One UI 9 features Galaxy users should enable now

One UI 9 features are now arriving on recent Samsung Galaxy flagships, and Engadget tested the update on a Galaxy S26 Ultra and S25 Ultra to find the most useful additions. Engadget reports the update brings a handful of practical tools, including an on-device video tracker, a smarter document scanner, deeper Quick Panel customization, generative Now Brief cards, and a Security Brief alert for suspicious apps.

What the update adds and why it matters

According to Engadget, One UI 9 is the first One UI release built on Android 17 and is rolling out widely to recent Galaxy models. The changes are not just cosmetic. Several new tools focus on everyday tasks people actually do, like shooting video of events, scanning paperwork, and keeping an eye on apps that may be acting up.

My FanCam is one headline feature. Engadget describes it as a way to turn a wide video into a close tracking shot of a single person by cropping and following that subject in post. You open an existing video in Samsung Gallery, tap the Galaxy AI button, select a person, and the phone crops the video for you. Engadget notes the feature runs on-device, and in testing it worked while the phone was in airplane mode, though a Samsung account is required to use it. Engadget also says outside reporting shows Galaxy S24 series phones are the oldest models to have My FanCam in One UI 9 beta builds.

The built-in document scanner received a notable upgrade. Engadget reports the scanner now compensates for curved surfaces and folded corners so scans of book pages or dog-eared paper look flatter and cleaner. The update also adds a finger eraser to remove thumbs, handles moire and glare better, and offers a home screen shortcut that launches the scanner directly.

Quick Panel controls are more configurable in One UI 9. Engadget explains you can now separate the volume and brightness sliders from their previous attached shortcut buttons, making the sliders operate on their own. Tiles have slimmer visuals, and the music player scrubber now displays a waveform that matches the current album art.

One UI 9 changes the lock screen Now Bar with generative Now Brief cards you can customize to update at set times using data from a short list of apps, such as Samsung Health, Samsung Weather, and YouTube. Engadget notes these cards are built with a Mad Libs-style prompt, are generated off-device, and there is a daily cap on how many times you can create or edit cards. Engadget also points out the feature previously underdelivered, quoting the earlier experience that “The day rolls on” as an example of unhelpful output.

Finally, Engadget highlights Security Brief, a Now Bar feature you enable via the "Security and privacy" toggle. With it switched on, the phone will show an alert on the Now Bar when it detects an app that may be malware or is behaving strangely. Engadget adds that Play Store apps should not normally trigger an alert unless they are abusing permissions.

Practical steps small orgs and teams should take

• Turn on Security Brief in Now Brief settings so your device warns you about apps behaving like possible malware, and review any alerts promptly, including checking app permissions.
• Sign into your Samsung account if you want to use My FanCam, and test it with an existing video; Engadget reports it works on-device and while offline.
• Try the scanner home screen shortcut for quick digitizing of documents and bound pages, and use the finger eraser for photos where your thumb is visible.
• Customize the Quick Panel to remove glued shortcuts from the volume and brightness sliders if you prefer standalone sliders, and check the music scrubber for the new waveform display.
• Be cautious with Now Brief generative cards: they use off-device processing and draw on personal data, and there is a daily cap on generation and edits, so plan what you want the cards to show and limit sensitive info.

What to test first

If you manage devices for a small team or nonprofit, start with Security Brief and the document scanner. Security Brief gives real-time alerts that could be relevant for devices that run third-party apps, and the scanner improvements make mobile digitization simpler for administrative work. Next, try My FanCam on a recent device if you create event videos, and use the Quick Panel tweaks to set controls the way your team prefers.

Notes and context from the testing

Engadget ran One UI 9 on recent Samsung flagships and reports mixed results for features that rely on generative prompts. Some tools felt practical, like the scanner and My FanCam, while others, such as generative Now Brief cards, still need careful setup to be genuinely useful. The review also highlights the trade-off inherent in some features, since Now Brief processes data off-device.

If you want help deciding which features to enable across a fleet of Galaxy phones, or need a web app, plugin, or integration built to last, Need a web app, plugin, or integration built to last? We can help you plan device settings and workflows that match your organization's privacy and usability needs.