Samsung’s next big version update is now in a closed beta.
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Samsung is getting ready to show off the next version of One UI. The Android 11-based One UI 3.0 closed beta is now live in Korea and the U.S. to select developers, and Samsung is set to kick off a public beta in the coming weeks that will let Galaxy phone users try out the upcoming version of One UI.
The One UI 3.0 beta is limited to the Galaxy S20 series, and Samsung will make the public beta available in seven markets around the world. While the Galaxy Note 20 series recently made its debut, Samsung usually offers the beta program on its more mainstream Galaxy S lineup, and that’s the case this year as well. The Galaxy S20 launched six months ago, and it continues to be one of the best Android phones today.
Here’s what you need to know about the One UI 3.0 beta, the list of eligible phones slated to receive the stable update, and when you’ll get the OTA update on your Galaxy phone.
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Samsung One UI 3.0:
- Here’s what’s new in One UI 3.0 beta
- One UI 3.0 beta is rolling out soon
- Beta will be live in seven markets
- These phones are getting the beta
- These phones will get the stable update
- Stable update should roll out by end of 2020
What’s new in One UI 3.0 beta?
Samsung isn’t making a lot of design changes in One UI 3.0, with the overall aesthetic similar to One UI 2.5. That said, there are a lot of exciting new features, including the ability to long press an app to see all associated widgets and add them to the home screen, and a double tap gesture anywhere on the home screen to turn off the screen.
One UI 3.0 is also getting the Conversations view that debuted in Android 11, and the persistent media player. You also get better auto-focus and exposure controls in the camera, the option to customize the call screen with your own pictures and videos, device usage trends in Digital Wellbeing, and a lot of new Bixby Routines.
The One UI 3.0 changelog obtained by Android Police gives us a detailed look at all the new additions, including changes to the lock screen, accessibility, DeX, Samsung Internet, and more. There are a ton of small additions that make Samsung’s skin even better.
Here’s the full changelog:
Home screen
- Touch and hold an app to add an associated widget
- Turn the screen off by double-tapping on an empty area of the Home screen. You can turn this on in Settings > Advanced features > – Motions and gestures.
Lock screen
- Dynamic Lock screen now has more categories, and you can select more than one.
- Lock screen widgets are improved.
Quick panel
- See your conversations and media more conveniently in their own sections when you swipe down from the top of the screen.
AOD
- Always On Display widgets are improved.
Accessibility
- Get quick access to the most important accessibility settings during device setup. – Get recommended accessibility features based on what you use.
- Set the Accessibility shortcut more easily in settings.
- Sound detectors now work with your SmartThings devices such as TVs and lights to give you more visible
Samsung Keyboard
- You can find the keyboard settings more easily under General management in Settings, and the settings have been reorganized to put the most important ones first.
Samsung DeX
- You can now connect to supported TVs wirelessly.
- New touchpad multi-gestures let you change screen zoom and font size more easily.
Internet
- Added ability to block websites from redirecting you when you tap the Back button. – Added warnings and blocking options for websites that show too many pop-ups or notifications.
- Rearranged menus to make things easier to find. – Added several new add-ons, including one that translates websites.
- Added option to hide the status bar for a more immersive browsing experience.
- Increased maximum number of open tabs to 99.
- Added ability to lock and reorder tabs.
- Improved design for tab bar which is now supported on all devices.
- Ended support for Samsung Internet edge panel.
Contacts & Phone
- Added an option to help you quickly delete duplicate contacts.
- Enhanced the search experience.
Phone/Call background
- Added the ability to customize the call screen with your own pictures and videos.
Messages
- Created a Trash bin to store recently deleted messages.
Call & Text on other devices
- Added the ability to turn Call & text on other devices on or off with Bixby Routines.
Calendar
- Events with the same start time are now shown together in month and agenda view.
- Reorganized options for adding and editing events.
- Improved layout for full screen alerts.
Digital wellbeing and Parental controls
- Added trends to your weekly report. You can see how your usage has changed since the previous week and check your usage time for each feature.
- Added phone usage time while driving to the weekly report.
- Added a lock screen widget so you can check your screen time without unlocking your phone.
- Added separate profiles for personal and work modes so you can track your screen time separately.
Camera
- Improved auto-focus and auto exposure functionality and usability.
- Improved stabilization when taking pictures of the moon at high zoom levels
Photo editor
- Added the ability to revert edited pictures back to their original versions.
Bixby Routine
- Grouped preset routines help you get started quickly and learn how to build your own routines quickly
- You can now see what actions are reversed when a routine ends.
- New conditions have been added, such as a specific start time, the disconnection of a Bluetooth device or Wi-Fi network, a call from a specific number, and more.
- New actions have been added, including talking to Bixby and accessibility actions.
- You can add a customized icon for each routine and add routines to the Lock screen for quick access.
When is the One UI 3.0 beta rolling out?
The One UI 3.0 closed beta is now live in Korea and the U.S., and is aimed at developers performing compatibility testing with carriers and device models. Samsung’s One UI 3.0 beta page notes that the closed beta is already full, and that interested participants can sign up for the public beta once it is available.
As for the One UI 3.0 public beta, we’ll just have to wait for Samsung to announce dates. Samsung usually rolls out the public beta a few weeks after the closed beta program kicks off, and if the manufacturer is following a similar timeline this time around, we should know more shortly.
Is the One UI 3.0 beta program available globally?
Samsung limits the number of markets that have access to its beta program, and it’s no different with One UI 3.0. The beta initiative is kicking off in Korea and the U.S., and Samsung says it will offer One UI 3.0 beta builds to Galaxy phone users in China, Germany, India, Poland, and the United Kingdom once the public beta kicks off.
That means the beta program will be live in seven markets around the world, similar to what Samsung has done in the past. Once more countries are added to the beta program, we should get a better idea about the models that are eligible for the beta in these particular regions.
What are the eligible phones for One UI 3.0 beta?
For now, Samsung is limiting the One UI 3.0 beta for the Galaxy S20 series. This was the case last year with the Android 10-based One UI 2.0 beta as well, with Samsung rolling out beta builds initially to the Galaxy S10 series.
Because Samsung sells a lot of models of the Galaxy S20 — including carrier variants — these are the models that are eligible for the closed One UI 3.0 beta in Korea and the U.S.:
- Korea (KT / LGU+ / SKT / Unlocked): Galaxy S20 (SM-G981N), S20+ (SM-G986N), S20 Ultra (SM-G988N)
- United States (T-Mobile): Galaxy S20 (SM-G981U), S20+ (SM-G986U), S20 Ultra (SM-G988U)
- United States (Unlocked): Galaxy S20 (SM-G981U1), S20+ (SM-G986U1), S20 Ultra (SM-G988U1)
So if you have a Galaxy S20, S20+, or the S20 Ultra, you will be able to join the beta program and take a look at all the new features in the Android 11-based build.
These Samsung phones will get the One UI 3.0 stable update
While the One UI 3.0 is limited to the Galaxy S20 series, the stable update will be rolling out to dozens of phones. Samsung in particular makes a lot of great budget phones, and while the manufacturer hasn’t shared an official list of devices that will receive the One UI 3.0 update, all phones launched within the last two years should make the switch.
Here’s a preliminary list of phones that are likely to receive the One UI 3.0 stable build based on Android 11.
Samsung Galaxy S/Note series:
- Galaxy Note 20
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Galaxy Flip 5G
- Galaxy Tab S7
- Galaxy Tab S7+
- Galaxy S20
- Galaxy S20 5G
- Galaxy S20+
- Galaxy S20+ 5G
- Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
- Galaxy Z Flip
- Galaxy Fold
- Galaxy Fold 5G
- Galaxy Note 10+
- Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
- Galaxy Note 10
- Galaxy Note 10 5G
- Galaxy S10e
- Galaxy S10+
- Galaxy S10
- Galaxy S10 5G
- Galaxy Note 10 Lite
- Galaxy S10 Lite
Samsung Galaxy A series:
- Galaxy A51
- Galaxy A51 5G
- Galaxy A71
- Galaxy A71 5G
- Galaxy A50
- Galaxy A50s
- Galaxy A70
- Galaxy A70s
- Galaxy A60
- Galaxy A80
- Galaxy A8s
- Galaxy A90 5G
- Galaxy A01
- Galaxy A10
- Galaxy A10e
- Galaxy A10s
- Galaxy A11
- Galaxy A20
- Galaxy A20e
- Galaxy A20s
- Galaxy A21
- Galaxy A21s
- Galaxy A30
- Galaxy A30s
- Galaxy A31
- Galaxy A40
- Galaxy A41
Samsung Galaxy M series:
- Galaxy M51
- Galaxy M40
- Galaxy M31s
- Galaxy M31
- Galaxy M30s
- Galaxy M21
- Galaxy M11
- Galaxy M01
- Galaxy M01s
When will Samsung release the stable One UI 3.0 update?
With the One UI 3.0 public beta set to kick off shortly, it will be a few months before the stable update is available. Samsung kicked off the One UI 2.0 beta last October and rolled out the stable release by the end of December for the Galaxy S10, so we’ll likely get a similar timeline this year as well.
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