Here’s why this leaked One UI 8.5 feature makes a huge difference

Samsung’s One UI is undoubtedly the most comprehensive custom Android skin. I say this because Samsung is the only manufacturer making Android devices that goes so far as to redo every menu and submenu, including even the much-ignored Digital Wellbeing dashboard. With its upcoming One UI 8.5, Samsung could take a bold step to reshape the interface that has remained largely unchanged in the past. two generations.

Some of these changes are controversial and could potentially spark another comparison between iOS and Android. But there’s one change I’m wholeheartedly awaiting: a striking overhaul of the Quick Settings panel. Based on the leaks, One UI 8.5 is expected to adopt Android 16’s expanded customization options for Quick Settings – with an added twist. Even before the One UI 8.5 beta is released, I sincerely wish this option was a reality and think it could be a dramatic improvement – beyond visual appeal – to the panel One UI has seen in recent years.

But before I continue sharing my reasons why I call the upgrade my favorite, tell me what you think about customizing Quick Settings in Android.

With One UI 8, Samsung has changed its priorities. Instead of combining major visual improvements with the Android version replacement, Samsung focused on speed of delivery and changes under the hood. This approach, Aside from the angst surrounding the delay of One UI 7, this may also have resulted from Google’s transition to an earlier-than-usual version of Android 16. As a result, One UI 8 arrived shortly after Google dropped Android 16 for Pixel phones, virtually reversing the effects of the expanded version of One UI 7 that vexed Samsung users.

Meanwhile, the release of the mid-cycle update (One UI X.5), which arrived every year with foldables, has also been brought forward by six months. As One UI 8 bears the responsibility of upgrading the Android version, the next update is expected to bring significant changes to the interface.

An 8.5 UI hasn’t been officially confirmed, but leaked builds have revealed the scale of changes to expect. In addition to fundamental improvements and new privacy features, Samsung is emphasizing visual changes with One UI 8.5.

I’ve chosen to call them changes rather than upgrades, because whether these changes are actually upgrades is a point of contention. And that’s because One UI 8.5 seems to be leaning towards a design seemingly inspired by Apple’s Liquid Glass UI. I’m glad that this isn’t a blatant ripoff of iOS 26, as is the case with some Chinese manufacturers’ latest UIs based on Android 16. Instead, Samsung’s approach seems to emphasize better visibility rather than Apple’s fixation on making the interface nearly transparent.

One of the features Samsung would add to One UI 8.5 is an updated quick settings panel. While previous versions of the Quick Settings panel mainly allowed us to rearrange individual settings in limited space, the new iteration offers much more flexibility. Leaks so far describe a panel that will accomplish more than just rearranging the toggles.

The biggest change I like is the ability to resize individual control buttons and make them take up more or less space depending on your preference. For example, if I want a toggle, say a mobile hotspot, to take up the space of two columns, I now have the freedom to do so. As a result, the Quick Settings panel can be a mix of differently sized buttons, arranged however I like, much like Android allows widgets on the Home screen. The only principle to follow is that the toggle should align with the existing invisible grid of four icons.

However, these requirements only apply to the horizontal layout. This means – I hope – that I would cherish complete autonomy over how many tiles I want per row; I could choose to cover the entire section with stacked toggles in the standard 4 x 4 grid, or I could stretch a single tile across the entire width of the panel. If I wanted, I could even add toggles on just one edge. The new options also allow volume and brightness controls to be toggled on vertical bars – similar to iOS and countless other Android skins that have started copying them now.

I think this is a complete game-changer, because beyond the default locations, I could deploy countless different arrangements based on my preferences – or change them when I’m bored or dissatisfied. However, for me, it’s more than an antidote to boredom. This is actually the way to make quick settings much more utilitarian.

If there’s anything that most users – whether they use an Android or an iPhone – agree on, it’s that our phones have become giant slabs that are difficult to use one-handed. Several sections of the interface – at least in Android skins – have moved closer to the bottom, so you don’t always absolutely need both hands to complete basic tasks. Even with elements that haven’t completely changed, like the home screen, it’s possible to place icons closer to the bottom of the screen.

No such option existed for Quick Settings until recently – at least, not on Android, which makes the recent change in Android 16 very important. And since the same is likely to be adopted with One UI 8.5, Samsung users should be able to benefit from it soon.

This is especially true since Android 16, despite its ability to resize thumbnails, does not allow empty space. This is something that One UI 8.5 shouldn’t limit us with.

As I mentioned above, the biggest benefit I see from this change is the ability to position the settings buttons so that they are easier to reach with one hand. Following the update, I plan to place my most used tiles, such as Mobile Hotspot, Screen Recording, Extra Low, and Sleep Mode, closer to the bottom right corner so they are well within reach. Meanwhile, to fill the space on the left, I’m hoping to either use larger tiles that take up more space, or be placed in the second column from the left side. This way I would still be able to hit them without having to aim precisely with my thumb.

Since the volume and brightness sliders can also fit into a smaller space, I’m hoping to place them within reach of my thumb.

Another major change is that One UI 8.5 no longer requires quick settings toggles to be placed in a container – although one can still use a container to place icons. While Samsung plans them for the most important icons, I plan to use them for the less important ones, while placing the most frequently used ones outside, at the bottom of the page. In the process, I might even have fun creating shapes – like we did with old emojis in the SMS era – to bring a fresh, non-dull appeal to the Quick Settings page.

Over the past two decades, Android has undergone significant changes, but customization and freedom have always been its two key pillars. Although the latter is unfortunately threatened by Google’s tendency to restrict sideloading, customization still hasn’t been affected much (especially if we neglect the waning popularity of custom ROMs). And this Quick Settings overhaul not only looks exciting, but should also inspire Samsung’s competitors.

Granted, while these changes sound exciting, Samsung could still abandon them before the final version early next year. I would be heartbroken if that happened, but that’s how beta updates work. And we mere mortals have little control over what features companies choose to include or drop in their beta releases.

That said, I hope Samsung brings the revamped panel to One UI 8.5 – not only because it’s much better than what Android offers, but also because it will be the most extensive quick settings panel among all Android skins. Here I would like to reiterate my confidence in One UI being the most personalized Android skin, and much better than many blatant iOS scams that we have developed accustomed to seeing.