integration of features that have won awards for their real-world utility.
Key One UI features that make the difference
- Minimalist and fluid design: A clean, modern, and visually uncluttered interface, with large headers and lower-level main controls. The goal is to make it easier to use on larger phones and enhance visibility and comfort.
- Advanced customization without limits: One UI lets you customize themes, icons, backgrounds, transitions, desktop organization, and the app drawer. Thanks to Good Lock, users can completely redefine the visual and functional experience, choosing everything from animations to gestures.
- Enhanced Multitasking: Support for split screen, floating windows, multi-window on foldable devices, customizable Edge Panel sidebar for quick access to apps and tools, and support for connecting your phone to a PC (Samsung DeX).
- Advanced Dark Mode: Automatically adapts colors and brightness across the entire interface for better eye comfort and energy savings, especially on AMOLED displays.
- Accessibility and inclusion tools: Extensive options for users with disabilities: screen readers, enlarged text, increased contrast, automatic subtitles, voice guidance, and full support for assistive devices.
- Automation and smart routines: Modes and Routines allows you to program actions according to the scenario: activate WiFi/Bluetooth, change sound, customize notifications, run apps, control elements of the linked smartwatch and much more based on time, location or specific situation.
- Optimized notifications and quick settings: Redesigned panel for quick access to essential controls, adjusting brightness, connectivity, airplane mode, and more in just two taps. Gesture sorting streamlines the experience.
Exclusive features you only find in One UI
- Samsung DeX: Turn your phone or tablet into a desktop computer by connecting it to an external monitor, enabling advanced multitasking and the use of apps in separate windows.
- Bixby and full automation: Samsung's assistant allows you to perform voice actions, respond to messages, schedule tasks, and control connected home devices (SmartThings).
- Secure Folder: Protected space with encryption and biometric control for confidential data, apps, and files.
- Good Lock and modules: An app for deeply customizing interface elements, from gestures to the Edge panel, app organization, system colors, and much more. With the latest version, it can even be downloaded from Google Play and is available in almost all regions.
- Edge Bar: Quick and customizable access to apps, tools, contacts, calculator, calendars, and app combos to open two or more simultaneously.
What's new in One UI for artificial intelligence and multimedia editing?
The latest versions have focused on integrating artificial intelligence at all levels. You can learn more about how to delete objects with AI in the latest One UI update and enhance your multimedia experience.
- Galaxy AI: It enables real-time translation of calls and chats, instant transcription in more than 20 languages, automatic summaries in the browser and Notes app, predictive text generation based on the tone of the conversation, and web page summaries.
- Circle to Search: In collaboration with Google, circle an element in any screenshot or app, and AI will instantly identify it and search for relevant information.
- Generative photo and video editing: Gallery tools and built-in editor allow you to crop, zoom, delete, move objects, add effects, and fill in empty spaces with AI. The feature AI Clipping Cut out parts of an image to create stickers or insert objects into other apps.
- Translation of chats and content: The Samsung keyboard includes a Galaxy AI button to translate conversations in apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or Telegram, and downloads language packs as needed.
- Summary of extensive contents: From your mobile browser and Notes app, you can generate automatic summaries of long texts, websites, and voice files.
- Smart Wallpapers: AI-powered fund generation that adapts to your tastes, context, and device usage.
New features highlighted in One UI 7
- Good Lock Expansion: Now available for download from the Google Play Store, with global support. Each module is more powerful, allowing you to customize gestures, Edge panels, and animations. You can learn how to better manage these features at What's new in Galaxy Watch.
- Revamped camera app: Simplified menus with all important controls located at the bottom. Quickly accessible photo/video modes and advanced settings hidden in pop-up menus for speed and clarity.
- Vertical and horizontal app drawer: The launcher allows you to choose the layout according to your preference, something unique among major Android manufacturers.
- Now Bar and Now Brief: A bottom bar on the lock screen and Always On Display feature live notifications, AI summaries, music, routes, health information, and ongoing activities. It lets you switch between activities and access expanded controls instantly, reducing the need to unlock your phone for any action.
- Smoother animations: The system now features smoother, more consistent transitions for every interaction, providing a sense of cohesion and premium quality.
- Redesigned Quick Settings Panel: Split notification panels and quick settings, accessible from different areas of the screen. Fully customizable: you can choose which buttons appear and move them as you like. Volume control bar accessible on the panel for one-handed operation.
- Deep integration with Gemini and Google: Direct access to Gemini from the power button, and use of extensions in Samsung ecosystem apps such as Notes, Calendar, Reminders, and Clock.
- Advanced automation in wearables: Modes and routines can control advanced smartwatch features, such as Always On Display, sound, alarms, and responding to detected activity (e.g., silencing notifications while sleeping).
Thanks to its constant evolution, AI integration, advanced customization options , and support for the entire Galaxy ecosystem, One UI has become the absolute benchmark for Android user experience. Whether you're a demanding user or simply looking for maximum simplicity and accessibility, One UI is the interface that sets the standard in the mobile world and beyond. Its future, reinforced by a commitment to updates and its availability on new devices, ensures a modern, secure experience that meets any current or future technological need.
