One UI 8.5 makes the adaptive lock screen clock even better!

A new One UI 8.5 firmware for the Galaxy S25 Ultra has leaked, and like previous builds, it brings a few improvements to existing features. One of those improvements involves the adaptive lock screen clock font that Samsung first introduced with One UI 8.0.

For those unfamiliar, the adaptive clock automatically adjusts its size, orientation, and layout based on the subject in the lock screen wallpaper. In One UI 8.0, this feature worked only when the wallpaper included humans or animals. With One UI 8.5, Samsung is expanding its functionality to recognize and adapt to all kinds of objects, as discovered by prolific X leakster @UniverseIce.

You can see the improved adaptive clock in action in the video below.

In our testing, the feature is a bit finicky and sometimes misidentifies objects in certain wallpapers, even when the subject is similar to that of another wallpaper. However, since this is unfinished software, such bugs are to be expected. One UI 8.5 isn’t expected to roll out to existing devices before 2026.

Haven’t tried the adaptive lock screen clock on One UI 8.0 yet? To use it, long-press an empty area on the lock screen to enter editing mode, tap the clock, and under the Font and color tab, select the second option. The clock will then automatically adjust its shape based on the subject in your wallpaper, though you can manually reposition it if it doesn’t align perfectly. You may also have to select a simpler clock style under the Style tab for the adaptive clock to work.

Fans will get to test One UI 8.5 in beta starting sometime in late November, giving Samsung a chance to iron out any remaining issues ahead of the official release. For more about the next One UI update, watch the video below, and click here to find out if you have an eligible Galaxy smartphone or tablet.