One UI 9 is now available for the Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra, and the recently launched S26 FE. This follows its debut in August on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8, and arrives after a beta program specifically for the S26 series.
My FanCam Leads the New AI Tools
The headline feature is My FanCam, which automatically crops existing videos to keep a selected person centered throughout. It’s built for people filming concerts, school plays, or sporting events, keeping the subject in focus without constant manual adjustment. The tool requires a Samsung account and source footage of at least 720×720 pixels.
Several other tools round out the update:
- Now Brief gets an overhaul with editable daily summary cards covering weather, health data, or video topics
- Now Nudge now pulls personal information across the Galaxy ecosystem, surfacing details like reservation confirmations mid conversation in text messages
- Creative Studio suggests image generation prompts tied to upcoming events, like a friend’s birthday
- Interpreter gains a Thread View for clearer translated conversations, plus faster translation speeds when paired with Galaxy Buds
- Voice Recorder now produces structured summaries instead of raw transcripts
- Document Scan handles curved pages more reliably
Security Gets a Real Upgrade
Security is where One UI 9 makes its most substantive changes. A new Security Brief inside Now Brief summarizes privacy issues and flags malicious app activity in one place. Enhanced on-device Privacy Alerts catch apps attempting to access permissions they shouldn’t need.
Samsung also claims the system can now analyze voices for AI alterations, aimed squarely at defending against voice-phishing scams, a threat that’s grown more convincing as voice cloning tools have improved. Scam call detection is expanding to Japan, Canada, and India as part of the same push.
Rounding things out, a new Warranty and Care section in Settings consolidates device information, diagnostics, and service options into a single place, though this feature’s availability varies by region.
Free Features, Paid Features
Samsung reiterates that basic Galaxy AI features remain free. But the company is also flagging, clearly and deliberately, that enhanced Samsung features and third party AI tools may come with separate terms and fees down the line. Industry observers reading between the lines see this as an early signal of where Samsung’s AI monetization strategy is headed, even if nothing concrete has been priced out yet.
Getting the Update
The rollout is phased, starting in Korea on September 16 before expanding worldwide. Availability will vary by carrier and region, so patience matters here.
S26 owners can check for the update under Settings, in either “Software update” or “System updates” depending on device and carrier labeling. Samsung notes some installs require a Wi-Fi connection, and calls and files are unavailable while the update installs.
Worth knowing before diving in: full functionality requires enabling personal data intelligence for Now Brief and granting Now Nudge system access to contextual information across your Galaxy devices. That’s a real personalization for privacy trade-off, and Samsung is upfront that it’s asking users to make that call themselves.
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