Samsung One UI 5.1: Everything you need to know (2024)

One UI 5.1, Samsung's newest Android 13-based software experience, debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and has since made its way to phones in the Galaxy S22 and S21 series, among others. Samsung has become something of a software update hero in the Android world. Samsung's previous mobile software, One UI 5, wasn't a big change coming from One UI 4.1, and One UI 5.1 is an even more iterative update. Given that, you might be wondering what's changed. Here's everything you need to know about One UI 5.1.

What is Samsung One UI 5.1?

One UI is Samsung's suite of customizations to Android, its software skin. Since One UI's introduction in 2018, each numbered Android release has also seen a major One UI update. One UI 1 was based on Android 9, the One UI 2 update was based on Android 10, and so on. One UI 5 was based on Android 13, and One UI 5.1 is a minor update on that foundation but is still based on Android 13.

The update is available on many Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S21 series, and more. More devices will receive the update in the coming weeks and months.

What's new in Samsung One UI 5.1?

One UI 5.1, being a point update, is not a drastic change over One UI 5, conferring a handful of new features like gallery and camera app refinements, updated widgets, and the option to make it so that screenshots save somewhere other than your camera roll. Here, we touch on some of the biggest functional updates — although "biggest" is a relative term.

Camera and gallery refinements

On devices that can support it, One UI 5.1 adds a shortcut to Expert RAW in the More tab of the camera app. The app isn't installed with One UI 5.1 by default. The shortcut downloads Expert RAW the first time you tap it. But after that, it's a quick and easy way to access Samsung's fully featured camera interface, which is handy if you're the type of person to play with manual settings like ISO and shutter speed on phone cameras.

The Expert RAW shortcut inside the One UI 5.1 camera app.

There are also some improvements to Samsung's Gallery app included in One UI 5.1. The app now recognizes faces across photos and prompts you to share albums with the people in your pictures. It also detects objects inside photos. Press and hold on an object in a picture, and the Gallery app does its best to cut it out, creating a transparent PNG you can save separately or share to other apps. In a less flashy development, you can now swipe up on any photo in the Gallery app to view its info, including EXIF data and where the picture was taken (if you turned on location).

New and improved widgets

A couple of new battery widgets in One UI 5.1 show the battery life of your phone and connected accessories, both Samsung gadgets like the Galaxy Watch 5 and other devices currently connected to your phone by Bluetooth. Samsung's Weather widget has also been spruced up with some new animations.

New Modes and Routines functionality

Modes and Routines, formerly Bixby Modes, get some new tricks in One UI 5.1. Modes — sets of settings One UI can apply automatically depending on what you're doing — can each have its own wallpaper, in case you'd prefer something more tranquil during your Sleep mode, for example. Routines —actions that happen automatically when certain conditions are met — gain new capabilities, like the ability to change your ringtone, and new triggers, such as turning airplane mode on or off.

A major improvement for screenshots

By default, Samsung phones save your screenshots to the same folder as the photos you take. You might prefer that, but if you're a Google Photos user, it can lead to a bunch of screenshots gumming up your timeline. In One UI 5.1, you choose where screenshots end up, saving you the hassle of cleaning out your camera roll after each time you want to share a meme.

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Android 13 baked in

One UI 5.1 is a small update over One UI 5, but if you're coming from a phone running Android 12 or earlier, you'll benefit from the system-level updates the latest version of Android brings. That includes improvements like a new notifications permission, enhanced dynamic theming, and more.

Android 13 is a relatively low-key update, but many of the small changes it makes are very clever. We cataloged the changes in Android 13 at length, so check our guide to Android 13 for more on how One UI 5 laid the foundation for the new One UI 5.1.

When will my phone get One UI 5.1?

One UI 5.1 was first available on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series when it launched in February. Since then, older Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S22 series, S21 series, and S20 series, as well as the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4, Z Flip 3, and Z Fold 3, have seen the update. Tablets in the S8 and S7 also got a bump to One UI 5.1. Beyond that, Samsung is yet to provide an official rollout timeline. If your Samsung phone or tablet is still eligible for software updates, you should either already have One UI 5.1 or you will soon.

Make the most of your Samsung experience

If you have a Samsung device that's still eligible for One UI updates, you should have received the One UI 5.1 upgrade. If you want to make the most of your Samsung phone or tablet, check out the ways you can customize Samsung's keyboard or get the best Samsung Messages experience (yes, new Samsung phones come with Google's texting app, but Samsung Messages still exists). If you're rocking a Samsung device that won't ever get One UI 5.1, it might be time to grab a new phone.