Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 8.5 update for the Galaxy A07. As Samsung’s most budget-friendly smartphone in its lineup, I was curious to see which features would actually make it into this update — so let’s take a closer look.
For reference, the Galaxy S25 FE received its One UI 8.5 update back around May 10. It makes sense that the Galaxy A07, sitting at the bottom of the lineup, would be among the last to receive it. It also looks like Samsung has wrapped up the entire One UI 8.5 rollout by June, right on schedule for the first half of the year.
Update Size & Security Patch
The One UI 8.5 update for the Galaxy A07 weighs in at approximately 2.3 GB, which includes the May security patch. The April patch was also delivered previously, so security updates have been coming through consistently.
For comparison, the Galaxy S25 FE’s One UI 8.5 update was around 3.4 GB — about 30% larger — so you’d expect some features to be trimmed on the A07.
What’s Included in the Galaxy A07 One UI 8.5 Update
Visual Design — A refreshed UI with transparent blur effects for added depth, floating UI elements that adapt to context, and improved data visualization to help users focus on what matters.
Home & Lock Screen — New downloadable wallpapers with interactive elements (only the ones you need, so no wasted storage). Lock screen clock customization has been expanded, including adjustable font weight to match your wallpaper.
Weather — The home screen weather widget now shows precipitation graphs when rain is expected within a few hours. Pollen index information has also been added for trees, grass, and ragweed.
Communication — A new Direct Voice Message feature lets callers leave voice messages directly on your phone when you can’t pick up.
Clock — Alarms now display the current weather in the background so you can start your day informed. A timezone comparison slider has also been added for easily checking time differences across multiple cities.
Quick Share — You can now restrict file sharing to only devices signed into your Samsung or Google account.
Samsung Health — Workout sharing now supports custom images combining your activity data and photos. Meditation sessions can now be started from a Galaxy Watch, and antioxidant measurement is available directly on Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch Ultra even without the phone nearby.
Battery — The battery info screen has been redesigned to show charge status, protection settings, and weekly usage all in one place. Power saving mode now lets you customize which features to restrict, and an Ultra Power Saving mode turns off non-essential functions to maximize battery life.
Security & Privacy — A new stolen device protection feature locks the screen after repeated authentication failures. The Repair Mode auto-disable timer lets you temporarily turn off the security block with an automatic 30-minute re-enable timer.
Accessibility — Improved magnification behavior when using a mouse or keyboard, now with smoother tracking and corner-triggered zoom movement.
Other Improvements — Quick settings panel is now fully customizable in any order. Reminders can be set to notify you ahead of time. Samsung Notes gains table support with adjustable column width, colors, and borders plus auto-calculation. The Samsung Internet new tab page has been reorganized for faster access. Calculator now suggests numbers and formulas from the clipboard. The side button can now be configured to launch Google Gemini.
And the biggest headline: Circle to Search is now supported on the Galaxy A07. Just draw a circle around anything on your screen — images, videos, or text — to get instant search results with Google AI Overview. Music identification is also available without switching apps.
My Take
The Galaxy A07 doesn’t get Galaxy AI, Bixby, or DeX-related features — those were never part of its spec sheet to begin with. Camera enhancements, weather live wallpapers, and some cross-device connectivity features are also absent.
That said, I’m genuinely pleased with two additions: the ability to summon Google Gemini with a side button press, and the arrival of Circle to Search. Other devices running MediaTek’s Helio G99 have supported Circle to Search for a while, so it feels a bit overdue — but it’s still great to see it land on Samsung’s most affordable phone. Given the Galaxy A07’s global sales volume, it probably made business sense for Samsung to include it.
The Galaxy A07 is also covered under Samsung’s 6-year update support policy, including up to six OS upgrades. It’ll be interesting to see how much of the next One UI version actually makes it to this hardware.
- Galaxy A07 Unboxing and User Review
- Galaxy S25 FE One UI 8.5 Update – Call Screening is a Game Changer