Galaxy S25 to receive Galaxy S26 AI features through One UI 8.5 after user backlash

Your Galaxy S25 is about to get the S26's best features for free

One UI 8.5 will deliver the upgrade, though there's no exact release date yet. After weeks of silence and growing frustration, Samsung finally did the right thing. A company representative has confirmed that the new Galaxy S26 AI features will also be available on your S25. Samsung released the Galaxy S26 series a few weeks ago with several new AI features like Call Screening, Agentic AI, Creative Studio, an improved Audio Eraser, and a smarter Bixby. It's no surprise that S25 owners started to wonder if they would be left out. Some S25 users shared their frustration on sites like Reddit about the delayed One UI 8.5 update and missing features for last year's models. Then, something unusual happened: Samsung listened. A company moderator posted on the Samsung Community forums that a software update is in the works, as shared by Tarun Vats on X. The main news is that advanced Galaxy AI features, including the AI-powered call screening first seen on the S26, are coming to the Galaxy S25 series. You'll get these features through One UI 8.5. Samsung hasn't shared an exact rollout date yet, but since the company confirmed this in its home market, US unlocked units and carrier versions should follow soon. There may be some regional delays, but the update is definitely coming. So, what features can you expect apart from call screening? Based on what's available on the S26, look for agentic AI improvements, Now Nudge, Notification Highlights, Enhanced Photo Assist, Audio Eraser, and a smarter, more integrated Bixby. For now, watch for announcements about the One UI 8.5 beta. If Samsung sticks to its usual schedule, the stable release should be available worldwide in a few months.

Samsung confirms call screening for Galaxy S25 range and more with One UI 8.5

I've been covering Android and other mobile technology for close to ten years now, with a specific interest in phone accessories, e-readers, and what makes each individual phone different from another. I delight in looking at the phone market from as many angles as possible, and while my opinions may be odd, at times, they're always from the heart as much as the head. I have a background in the mobile accessories world, which explains my odd enthusiasm for cases and things that clip onto smartphones. I worked for Digital Trends from 2017 to 2025. AI-powered call screening is one of the genuinely excellent AI features to come out of the chaos of the last few years, and when the Samsung Galaxy S26 range launched with access to the feature through One UI 8.5, nobody expected it to be alone for long. That expectation has turned out to be true, as a Samsung representative has confirmed call screening will be coming to a number of older Samsung Galaxy flagships, including the Galaxy S25 and Z foldables. The new feature will arrive with the upcoming One UI 8.5 release According to Galaxy Updates, Samsung has now confirmed the Samsung Galaxy S25 range, Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and the Galaxy TriFold will all get the call screening feature when One UI 8.5 lands on them. You can see the original post below, in Korean, as well as a translated version of the same post, provided by Google Translate. Close Interestingly, the post itself does not mention the other devices the Galaxy Updates claims will get call screening, only the Galaxy S25. We can only assume that this assumption was made because those other smartphones were due to get the update at the same time as the Galaxy S25 range. It's a fair assumption to make, but if call screening doesn't end up arriving on those foldables, then it's likely because they were not officially confirmed in the way the Galaxy S25 was. However, since the post does mention other models, it's still very likely those similarly aged flagships will be the devices getting the feature. This does raise the question of whether even older devices will get call screening or not. As a big fan of call screening, I would like to see it added to as many phones as possible, including much older and cheaper devices. In an age of spam calls, being able to answer a robot with a robot feels immensely satisfying, and I can only imagine how frustrating it is for the spam caller to get screened off in such a way. Subscribe for newsletter coverage of Samsung call-screening news Want clear coverage of Samsung's One UI features and which devices get call screening? Subscribe to our newsletter for focused reporting and analysis that explains feature availability, device compatibility, and what it means for users. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. One UI 8.5 is expected to come to the Galaxy S25 range, Z Fold 7 and Flip 7, and TriFold at some point this month, with the next wave of updates for older devices either coming close after, or in the following month. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that we see call screening on those phones too.

Some of Samsung's best new Galaxy S26 AI features are headed to the S25

Samsung is apparently not keeping all of the best new Galaxy AI tricks locked to the Galaxy S26 series. The company has confirmed that it is working on a software update that will bring over newer AI features that were first introduced on the latest flagship lineup. How Samsung's community backlash worked After the Galaxy S26 announcement, reports hinted that new software features on the Galaxy S26 wouldn't trickle down to the Galaxy S25 series, which led to backlash from the community. But a Samsung Community moderator post shared some good news. In the post, the moderator thanked users for their feedback. What's coming with the new update? The biggest confirmed addition so far is AI-powered call screening. Samsung specifically mentioned this feature in the moderator message. To recall, this feature debuted with One UI 8.5 on the Galaxy S26 series, and is now planned for the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra via a future update. So, the brand may have changed its decision following backlash from Galaxy S26 owners who were unhappy about the possibility of missing out on some of Samsung's latest AI tools. Recommended Videos Finer details of the big update are still at large, and Samsung hasn't published a final list of every Galaxy S26 AI feature that is coming to the S25 series yet. The company has promised "additional features and usability improvements" for the Galaxy S25 series, suggesting call screening may not be the only upgrade in the pipeline. The One UI 8.5 update is expected to arrive as the next major stable update, though Samsung hasn't announced a rollout date. But at least part of the Galaxy S26's AI packaging is heading to the Galaxy S25 models.