In brief: Samsung announced that it is rolling out its Android 12-based “One UI 4” starting Monday. The staggered release will hit Galaxy S21 series phones first. The user interface boasts expanded customization and privacy features as its main selling points.
Samsung has begun rolling out its One UI 4 update to the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. The company announced it is eventually making its way to foldable phones and tablets in the Galaxy S series, Note series, and A series. Although, it doesn’t have a precise timeline on when the update will reach those devices.
The new interface will alert users when an app is trying to use the camera or microphone, and there’s a new dashboard that brings privacy controls all into one place. A press image shows the One UI 4 dashboard contains settings for the camera, microphone, and location tracking, with indicators for how many apps are using those functions. At the bottom, there’s another option for accessing the clipboard.
The other main feature of One UI 4 is its expanded customization. Samsung says the new color palettes should let users customize their home screen, icons, notifications, and wallpapers. The update adds more emojis, gifs, and stickers to the keyboard as well. Widgets have also been “reimagined.” Two more changes of note include a dark mode and the ability to switch the audio output to an external device from the lock screen.
Android 12 first launched for Google’s Pixel 3 and newer on October 20. Samsung released a beta for One UI on Galaxy S21 devices back in September. Changelogs from the beta give a more refined picture of what Samsung added in One UI 4.
