Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR The One UI 8.5 beta is live for the Galaxy S25 series, but it lacks the Bixby upgrades previously mentioned in leaks.
Missing features include natural language device control, instant answers, and chat history.
Samsung may add these features in later betas, or they could be reserved for the Galaxy S26 pending a rumored integration with Perplexity.
One UI 8.5 beta program is now live for the Galaxy S25 series in some regions. The update has just started rolling out now, and while everyone is busy diving in and figuring out what is new, there has been one curious omission from the official changelog: Bixby.
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Bixby was a prominent line item in the leaked One UI 8.5 changelog, but is curiously absent from the official changelog as presented in the UK. As it turns out, the leaked changelog was very largely accurate, except for Bixby.
This is what the leaked changelog mentioned about Bixby: Bixby: Smarter device control: Talk to Bixby in your own words. Bixby is now better at finding the setting or feature you need, even if you don’t use exact commands or feature names. Just say what you need and let Bixby do the rest. Ask anything, anytime: Whether you need a quick answer or detailed information, just ask Bixby for an instant response. There’s no need to spend time on multiple searches or switching between apps. Conversation history: Looking back at past conversations with Bixby is easier than ever. You can now access your conversation history from the side panel in the Bixby app.
The language used in the leaked changelog doesn’t indicate that this is a translation; it seems like the Bixby bits were intended to be displayed in regions where English is spoken as a first language, so the argument that the Bixby changes are intended only for some areas (potentially South Korea) doesn’t hold as much water.
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