Everything about One UI version 5.1

Introduction

Samsung's 2023 Galaxy S flagship lineup was announced in February, and with it came a minor One UI update. Minor only in name. One UI 5.1 is an iterative update after One UI 5.0, but even so, it brought numerous small changes and meaningful additions, both aesthetically and in terms of functionality.

In addition, One UI 5.1 also brings improvements for Galaxy Book laptop users, thanks to better interconnectivity between Galaxy devices and what could be described as Samsung's growing mobile device ecosystem.

One UI 5.1 design and enhancements

One UI 5.1 didn't make drastic changes to Samsung's proprietary user interface for Android. However, the update included a few minor tweaks, such as independent wallpapers for Modes and Routines, new lock screen customization options, and some minor changes to the sound volume icons and the Media Output interface.

Perhaps the biggest visual changes in One UI 5.1 come in the form of new widgets, such as a dynamic weather widget and an improved Smart suggestions widget, and a new battery widget that supports both the host Galaxy phone or tablet and connected wearable devices.

One UI 5.1 features

In terms of new features, Samsung enhanced the Gallery's Photo Remaster AI capabilities, added a quick shortcut to Expert RAW inside the Camera app, enabled custom wallpapers, ringtones, fonts, and touch-sensitivity controls to Modes and Routines, and even added a shared family album to the Gallery app.

Speaking of which, the Gallery app got new search features allowing users to find people by tapping their faces. And the same app also received a revamped info display. Furthermore, One UI 5.1 users get the option to change where screenshots and screen recordings are saved on the device's memory.

With One UI 5.1, Samsung made it easier for Galaxy devices to connect to Wi-Fi speakers. And thanks to the same update, Galaxy Book users can share the laptop's mouse, keyboard, and trackpad to control Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Split-Screen and Pop-Up View received a few meaningful tweaks for easier mobile multitasking, such as a “Recent apps” section for multi-window and a new full-screen gesture for Pop-Up View. Even Samsung DeX improved by allowing users to resize two Split-Screen apps simultaneously and with the addition of corner window-snap support.

Settings suggestions were added to the app with the same name to enhance the user experience across Galaxy devices. And the AR Emoji Camera app was upgraded to allow users to assign mask emojis to the faces of up to three people.

One UI 5.1 release

Samsung released One UI 5.1 alongside the Galaxy S23 series on February 1 at Unpacked 2023. And surprisingly, Samsung rolled out the update to older Galaxy devices — including the S20, S21, S22, Fan Edition phones, Z Fold 4, and Z Flip 4 — before the S23 pre-order period had ended, making it one of the quickest firmware updates in the company's history.