The One UI 4.0 beta is finally here for the Galaxy S21 series of phones. One UI 4.0 is based on Android 12, and as you would expect from major OS upgrades, there's quite a lot of new stuff, changes, and improvements. We had the chance to dig into the first One UI 4.0 beta build ahead of release and found 18 new features and changes.
Like One UI 3.0, One UI 4.0 is all about refinements to the existing user experience. There's a special focus on improving privacy, with much of the enhancements coming from core Android 12, such as the ability to see which apps are currently using your device's mic or camera in the notification shade and the option to view permission usage history for apps for the past seven days.
Samsung has introduced a new Labs section in the Advanced features section of the Settings menu that lets you force split screen and pop-up view support for all apps. The overall UI smoothness and performance have also been enhanced, and there are also plenty of minor changes littered throughout the OS.
We discuss all of the stuff we have been able to find in the video below, so be sure to check it out! Since this is only the first beta release, it's possible Samsung will add new features down the line, and we will be digging into all future beta releases and bringing you all the details. Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don't miss out!