The Galaxy S26 trio is finally here, and with it comes One UI 8.5. Samsung might be waiting until the summer to roll out its next big shake-up for its version of Android, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t seeing some new visual elements in this mid-cycle release. As we’ve come to expect, at least one element on the S26’s software is ripped right from Samsung’s closest rival.
During his hands-on with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, 9to5Google‘s Ben Schoon noticed the page indicators on Samsung’s home screen now support a search function, allowing you to quickly pull up information from both on-device data and the web. That includes calendar appointments, photos, notes, files, and much more, and it’s complete with Galaxy AI integration to help locate specific details faster. That all sounds well and good, and utilizing this space for an easily-available search shortcut compared to Google’s built-in search bar is pretty ingenious. It’s also, crucially, not Samsung’s idea.
This shortcut is taken directly from iOS, which gives users a nearly-identical search function in the exact same manner. Like on One UI 8.5, Apple’s Spotlight implementation supports locating data from both on-device spaces and the web. In fact, the biggest difference between the two is the name. Rather than utilizing a more generic “Search” label, Samsung’s gone with a new identity for its Spotlight rival, and it’s literally called “Finder,” dropping the ‘S’ branding from the search bar altogether.
While I think this is obviously an excellent upgrade for Samsung users, it’s also some of the most blatant Apple inspiration we’ve seen from this company in a minute, and after last year’s launch of the Galaxy S25 Edge, that’s really saying something. Honestly, the selected name practically borders on trolling — Finder has been around since the first Mac shipped over 40 years ago, and for Samsung to borrow the name feels particularly pointed.
As a fan of this feature on iOS — and as someone who tends to recreate the Pixel’s perma-search bar on non-Google devices through repeated search widgets — I’m pretty happy to see an improved search experience coming to Galaxy devices. But even for Samsung, this one feels like it’s practically crossing a line, to the point where I wonder if a hasty rebrand for this feature lies in One UI’s future.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is now available to pre-order at Samsung.com, with up to $900 in trade-in value or $150 in store credit for additional devices if you forego a trade-in altogether.
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