One UI 8.5 beta could land on Galaxy S24 and FE models for the first time

If you have a Galaxy S24 or one of Samsung’s Fan Edition phones, it might be time to check the Samsung Members app. New signs show the company is getting ready to expand its One UI 8.5 beta program to more devices, and for the first time, the FE lineup could be included.

Tarun Vats on X noticed the first beta builds for the Galaxy S24 series on Samsung’s test servers. This kind of backend sign usually means a public beta launch is just a few days away.

But there’s something new. In another discovery, Vats also found builds for the Galaxy S25 FE and Galaxy S24 FE, adding, “FE devices usually don’t get public beta.”

He’s right. Historically, Samsung’s Fan Edition phones skip the beta process entirely. They wait, they watch, and eventually they receive the stable update alongside everyone else. If these builds go public, it would mark the first time FE owners get early access alongside the flagship models.

Samsung officially launched this software with the Galaxy S26 series back in February. But even before that, the beta program had been running on the S25 series (now on its seventh update), and recently expanded to the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. The S24 lineup and foldables like the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 were expected to jump straight to the stable build. Instead, Samsung appears to be inviting them to the testing party.

You might wonder why Samsung is still running betas if the stable build is already on the S26. Samsung appears to be cautious. The company faced criticism for problems in past rollouts, and One UI 8.5 brings enough visual changes to need extra testing. Instead of risking bugs on millions of devices, they are letting enthusiasts find any issues first.

If you have an S24, S24 FE, or S25 FE, open the Samsung Members app and look for beta banners. Enrollment slots usually fill quickly. If you prefer to avoid beta bugs, the stable rollout should arrive next month, as long as no major issues appear in these test builds.