Second One UI 8.5 beta begins rolling out to Galaxy S25

Samsung has begun rolling out the second One UI 8.5 beta to Galaxy S25 series devices, in a quick turnaround for its pre-release cycle. As we have seen with previous cases like this, you need to keep in mind that Microsoft does not allow users of the Insiders program to opt out of features after updating builds. Community watcher Tarun Vats says the build is available now for testers in Germany, India, Korea, and the UK. The software will be known by a version code ending ZYLH. Somewhat unusually, the Indian program seems to be bypassing beta 1 and jumping directly to this second release.

Key fixes and early stabilization in the second beta

Early notes indicate a rather full changelog devoted to polish and reliability. Testers can expect smoother behavior when tapping the View More menu during calls, a corrected issue with the volume up key not working, and more stable third-party apps that would sometimes crash. A number of Quick Panel bugs are also fixed here, so daily navigation ought to be a bit more consistent.

Even though Samsung has not done so yet as of this writing, the focus on system smoothness makes it sound like this release is already leaning toward stability — a frequent trend for second beta releases in recent periods for the company.

What’s new in One UI 8.5 for Galaxy S25 devices

One UI 8.5 is becoming a quality-of-life update for Galaxy owners. Headline additions include:

• The ability to truly customize Quick Settings — allowing users remote placement and behavior adjustment of tiles
• Power-saving options that will make it less challenging to get through a day without having to turn off essential functionality in your phone
• Sharing storage space across devices with an intent for tighter integration that can stretch across phones, tablets, and PCs in the Galaxy ecosystem

Refinements to the clock and weather apps are icing on top, with cleaner layouts and more glanceable information. These are all tiny things, but put them together and you have less friction and a sense that the interface is doing something with purpose.

Where the second One UI 8.5 beta is rolling out first

The second beta is currently seeding in Germany, India, Korea, and the UK and will undoubtedly spread to more nations as it always does, in waves. If not, Samsung will typically stagger availability to take some time to watch crash telemetry and feedback before opening the gates further. If you haven’t already seen the prompt on your device, that is not unusual at this early stage.

As in previous Galaxy betas, availability depends on carrier and model within the S25 family. Unlocked models usually get these updates first, with carrier versions coming after they are certified.

How to join the beta program or update your Galaxy S25

Enroll via the Samsung Members app, where you’ll see a One UI Beta banner that takes you through registering if you live in an eligible market. If you are accepted, go to Settings > Software update > Download and install to fetch the new build. The beta seats can fill up fast, so timing is key.

As always, make sure your data is backed up via Smart Switch or some other means before upgrading. This is pre-release software, so expect some bumps and potential battery swings, as well as possible compatibility issues with banking apps or services that depend on strict device integrity checks.

What Does This Beta Mean For S25 Owners?

Moving onto a second beta this quickly shows Samsung is iterating fast on user grievances. The company traditionally runs a number of betas, and then shifts to a release candidate when crash rates and power metrics level off. There’s no timeline yet, but second betas are often when daily drivers start to become feasible (if you don’t mind a little roughness around the edges).

For a user-facing impact, those expanded Quick Settings and power controls are some of the most used surfaces in a phone. Tiny efficiencies add up over time here, particularly for heavy users who are adjusting performance profiles or flicking connectivity toggles on and off.

Early takeaways and practical advice for Galaxy S25 beta

Some early testers are discussing smoother animations in the Quick Panel, along with less of a UI stall when in menus that are call-related. If you use eSIM, device-to-PC file flows, or accessibility services, we’d like your help ensuring these updates are ready for businesses by testing them now in the public beta — betas can expose edge cases.

Feedback continues to be key in a fast, steady rollout. Please report logs through the Samsung Members application, and try to describe anomalies as detailed as possible; this will help engineers better understand your reports (faster regressions). The quicker things get triaged, the faster stable will land for everyone.

For the time being, it seems the ZYLH build has added a significant step forward with regard to One UI 8.5 surrounding the Galaxy S25 series.

Should Samsung continue at this pace, and the rate of fix increases exceed that of new bug reports, then it shouldn’t be too long before we’re on that final stretch to the stable finish line.