Samsung may be gearing up for its most extensive Quick Settings overhaul in a long time. A new leak from early One UI 8.5 builds indicates that the Galaxy control panel could be “completely customizable” and allow users to move, resize, or even remove core modules that have long been forced into place.
What the One UI 8.5 leak reveals about Quick Settings
Images shared by @theonecid on X, who appears to be a tipster, show a more modular space than the current Quick Settings. And in addition to its standard shuffle of tiles, it seems that the panel interprets certain core items — think brightness levels, volume, media outputs, device controls, and connectivity rows — as disparate blocks that can be rearranged or completely cast aside.
One of the most obvious, for me at least, is the “missing” Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth summary row.
If that part is now optional, people could instead choose to reserve space for the brightness slider, media controls, smart home toggles, or whatever else they like without making the row look super busy. The leak also reveals an expanded and collapsed state with a unified modular aspect, suggesting a comprehensive system-wide overhaul rather than a mere cosmetic update.
Screenshots don’t show the rearrangements in full flow — many of the elements do remain where you’d expect them to be — but the lack of fixed system blocks hints subtly at more control than we’re used to seeing on a Galaxy phone.
Why deeper Quick Settings customization matters now
Quick Settings is one of the frequently touched surfaces in Android. Power users tend to exist in this panel for things like network switches, casting media, or changing audio outputs. That’s when One UI allows you to peel away what you never, ever use and highlight what you do — so the daily tasks are quicker to perform, and the interface is calmer, more focused.
The advantages grow on big screens. Foldables like those in the Galaxy Z Fold series and tablets like the Galaxy Tab S line have more canvas but also require more reach distance. Tasks like parking the brightness slider, or the connectivity toggles, within easy thumb-reaching distance can save hand olympics and help in one-handed use.
Accessibility is another angle. Users with motor or visual disabilities could create larger targets for important controls, or reduce the clutter that makes the panel difficult to read. Companies using Galaxy devices could also customize layouts by job title, bring up only the tools employees have to use.
How Samsung’s approach compares with Android and iOS rivals
Stock Android permits tile reordering (and basic brightness placement), too, but fundamental summaries like Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth usually stay rooted. Some Android skins are considerably more flashy, but they rarely go as far as full modular control over system sections. On the iOS front, Apple’s relatively recent revamp of Control Center added multiple pages and increased customizability via third‑party controls. If Samsung’s plan of attack actually makes each and every panel element movable — or removable, for that matter — then it would bump Galaxy devices right next to the top when it comes to quick panel personalization.
Samsung’s in-house Good Lock suite, and especially the QuickStar module for it, has flirted for quite some time with this sort of flexibility: alternative layouts, status bar tweaks, and added tile choices. The catch here is scope and stability: building customization features into the broader One UI experience generally results in better performance, universal availability across regions, and full system backup and profile‑level support.
More than skin deep: possible smart features
“If you combine [layout freedom] with automation, then the contents of the panel can become context‑aware,” said Samsung. One imagined work profile pops up hotspot and VPN blocks from 9–5, then becomes SmartThings controls or media outputs when home. Samsung’s Modes and Routines already adjust system settings according to location, time of day, or the state of your device; extending that idea to the panel layout would be a logical addition.
There’s also room for presets. A “Minimal” view that only reveals brightness and two tiles, a “Travel” preset with airplane mode, eSIM, and translation, or a “Creator” layout with screen recorder, mic controls, and external audio routing would let users make those subtle changes without any manual mucking about.
What to watch for as Samsung tests modular control panels
Samsung has not officially confirmed the feature or detailed its rollout plans, and pre‑release features are subject to change until the release of public builds. There are important questions yet to answer:
- Will there be fully freeform modules?
- Can users resize blocks?
- Will enterprise admins be able to lock/push layouts?
- How deep into the device catalog is support expected to reach?
Even with those qualifications, the trend is unmistakable. A modular control panel could answer a decade’s worth of enthusiast requests while also making everyday navigation more user-friendly for everyone else. If that’s how One UI 8.5 looks with this much freedom, it could mean Galaxy owners are in store for the most substantial control panel refresh in a long time.
