Samsung One UI 5.1 will adopt Android 13’s new media controls, let you change screenshot folder

Ben Schoon | Jan 29 2023 - 9:29 am PT

As seems to be tradition at this point, Samsung is launching a notable update to its One UI skin with the upcoming Galaxy S23 series, with One UI 5.1 set to take the stage and eventually expand to older models. Here’s what the update changes.

Reported by WinFuture and SnoopyTech this weekend, One UI 5.1 appears to be a relatively small update on the whole, but one with some useful changes and tweaks.

Many of the changes start with the camera, which include making it easier to change color tones and access Samsung’s Expert RAW app. There are also several changes to Samsung’s Gallery app, but perhaps the most interesting is that Samsung is adding the ability to save screenshots in a location of the user’s choice. Samsung’s Gallery app can already separate out screenshots from shots from the camera, but this doesn’t happen in other photo apps such as Google Photos. It sounds like that might finally change with One UI 5.1.

This update also brings new battery and weather widgets, updates to AR Emoji (Samsung’s Memoji clone), improvements to DeX and Samsung Notes, better connectivity with Windows PCs, and more.

Another notable addition is the new media player from Android 13 which supports Wi-Fi speakers using Cast or Spotify Connect. Google just announced that functionality earlier this year, with support not even rolled out to Pixel phones yet.

Samsung One UI 5.1 will arrive first on the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra when the series launches on February 1. Reservations are open until January 31 to get up to $100 in extra credit when you put in your pre-order – that offer won’t be available after launch.

After launching on the S23, Samsung has confirmed this new update will expand to every flagship device launched since the Galaxy S20 series – we’ve got a full list of devices eligible for One UI 5.1 here.

The full changelog follows, as pulled from Snoopy’s tweets.

Camera

Change the color tone for a selfie just got easier

Easily change the color tone of your selfies with the Effects button on the side of the screen.

Quick access to Expert RAW

The Expert RAW app lets you capture high quality images without processing or compression, perfect for those who want to be able to edit their photos later. Accessing Expert RAW is now easier from the Advanced menu.

Gallery

Shared Family Album

With Shared Family Album, sharing photos with your family is easier than ever. Gallery will recommend photos to add to your shared family album by recognizing the faces of your family members. You also get 5 GB of storage per family member (up to 6 people).

Improved Handling

Processing automatically removes shadows and reflections to make your photos look great. You can also remake GIFs for better resolution and clarity.

Convenient information display

When you swipe up while viewing an image or video in your gallery, you can see at a glance when and where the image was taken, on what device, where it is stored, and more

Search has become more powerful

You can now search for more than one person or item at the same time. You can even search for people without tagging their names, just by clicking on their faces.

Choose a location to save screenshots

Now you can save screenshots and screen recordings in a folder of your choice by setting it up in advanced features.

AR Zone and AR Emoji

Use 3 emojis in AR Emoji Camera

Take funny photos and videos with friends (up to 3 people) in Mask mode. You can replace the faces of your friends with other characters by clicking on the emoji.

Layout and editing improvements in AR Doodles

The brushes are now available on the main screen of AR Doodle for faster access. You can also resize and move drawings even after they’ve been created, and the new Eraser tool lets you erase only part of your drawings without deleting them entirely.

Widgets

New battery widget

The new battery widget lets you check the battery level of your Galaxy devices. Right on the home screen, you can see how much battery is left on your smartphone, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, and other supported devices.

Intuitive weather widget

The new illustration style and a summary of current weather conditions make it easy to know the weather information, whether it’s sunny, cloudy, raining or snowing.

Different wallpapers depending on the mode

Set different wallpaper on lock screen and home screen depending on your current activities. Choose one wallpaper for work, one for sports, and more when you set different modes.

More conditions and actions for scenarios

Automatically run scripts when you turn on Airplane Mode or Mobile Hotspot Scripts can now open a couple of apps, adjust left/right audio balance, and more. New actions now allow you to control Quick Share and touch sensitivity, as well as change the ringtone and font style.

Connectivity

Collaboration in Samsung Notes

Create a shared note that multiple people can edit at the same time. Write a report with colleagues, take notes for a study group, or draw a picture with a friend. The possibilities are endless

Inviting to Shared Apps Made Easy

Now you can easily invite people to shared albums, notes, and calendars using a link that can be shared through apps like messenger, email, and social networks.

Advanced multi-control between Galaxy Book and smartphone

Now you can use your Galaxy Book’s mouse, keyboard, or trackpad not only with your Galaxy tablet, but also with your Galaxy smartphone. You can easily copy and paste text and drag and drop images from one device to another as if it were the same device.

Continue browsing on PC

If you surf the web using Samsung Internet on your smartphone and then. continue browsing on your PC, you can find the websites you have opened on your smartphone and continue browsing them using the PC browser.

Hide smartphone notifications on TV

When watching content from a smartphone on a TV using Smart View, you can hide notifications on the TV to prevent others from seeing your personal Information.

Multitasking

Easily minimize window or switch to full screen mode

Now you can minimize or maximize the application window without going to the settings menu. Just drag one of the corners of the popup.

Simplified access to the most used applications in split screen mode

When you launch split screen, the apps you use most often will be displayed under recently used apps to help you find them faster.

Samsung DeX

Improved multitasking in Dex

In split screen mode, you can now drag the splitter in the center of the screen to resize both windows. You can also snap a window to one of the corners so that it takes up a quarter of the screen.

Media output for Wi-Fi speakers

If you want to continue listening to music on Wi-Fi speakers via Spotify Connect and the built-in Chromecast, simply open Media Output from the Quick Access Toolbar, not from the music apps.