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Samsung One UI 8.5 Leak Shows iOS 26-Style Liquid Glass Elements

From gradients to floating UI, Samsung's One UI 8.5 takes cues from Apple while staying distinct

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by Sagnik Das Gupta
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Samsung One UI 8 stock image

Image Credit: Ahyan Stock Studios/ Shutterstock

Summary

  • Leaked One UI 8.5 screenshots reveal floating elements, shadows and gradients that give it a layered and iOS 26-like liquid glass feel.
  • The search bar now floats at the bottom, the back button is redesigned and menus come with grid-based layouts.
  • The leaks come from a test version and Samsung may refine the new design when it rolls out with the Galaxy S26 series.

Samsung just gave us a spoonful of One UI 8 and is reportedly gearing up for its next major software update. Leaked screenshots of One UI 8.5 give us an early glimpse of what the brand is cooking.

Tech publication SammyGuru shared the images, which show a redesigned interface that leans heavily on floating elements, shadows and layout tweaks. The result? An iOS 26-like Liquid Glass makeover. 

One UI 8.5 design elements leaked

The upcoming One UI 8 expansion of Samsung appears to make subtle yet noticeable changes to the visual design language. For starters, the search bar in the Settings app has now been moved to the bottom of the screen and floats as you scroll. Meanwhile, the back button has been detached from the top bar and redesigned with drop shadows to create a layered effect. 

One UI 8.5 design elements shown in the Settings page
Image Credit: SammyGuru
One UI 8.5 design elements shown in the Settings page
Image Credit: SammyGuru

Besides, the Settings menu itself has gotten a makeover, with subtitle text removed and categories now shown in a more compact, three-column grid. Additionally, overflow gradients and shadow effects seem to have been added with One UI 8.5. There's this sense of depth across the UI, from the looks of it. 

For now, these changes have solely been spotted in the Settings app, suggesting that Samsung is still testing it out. Moreover, since these screenshots come from a leaked build of One UI 8.5 running on the Galaxy S24, the final version could be quite different and feature more refinements and changes. 

One UI 8.5 roll out is expected to happen with the Galaxy S26 series debut sometime in February.

Sagnik Das Gupta profile picture
Sagnik Das Gupta

News Editor

Expertise :

With a little over five years under his belt, Sagnik Das Gupta now spends his days fearlessly taming new smartphones that arrive at the Beebom office. If not that, you will find him aggressively editing news stories or having an existential crisis. When he's not busy editing content or judging a phone, he's found serenading himself with a guitar or rage-quitting video games.

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