Samsung has clarified the timeline for the One UI 9 beta rollout after an ambiguous phrasing in its English press release. In the Korean version, the company added notes revealing that testing will kick off in Samsung’s usual regions, though not all countries will get access at the same time.
Users of the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra in South Korea, the US, the UK, and Germany will be the first to get the One UI 9 Beta. Poland and India will follow in a second wave, with the program starting on May 26. As before, participation requires a compatible device, being in an eligible region, and signing up through the Samsung Members app.
For now, the compatible device list is limited to the Galaxy S26 series. Older models will likely join later, but currently the Galaxy S25, S24, S23, and foldable devices are busy with the stable One UI 8.5 update. That explains why Samsung is starting Android 17 testing with its latest flagships.
Samsung also confirmed that the final One UI 9, based on Android 17, will debut alongside the next generation of Galaxy Z foldables. An official announcement date hasn’t been set, but since the past three Galaxy Z generations debuted in July, a summer launch seems probable. Meanwhile, Google is already testing Android 17 on Pixel devices, with the stable release expected at Google I/O on May 19–20.