Samsung's One UI 8.5 to Introduce AI-Powered Notification Summaries

Is Samsung bringing Apple-like AI notification summaries to Galaxy phones? Here's what we know

Apple-style notification summaries are coming to your Galaxy phone. First spotted by SamMobile in the latest One UI 8.5 firmware build for the S25 Ultra, Samsung is reportedly working on a feature that makes long notifications a little easier to read. The feature isn't fully functional, but it was there, indicating that Samsung is at least pretty far along in the process of implementing it. Also: An influencer's Samsung smart ring had a swollen battery - here's why (and how to prevent it) A screenshot of the feature in action shows a pop-up reading, "Your longer conversations can now be summarized to give you quick recaps." An explanation adds that the summaries use on-device AI, so your notifications are never sent to Google, and that mistakes are possible. The feature looks to be opt-in. A deeper dive into the settings menu showed that you can turn off notification summaries at any time, and you can even exclude certain apps. Want more stories about AI? Sign up for Innovation, our weekly newsletter. If this sounds familiar, Apple introduced a similar feature last year (let's hope it's more reliable than Apple's AI-powered news summaries, though, which ZDNET's Nina Raemont recommends turning off entirely). There was speculation earlier this year that Android was working on a similar feature (hints of it showed up in code on a beta version), but nothing has materialized yet. One UI 8.5 should officially debut next year on the Galaxy S26, but it will likely trickle down to other Samsung phones and tablets shortly after. As long as your device is eligible for One UI 8.0, you should be eligible to get 8.5. This includes the Galaxy S21FE and up on the S series, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and up on the Z series, the Galaxy F36 and up on the F series, the Galaxy M06 and up on the M series, and the Galaxy A17 and up on the A series. There's no word on when this feature might be public, but I've reached out to Samsung to see if they have any details.

Samsung could bring one of Apple's most polarizing notification features to One UI 8.5

In saying so, it looks like Samsung is using Google's work-in-progress notification summary feature. Apple debuted AI-based notification summaries on iPhones last year, and it quickly gained controversy thanks to some seriously inaccurate results. We know that Google is working on notification summaries for Android, and it looks like this functionality is coming to Samsung phones. SamMobile discovered a notification summary feature in the latest One UI 8.5 firmware, although it's not working right now. The outlet says you'll see a pop-up explaining the feature after pulling down the notification shade for the first time. Check out the screenshots below. The second screenshot reveals how notification summaries will work, and it appears that this is derived from Google's own notification summary feature. Much like Google's feature, Samsung's summaries only apply to "long messages and group conversations." The description also specifically notes that your messages are never sent to Google, while the graphic is identical to one we uncovered for Google's notification summary feature. It all lends credence to the idea that this is a Google feature rather than one specifically built by Samsung. The screenshot also has a Manage apps field, allowing you to exclude specific apps from receiving notification summaries. That's in line with Google's feature, too. In any event, SamMobile claims that this feature relies on Google's cloud, but the second screenshot specifically mentions that it uses "AI on your device." So, I imagine that this feature would use Gemini Nano or another local AI model. Local processing would be particularly important for private conversations, after all. Either way, I really hope this notification summary feature isn't as inaccurate as Apple's take. These aren't the only notable One UI 8.5 features in the pipeline. Samsung's pending software update could also offer some pro video options and 3D recording, a native double back tap gesture, and a way to fight photosensitive epilepsy. So it looks like this could be a huge upgrade for Samsung phones.

Samsung tests Apple-inspired AI Notification Summaries for Galaxy phones

Apple rolled out AI-powered Notification Summaries as part of Apple Intelligence with iOS 18 last year. On paper, the feature sounded promising, using AI to provide a quick summary of your unread notifications. But in practice, it turned out to be such a big disaster that Apple had to temporarily pull the feature and eventually turn it off for a selected category of apps. Yet, this disaster has not deterred Samsung from experimenting with a similar feature for its Galaxy phones, as spotted in a leaked One UI 8.5 test build. A new leaked One UI 8.5 build for the Galaxy S25 Ultra contains a Notification Summaries feature. It triggers automatically the first time you expand the notification panel in the skin, showing a pop-up that says "longer conversations can now be summarized to give quick recaps." If you tap the Turn on in settings option, you are taken to a page where Samsung explains that Summaries will use on-device AI to condense long messages and group conversations (via @SamMobile). This ensures there's no privacy risk, as your messages and their content are not shared with Samsung or third-party servers. Close Google was also spotted working on AI-powered notification summaries as part of Android 16 beta 3, but the feature never made it to the public build. Like Apple, Samsung will provide an option to exclude apps from notification summaries. By default, though, the feature is supposedly enabled for all installed apps. It also warns that since Summaries will use AI, it can sometimes make mistakes. It's unclear how well Samsung's AI-powered Notification Summaries work, as the feature isn't functional in the current One UI 8.5 beta. Still, with Gemini's stronger language understanding than Apple Intelligence, Notification Summaries in One UI 8.5 could deliver more accurate and reliable recaps of unread messages and long notifications. One UI 8.5 looks set to be a major update Samsung recently rolled out Android 16-based One UI 8 for its flagship devices. Despite the big version number jump, the skin only introduced minor changes and new features. Based on all the leaks so far, One UI 8.5 appears to be a bigger update and could feature UI tweaks, a more customizable Quick Settings, and new AI features. The skin should debut on the Galaxy S26 series early next year before rolling out to other Galaxy devices.

Samsung Galaxy phones prepare AI notification summaries after it worked out so well for Apple

After AI notification summaries were a bit of a disaster for Apple, Samsung is appartently preparing support in its next big Galaxy update. As spotted by SamMobile, leaked firmware of Samsung's One UI 8.5 update shows that Galaxy phones will be adding AI notification summaries. The feature showed as a pop-up saying: Your longer conversations can now be summarized to give you quick recaps The pop-up shows next to a notification from WhatsApp. A deeper settings menu shows that AI "notification summaries" can be turned off and will "summarize long messages and group conversations." The page also confirms that Google's AI models are being used for the feature. It also appears that users can choose to exclude apps from notification summaries. Based on everything here, it appears that Samsung is likely using the same notifications summary feature that Google has been cooking up for a while now. Earlier this year, similar notes were found in Android 16 builds for Pixel, and it's clear from both descriptions that the feature only works for messaging apps. The feature has yet to go live on Pixels. Notably, there were rumors that Samsung would debut its own version of notification summaries with One UI 7, but that obviously didn't happen. So it seems that One UI 8.5 will be the actual debut. Of course, this comes with a reputation for AI notification summaries already existing. Apple infamously added this feature to iOS with its "Apple Intelligence" push, only for Apple to disable it for some apps due to wildly incorrect summaries. Google and Samsung may end up getting around that to an extent by simply restricting the feature solely to messaging apps. That's not to say there won't be issues - literally anyone who's used notification summaries on iPhone will have stories to tell - but it at least skips over the worst outcomes. One UI 8.5 is scheduled to launch with the Galaxy S26 sometime early next year.

Samsung phones could soon get one of Apple Intelligence's most unique features

One UI 8.5, the software currently running things on the best Samsung phones like the Galaxy S25 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, could soon get AI notification summaries, as seen on recent iPhones. SamMobile found the evidence of this feature in an upcoming firmware update for One UI 8.5 that has made its way online. The summarization feature is easy to find, as it announces itself via a helpful pop-up in the notification shade. Following the prompt then takes the user to the correct settings page where they can toggle it on, although SamMobile found that the feature is not yet working. The Notification summaries page explains that summaries only work with "long messages and group conversations," and offers a "Manage apps" setting to let you further tailor which apps the summaries target. Samsung appears to be using a Google-built tool for Android 16, previously spotted by Android deep-divers earlier in the year, to power the summaries, which is easy to see from the Pixel-like illustration of the feature on the page. It's not yet clear if the summaries are processed on-device, or in the cloud, but the feature description claims the messages never reach Google. While Samsung would be among the first Android phone makers to add notification summaries, it was beaten to the punch by the iPhone. Apple introduced its own notification summary option last year with iOS 18's big Apple Intelligence update, but the feature was pulled early in 2025 after it was found to be inaccurately summarizing news stories. Now in iOS 26, you can pick which notifications are summarized by Apple Intelligence, with news notifications sitting in a separate section that warns of potential misleading summaries. Hopefully Samsung and Google will be able to learn from Apple's mistakes and avoid these issues when its own version debuts. It's not clear when the update that enables notification on Samsung or other Android phones running Android 16 will go live, but we'll let you know as soon as it's official. And we'll be sure to bring you our thoughts on the feature after thorough testing soon after.

Samsung gives notifications an AI makeover in One UI 8.5

Leaked Galaxy S25 Ultra firmware shows Samsung isn't done packing AI into your phone, with One UI 8.5 testing a smarter way to handle messy notifications. What's happened? Samsung's upcoming One UI 8.5 update has surfaced in leaked Galaxy S25 Ultra firmware, confirming work on AI-powered notification summaries. First spotted by SamMobile, the feature isn't active yet, but it points to Samsung's push to make cluttered alerts easier to manage. The firmware displays a pop-up introducing the notification summary tool, signaling Samsung's intent to bring Galaxy AI deeper into everyday use. Reports suggest the feature may rely on Google Cloud, though early screenshots also mention "AI on your device," leaving its final design unclear. Users can exclude apps from summaries in settings, though the toggle isn't working yet. Recommended Videos This is important because: Smartphones bombard users with notifications, many of them long and cluttered. Samsung's AI summary feature could cut through the noise, letting Galaxy owners digest only the key details. Smarter summaries mean less time swiping and more time acting on alerts. Integrating AI into daily tasks helps Samsung keep pace with Google and Apple. Why should I care? If you own a Galaxy device, this AI tool could make your phone less overwhelming. Instead of skimming through walls of text, you'll get cleaner summaries that save time. For users juggling dozens of daily alerts, that's a jump in quality-of-life. Notifications become faster to scan, especially in busy apps where long previews eat up space. AI summaries reduce screen clutter and mental load, making the phone feel more streamlined. Early adoption hints at broader AI improvements that could shape future Galaxy devices. Okay, what's next? Since the feature isn't functional yet, users won't see AI notification summaries until One UI 8.5 rolls out officially. There's no confirmed timeline, but more details are likely as beta builds surface. Samsung is likely to expand Galaxy AI across more stock apps, building on its progress in One UI 6. Expect refinements as beta builds of One UI 8.5 surface in the coming months, giving us a clearer picture of how summaries will actually work. Apple's early experiments with AI summaries have shown how easily the feature can miss the mark, so all eyes will be on Samsung to deliver something more reliable.

Samsung Galaxy Phones Might Be Getting This Apple Intelligence Feature Soon

Apple's take on notification summaries is controversial, so it will be interesting to see how Samsung handles the feature. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Though Apple might still be struggling to keep up with its tech competitors in the AI race, one feature it rolled out ahead of companies like Google or Samsung was Notification Summaries. With Apple Intelligence, your iPhone can truncate lengthy messages and alerts into succinct summaries that are meant to be read at a glance. The idea is, rather than sift through a sea of notifications, you can simply scan your missed alerts and get up to speed quickly. In execution, however, it's been a bit of a disaster. While Apple's AI could offer accurate summaries, some of its outputs were quite inaccurate. The most infamous example was when Apple Intelligence incorrectly summarized a BBC news alert, saying that the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione had committed suicide in prison. Following that incident, Apple pulled Notification Summaries for news and entertainment alerts, until the release of iOS 26. But even when summaries are accurate, they aren't always ideal. When Apple first released the feature, one user went viral after sharing how Notification Summaries summed up two breakup texts from their partner: "No longer in a relationship; wants belongings from apartment." In theory, it might be nice to see a summary of a long series of alerts; in practice, it might be better for you to read your messages yourself. It is against this backdrop that this latest AI summary news comes to us: Samsung is currently working on its own version of Notification Summaries for Galaxy devices. As discovered by SamMobile, Samsung is actively working on a new AI notification summary feature for Galaxy devices. The outlet unearthed the feature within Samsung's latest One UI 8.5 firmware update, which is now online for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. SamMobile has this firmware running, but, at this time, the feature itself is not actually working. What is working, however, is a pop-up explaining how the feature works. When pulling down the notification panel on a Galaxy running One UI 8.5, you'll see the following message: "Your longer conversations can now be summarized to give you quick recaps." You can also find a new settings menu for "Notification summaries" that, while not currently active, explains the feature in more detail: "Summarize long messages and group conversations to get quick recaps. Summaries use AI on your device, which may sometimes make mistakes. Your messages are never sent to Google." From here, you're now able to choose apps to exclude from these summaries, though, again, the summaries themselves are not live as of this article. Still, it's an interesting first look at how Samsung plans to roll out AI notifications. As we can see from the current explainer, the feature will tap into an AI model to summarize alerts, which SamMobile guesses will most likely be Gemini Nano. Nano is Google's fast, lightweight model that's designed to run on-device. That tracks with what we can see here, as the feature claims no data is ever sent to Google when summarizing notifications. If you're going to use AI, on-device processing is certainly better than sending your data over the internet. Still, it'll be interesting to see how Samsung's version fares compared to Apple's. Will the former come up with a more reliable way to summarize alerts, or will it feel about the same as it does on iOS? For what it's worth, I had to turn off Notification Summaries on my iPhone. I just found it largely unhelpful, even when it was accurate. If I had a Galaxy, I wouldn't be shocked if I felt compelled to do the same.

One UI 8.5 Brings AI Notification Summaries to Galaxy Devices - Phandroid

Samsung is preparing to tackle notification overload with a new AI feature. According to SamMobile, one new feature of the One UI 8.5 firmware for the Galaxy S25 Ultra reveals the company is testing AI notification summaries. The feature aims to make lengthy notifications easier to digest. The feature showed up in early One UI 8.5 builds. When you pull down the notification panel for the first time, a popup explains how it works. The feature isn't functional yet in this leaked build. Every installed app appears in the exclusion settings by default. Users can't remove them at this stage. Like many Galaxy AI features, these One UI 8.5 notification summaries will rely on Google Cloud. Samsung is taking a page from Apple's playbook here. Apple Intelligence already offers notification summaries in iOS 18. The feature condenses long messages, emails, and group chats into quick highlights. Samsung's approach mirrors what Apple has done. The system analyzes notification content and presents key information at a glance. This helps when group chats explode or email threads pile up. You can scan what matters without reading everything. The feature should work reliably once Samsung officially launches One UI 8.5. This update will likely debut with the Galaxy S26 series early next year. The company already started rolling out One UI 8 to select devices. One UI 8.5 will build on that foundation with more AI capabilities. Samsung continues expanding its Galaxy AI ecosystem. The notification summary feature joins other tools like real-time translation and photo editing. These additions show Samsung is serious about making AI useful for everyday tasks.