A test version of Samsung's next phone software has shown up on its servers, so sign-ups look close. Here is who can join and what the risk is.
Samsung looks ready to open public testing of One UI 9.5, the next version of the software that runs its Galaxy phones. A test build for the Galaxy S26 Ultra has appeared on Samsung's update servers in Korea and the US. That is typically the last step before sign-ups open. Samsung has not announced the test or a date.
The build is labeled S948BXXU6ZZK3 and is for the S26 Ultra only. Other S26 phones will almost certainly get it too. One UI 9.5 is expected to launch with the Galaxy S27 early in 2027. It is still based on Android 17, the same Google system as One UI 9.0.
Timing is a guess. Samsung's last midyear-style update, One UI 8.5, opened to testers on December 8, 2025. SammyFans expects early December this time. SamMobile thinks November is possible. Both sites are working from just one earlier release.
Sign-up is expected to work as it did last time. Register in the Samsung Members app, then download the test version from the phone's settings once it is available. Only six countries have been offered it before:
Owning the right phone matters too. SammyGuru also expects the S25 series, Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 to be included. Carrier phones may be left out. The One UI 8.5 test in the US was limited to unlocked phones, so owners of carrier-locked S26 models will probably wait for the final release. Last year, Poland and India also got in later than others, on December 22.
Anyone tempted should prepare first. Test software can corrupt data, so update all apps and back up the phone to a computer with Samsung's Smart Switch tool. Bugs can be reported in Samsung Members under Participated Beta test, then Beta feedback.
Leaving is harder than joining. Withdrawing in the Samsung Members settings does not remove the test software. To go back, the phone must be plugged into a computer and put through a Downgrade in Smart Switch. That erases everything done during testing.
Staying on the test has a payoff. The finished One UI 9.5 arrives as a normal update, whenever that is. For anyone whose S26 is their only phone and who does not make regular backups, the advice is to skip the test and wait for the final version.
Samsung has not said when the test opens, and it has not announced a date for the S27 launch event. That event will probably fall in January or February, based on recent years.
If the One UI 9.5 test opens and you want in, back up to a computer first, because leaving means wiping the phone.
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