10 One UI 9 Life Hacks Every Samsung Galaxy User Should Know
Samsung is rolling out a major One UI 9 update based on Android 17. If you have one of the Galaxy S26 smartphones released earlier this year, you’ll see it on your device soon (it was pre-installed on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8, which were unveiled in July ).
Following the Galaxy S26, the following phones will receive the update: the Galaxy S25, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7—although Samsung hasn’t yet announced a specific software release date for these devices. After that, One UI 9 should be available for phones released as early as 2023, including the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5.
If you have a compatible phone, you should start taking advantage of all the update’s features as soon as possible. These 10 tips will help you get started quickly. From improving your device’s security to creating your own widgets, these are my favorite tricks and tips for the updated OS.
Reduce the time spent browsing negative news online with AI Network Guard.
The AI Network Guard feature in One UI 9 disables the internet connection when opening an app you’ve added to a specific blocked app list. It’s designed to prevent children from encountering inappropriate content, but it’s also great for limiting adults’ endless scrolling through the news feed.
Finding this feature isn’t easy—it’s in the same hidden menu as Samsung’s Wi-Fi signal scanner (why Samsung hides it remains a mystery). In Settings, tap Connections & Wi-Fi , then tap the three dots in the upper-right corner and select Smart Wi-Fi . On the next screen, tap the Smart Wi-Fi button seven times to open a new option called Connection Lab .
Go to Connectivity Labs, and you’ll finally find AI Network Guard . Follow the instructions to set a PIN, after which you can select the apps you want to block from accessing the internet. Use the “Downtime” feature (the three dots in the upper right corner) to set specific times of day when these apps can be used normally.
Customize your phone’s menu by adjusting the keyboard shortcuts in the Quick Panel section.
One UI has always impressed with the number of customization options available, and the latest update adds a new feature. Swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel and then tapping the pencil-shaped edit button gives you more freedom to rearrange it. You’ve always been able to replace widgets, but now you can arrange them however you like (simply tap and drag) and resize them (using the handles on the edges). The sound button is also now separated from the volume slider, allowing you to control them independently. Tap “Add control” to add new elements, and tap ” Done” when finished.
Use My Fan Cam to highlight one person in your videos.
If you want to make a video featuring a specific person, the My FanCam app in One UI 9 has you covered. It lets you upload an existing video and create a new clip with a specific person in focus. An obvious use case is your child at a school play or sporting event, but you can use it for anything. However, My FanCam needs to be provided with enough footage and framing to work with—the app can’t magically create new angles or clips out of thin air.
To get started, open the video in the Gallery app, then tap the Galaxy AI button (stars) and select “My Fan Cam.” After a few moments, you’ll be able to select the person you want to follow and set the cropping and aspect ratio.
Create your own “At a Glance” cards to receive more relevant alerts.
The Samsung Now Brief app is designed to provide you with timely alerts throughout the day about important information—like weather updates or meeting reminders—and in One UI 9, you can make it even more useful by creating custom cards. In Settings, tap Galaxy AI > Now Brief , then select Custom Cards . You can have up to three cards active at once, covering weather information, health stats, or specific categories of videos found online.
Reduce car sickness with the Motion Assist system.
Google has finally developed a feature to complement the Vehicle Motion Cues motion sickness mitigation feature Apple added to iOS last year. This feature is called Motion Assist. It was introduced as part of the Android 17 update, and Samsung has backed it up with its One UI 9 update.
To find this feature, open Settings, then select Google Services > All Services > Motion Assistance . In addition to turning the feature on and off, you can adjust the color, shape, and transparency of the dots that move across the screen as you move, which (hopefully) will help prevent nausea.
Liven up your interface with Motion Photo style wallpapers.
Enhance your wallpaper by setting your phone background to “Animated Photos” instead of a static image. These images are accompanied by short videos that appear for about a second before and after each shot. To enable this feature, tap the “A” icon inside a rectangle in the Camera app.
In One UI 9, you can set these animated photos as wallpapers to add a dynamic and interesting touch. Setting wallpapers remains the same: “Wallpaper & Style,” then “Change Wallpaper” > “Gallery” in Settings. You should see an option for “Animated Photos” in the list of compatible images.
Speed up your phone searches by adding the Finder app to your home screen.
Finder is the search tool built into One UI, and traditionally it was accessible at the top or bottom of the app drawer that appears when you swipe up on the home screen. You simply type the name of the app or file you want to find on your phone. One of the nice new features introduced in One UI 9 is the ability to place Finder on the home screen for easier access. Open Settings, then select Home Screen > Show Finder on Home Screen to enable this feature.
Keep track of what your AI assistants are doing.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into our phones, and Galaxy smartphones are no exception: your device may have several third-party AI apps installed, alongside the built-in Galaxy AI features. One UI 9 introduces a new “AI Assistant Activity” dashboard that lets you monitor the actions of AI apps and their agents on your phone, from booking concert tickets to analyzing photos. You can see everything that’s happened in one place. The dashboard is located in Settings, where you need to go to “Security & Privacy” > “AI Assistant Activity.” Any actions taken by AI on your behalf can be viewed by app, filtered by activity in the last seven days or the last 24 hours.
Learn faster by overlaying notes on your Samsung Notes screen.
It might not be the flashiest update to One UI 9 that will garner much attention, but it’s nonetheless useful: Samsung Notes now has a “Ribbon” tool that works exactly as its name suggests: it lets you overlay a small digital “pattern” on part of your note. You can use this as a repetition aid, as an embellishment for scrapbooking or journaling, or to protect sensitive information when sharing screenshots of your notes. You’ll find it in the bottom toolbar when a note is open (the icon looks like a piece of ribbon). You can choose different colors and patterns for the ribbon, change the size, and even set the app to automatically align the ribbon. Use the ribbon icon in the tool’s pop-up window to show or hide your entire ribbon.
Run diagnostics to identify potential issues from the new Warranty & Service menu.
Hopefully you won’t need to use this tip too often, but there’s a new “Warranty & Service” section in Settings that combines several existing features and adds new ones. Here, you can sign up for Samsung Care+, check if your phone is still under warranty, order a repair, or run a phone diagnostic. You can even ask Bixby for troubleshooting tips and tricks.