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What you need to know
- Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 8 update, based on Android 16, for the Galaxy S22 series.
- The update is live in Europe and other regions, carrying build number GYI7 and a September 2025 patch.
- One UI 8 is the final major Android update for the Galaxy S22 lineup, delivering Samsung's four-year promise.
- The update adds select Galaxy AI tools like Call Captions, but skips features such as Now Brief and Writing Assistants.
Unlike One UI 7, which was based on Android 15 and rolled out slowly for most Galaxy flagship devices, Samsung has been much more proactive with Android 16. Now, another older Galaxy series is joining the party, as Samsung has started rolling out One UI 8 for the Galaxy S22 series.
As first spotted by Tarun Vats on X, Samsung has begun the One UI 8 rollout for Galaxy S22 series phones in Europe. However, based on replies to Vats' post, users in other regions, including the Middle East and Asia, have also started receiving the update. There's no confirmation yet on whether the update has reached the U.S. market.
The One UI 8 firmware for the Galaxy S22 series carries the build number GYI7 and weighs around 3.1GB. Interestingly, the update includes the September 2025 security patch instead of October's, but thankfully, it is still based on Android 16.
Samsung rolls out Android 16 for Galaxy S22 series
With this, Samsung has actually beaten brands like OnePlus and other Android OEMs to release Android 16 for its older flagships before many have even updated their latest models. For reference, OnePlus is set to announce its Android 16 update on October 16, 2025.
As for the Galaxy S22 series, One UI 8 marks its final major Android update. Samsung had promised four years of major OS upgrades for the 2022 flagship lineup, and with this release, the company has delivered on that commitment.
Samsung is already testing One UI 8.5, but there's no word yet on whether the S22 series will receive it. One UI 8, on the other hand, does bring some Galaxy AI features to the S22 series, including Call Captions and improved portrait generation, though it misses out on other AI features like Now Brief and Drawing and Writing Assistants.
If you haven't received the update yet on your Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, or Galaxy S22 Ultra, you can check manually by going to Settings > Software Update > Download and install and tapping Check for update.
