Samsung is already testing Android 17-based One UI 9 on your brand new Galaxy S26

Samsung just kicked off global sales of its latest flagship phones last week, but the company is already moving on to the next big software update. Early signs suggest that work on One UI 9, based on Android 17, has quietly begun, and the first internal builds have appeared on Samsung’s servers.

According to tipster Tarun Vats on X, the first internal One UI 9 firmware for the Galaxy S26 series has shown up on Samsung’s servers.

This build, labeled BZC5, confirms that Samsung has begun internal testing of the Android 17-based software.

There aren’t any big changes yet. Early builds usually have some rough spots, and this one is no different. So far, the visual updates are small. Max Jambor posted on X about slightly larger brightness and volume sliders in the Quick Panel on his Galaxy S26 Ultra, and a settings change that puts Parental Controls in its own section instead of under Digital Wellbeing.

If this seems early, it’s because Samsung has been changing how it releases new versions of One UI. In the past, the Galaxy S series usually launched with the latest Android version. Now, Samsung seems to be matching its schedule more closely with Google’s Android releases.

Android 17 is still being developed and is in the early testing stages. If Google follows its usual schedule, the new Android version could be officially announced at Google I/O in May, with stable releases starting around June.

Even though development has started, One UI 9 won’t be released right away. If Samsung sticks to last year’s schedule, a public beta might come out in late May or early June, letting testers try the new software early.

The stable version probably won’t arrive until September, and it may first appear on new devices. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 with One UI 9 pre-installed before updating existing devices like the Galaxy S26 series.