Samsung missed a few tricks with One UI 6.0 update

Last week, Samsung released the first One UI 6.0 beta update for the Galaxy S23 series in three countries, and more countries will get the update soon. The new software introduces dozens of new and improved features, along with a revamped UI design. However, One UI 6.0 still lacks some features that Galaxy users have long been requesting.

You can check out One UI 6.0 features in our video below. While I appreciate these new features, I can't help but notice that some features are still missing from Samsung's new software. Some of those features are minor, but some of them should've been added long ago.

One UI 6.0: List of missing features

1. Vertical app drawer option

Samsung has been using a horizontal layout for apps in the app drawer for more than a decade now. While most other Android phone makers have switched to a vertical layout, Samsung stuck to its tried and tested formula with the One UI 6.0 update. It would be nice to give users an option to switch to a vertical app drawer if they want to.

2. Volume control in Quick Settings section

The biggest visual change in One UI 6.0 is its new Quick Settings panel. It has moved to the stock Android 14-like layout, featuring two big toggles for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. But it doesn't bring volume control in Quick Settings like some rival Android phone makers are offering in their skins.

3. Basic app lock

Yes, I know you can hide apps and files inside Secure Folder, but there should also be a way to add a simple lock to apps without moving them entirely to Secure Folder. And it's not just me. Many Galaxy smartphone and tablet users have been requesting Samsung to add such a feature, but it hasn't been implemented with One UI 6.0.

4. More app icon shapes and native support for third-party icon packs

Samsung uses a squircle shape for icons on the home screen, app drawer, and several other places across One UI. And you can't change that shape. Other brands, including Google, offer a few more options (circle, square, and rounded square). I hoped Samsung would add support for more icon shapes with One UI 6.0, but it didn't.

While you can change the shape of icons and entire third-party icon packs using Good Lock's Theme Park module, it's usually buggy (not all icon shapes get changed), and most people won't use it unless it is a part of the stock app launcher. The company should think about bringing native support for changing whole icon packs or allowing users to change the shape of app icons and quick setting toggles.

5. More customization options for animations

Some One UI fans have been requesting Samsung to add multiple animation options for things like charging and fingerprint authentication. However, those requests haven't been accepted by Samsung yet. Brands like OnePlus, OPPO, and Realme offer multiple animation options for those UI elements.

6. More AoD styling options.

Samsung was among the first smartphone makers in the world to offer AoD (Always On Display), and it also offered users a way to customize how the AoD screen appears. Users can change the clock styling, font, placement, and other things. But the styling of those AoD elements has started to age, and Samsung needs to add more modern-looking fonts and iconography.

Despite Samsung being the first to add AoD styling, Apple now has more compelling AoD customization options. iOS 17 brings the ability to display widgets on AoD and change their orientation based on the phone's orientation.

7. Battery health percentage

One UI 6.0 displays the battery's health (whether it is in good or bad condition), but it doesn't display the actual battery health percentage like Apple does for iPhones. I hope Samsung brings that feature with the next big One UI update.

8. HDR photos and videos in Gallery

A few months ago, Google added the ability to display images in HDR format with Android 14. And it was expected that Samsung would integrate the feature into the next big One UI version, but One UI 6.0 lacks this feature. It's still not late, though. If it wants to, Samsung can still add the ability to display HDR images in the HDR format with the next One UI 6.0 beta updates.

9. Multi-user accounts

Although Galaxy Tab series devices offer the ability to add multiple user accounts, the feature has been curiously missing from its phones. Last year, Samsung added the feature with the first One UI 5.0 beta update but removed it in the subsequent beta updates. In One UI 6.0, the feature is nowhere to be found. It could be really useful for people who have a common secondary phone among their family members.