Samsung’s One UI 8: Reinventing Lock Screens with a Twist

Samsung is wasting no time this year. Even though it’s only been a few months since the stable release of One UI 7 (based on Android 15), the company is already deep into beta testing One UI 8, which runs on Android 16. And if all goes according to plan, Samsung is aiming to push out the new update this summer — a bold move, considering major Android updates usually drop in the fall.

While we’ll have to wait and see how users react to the changes in One UI 8, the early beta builds already show promise. Features like an improved Now Bar, smoother animations, and call captions are all part of the package. But one particular upgrade stands out — and it’s one that fans have been waiting on for years.

A Smarter, More Dynamic Lock Screen Clock

One of the most talked-about features coming to One UI 8 is a new lock screen clock that can intelligently reshape itself around objects in your wallpaper. It’s Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Depth Effect, first introduced in iOS 16 back in 2022. That feature layered the clock behind elements of the wallpaper — like a person’s head or a pet — to create a subtle 3D look. Other Android brands followed suit, but Samsung held back.

Now, Samsung’s finally giving fans what they’ve been asking for — with a twist.

Instead of copying Apple’s approach, Samsung is doing things differently. As spotted by trusted leakers like @UniverseIce and @Topraks9plus, the new One UI 8 lock screen clock doesn’t move behind objects. Instead, it uses smart detection to reshape the digits. If part of the time display overlaps with, say, someone’s head in tios 16he photo, only that part of the clock adjusts, shrinking just one digit rather than changing the entire layout. It’s a subtle but clever way to make the clock feel more integrated with the wallpaper.

There’s even a smooth animation that shows how the digits change size as you reposition the clock during customization.

It looks very nice 😍 (BYFB S25U) pic.twitter.com/G9Ru3aCv0b

— Toprak (@Topraks9plus) June 26, 2025

Exclusive to the Galaxy S25 Ultra?

The feature was first spotted on a Galaxy S25 Ultra running the One UI 8 beta. Since the beta is currently limited to the S25 series in select regions, it’s not yet clear if this lock screen effect will be available on older models. It’s also possible that it may require newer hardware to function, though Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything yet.

That said, if this makes it into the final version of One UI 8 — and Samsung doesn’t change course — it’s likely to roll out to any eligible Galaxy device that supports the update.

Conclusion

It’s quite exciting to see a smartphone brand trying to do things differently from what seems to be a normal trend. Samsung’s One UI 8 system doesn’t just tick all the boxes but also sets its own path when it comes to the capabilities of the Android Lock screen. Even though this lock screen feature only forms a small part of the One UI update, it’s a testament to the fact that Samsung is determined to make personalization in One UI a lot smarter and stylish.

If you’re a Galaxy user looking forward to One UI 8, stay tuned — the summer rollout might arrive sooner than you think.