Samsung's One UI 7 arriving for these devices first - here's a trick for getting it early

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Four months after the beta of Samsung's One UI 7 was released, the company says it's finally ready to ship the latest version.

There's a catch: The new version of One UI will first be available to beta users, then to everyone else.

The first devices to receive One UI 7 are the Galaxy S24/+/Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The update will arrive by the end of the month for the Galaxy S23 devices, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, and the Galaxy S10/S9 tablets.

Also: The best Samsung phones you can buy (including foldables and budget picks)

If you want to download the beta -- so you can jump in front of the line- - here are the steps:

1. Install the Samsung Members app from the Google Play Store.
2. If you don't already have one, go to https://account.samsung.com and create an account.
3. Open the Samsung Members app and look for Notices.
4. Tap "Registration for One UI 7 Beta Program."
5. Tap Join Now.
6. Go to Settings > "Software update" > "Download and install." 
7. Allow One UI 7 to download.
8. Upon reboot of the phone, you should now have the One UI 7 beta.

Just remember, what you're installing here is the beta version; there's no guarantee that the full version will be made available to your device right away. If you're concerned about stability, I would recommend waiting until the full version is made available to your phone.

With One UI beta installed, you should soon get a notification for the upgrade to the full release. When prompted, install the upgrade.

This new update includes all of Android 15's features and improvements. You can check out my 6 favorite new features of Android 15.

The more important new features and improvements include:

• Galaxy AI integration
• Call transcriptions
• Google Gemini integration
• Now Bar and New Brief (real-time updates on the lock screen)
• Separate notification and quick settings menus
• Cross app actions
• Gallery search enhancements
• More adaptive charging options
• Doze Mode improvements
• New GPU rendering pipeline for improved graphics responsiveness
• Drawing assist
• Audio eraser
• Knox Matrix Dashboard

Also: I use this cheap Android 15 tablet more than my iPad Pro - and don't regret it

Remember, it may take until the end of April before your Samsung device receives the One UI 7 upgrade.

Multimodal support for Gemini Live

At the same time, Samsung has also rolled out multimodal support for Gemini Live on the Galaxy S25 phones. You can read more about that here, but know that it allows you to show Gemini what's on your screen so you can have a conversation about it.

Also: Your Android phone just got a major Gemini upgrade for free - Samsung models included

Exciting times for Samsung phone users!

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