Last week, Samsung released the One UI 6.1 update for the Galaxy S21 in South Korea and Europe. Now, the company has released the update for unlocked Galaxy S21 units in the US. Other regions could get the update in the next few days.

Unlocked Galaxy S21 units get One UI 6.1 update in the USA

Samsung's newest One UI version is now available for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra in the US. The update is available for factory-unlocked units and comes with firmware version G99xU1UEUAGXDE. This is a huge update, so we advise you to download the update via a Wi-Fi network. The new software doesn't include the May 2024 security patch.

Galaxy S21 One UI 6.1 features

The One UI 6.1 update brings several new features, some of which are powered by Galaxy AI. Those features include Circle to Search, AI-powered image editing recommendations, copying objects from one image and pasting to another, more accurate image clipping, improved search in the Gallery app, and the ability to change the playback speed of certain parts of a video. You can start editing videos, export the editing file to another Galaxy device, and continue editing there.

You can decorate wallpapers, add new widgets to the lock screen, customize alarm alerts, add personalized stickers to calendar entries, customize reminder alerts, and choose icons for reminder categories. One UI 6.1 lets you turn off/on Modes & Routines from the home screen. You can reorder Modes and set new Routines conditions.

The update also brings the new Quick Share feature, locate your devices from the dedicated Samsung Find app, share your location with others, and sync Samsung Internet tab groups with other devices. Samsung Cloud offers enhanced data protection, while Samsung Wallet now supports passkeys.

If you want to upgrade from your Galaxy S21, look at the Galaxy S23 or the Galaxy S23+ in our video below. Both phones offer brighter screens, faster processing, better cameras, and longer battery life than the Galaxy S21.

In Samsung Health, you can compete with yourself by comparing your workout results against your previous records. You can have more daily targets, including active hours and floors climbed. Women can record moods and physical symptoms while tracking their menstrual cycles in Samsung Health.

With One UI 6.1, Microphone Modes and Video Call Effects are easier to access. The Weather widget offers more information. You can open all minimized apps at once and input text using voice without leaving the keyboard. There are more ways to protect your Galaxy S21's battery while charging. The Finder screen now offers matching results from the web via Google Search. The update also adds the Google Messages app if it wasn't present.

Thanks for the tip, R. Scott Herron!

The post One UI 6.1 starts rolling out to Galaxy S21 in the US appeared first on SamMobile.

After a few months of waiting, Samsung's 2021 and 2022 flagship phones have finally started getting the highly anticipated One UI 6.1 update with Galaxy AI features. Yesterday, Samsung began the One UI 6.1 rollout for the Galaxy Z3 and Z4 lineups, the Galaxy S21 series, and the Galaxy S22 trio of 2022 flagships.

At the moment, the One UI 6.1 update is available only in Korea, but it should reach more markets soon, even though Samsung may have halted the update for the Galaxy S22 due to alleged boot issues.

In any case, this firmware release brings many new features and at least one under-the-hood change you need to be aware of if you're a latecomer to One UI 6.1 and are now waiting for this fresh release.

Without further ado, here are the first things you should do once you get One UI 6.1 on your 2021 or 2022 high-end phone.

Bring back Notification Categories

One of the One UI 6.1 update's quirks is that it hides the Notification Categories menu, preventing users from managing notification types on the go.

As you probably know, the brilliant Notification Categories feature lets One UI users choose which notification types they can receive from apps individually. For example, it lets you turn off miscellaneous and marketing notifications for apps while keeping other, more important notification types enabled.

More so, this feature lets users manage notification types on the fly by tapping and holding a notification they don't like and turning it off with just a few screen taps.

Although this feature is now hidden in One UI 6.1, it still exists, and you can bring it back. To do this, open the Settings app, access “Notifications,” go to “Advanced settings,” and tap the “Manage notification categories for each app” toggle ON.

Beware the missing Samsung gestures

One other change you need to be aware of once you update your phone to One UI 6.1 is that Samsung navigation gestures are gone. The only remaining options are on-screen nav buttons and the arguably superior Google navigation gestures.

However, if you prefer Samsung gestures and you're actively using them, you won't be able to once you update to One UI 6.1. But fortunately, there is a way to re-enable them.

You can bring Samsung gestures back through the NavStar Good Lock module, regardless of whether or not you're in a market where Good Lock is supported. Check out our full guide for more details on how to use Samsung gestures in One UI 6.1.

Try these Galaxy AI features

On the more enjoyable side of things, the One UI 6.1 update brings Galaxy AI to your older flagship phone. For 2022 Galaxy flagships, the AI suite consists of almost everything that debuted with the Galaxy S24 series, except for Instant Slow Mo inside the Gallery app.

For 2021 flagships, things look a bit sadder, as it seems like there's only one Galaxy AI feature available for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, and Galaxy S21 series, and that is Circle to Search.

Once you get One UI 6.1, you'll probably want to try some Galaxy AI tools before others. We recommend taking Generative Wallpaper, Generative Edit, and Circle to Search for a spin.

• To access Generative Edit, pinch the home screen, go to “Wallpaper and style,” tap “Change wallpapers,” select “Generative” under the Creative category, and start generating AI wallpapers based on keywords.
• To use Generative Edit, open the Gallery app, select an image you want to edit, tap the pencil-shaped button, and then press the Generative AI icon that looks like a couple of stars on a blue gradient background. Check our review for all you need to know about Generative AI.
• To use Circle to Search, simply tap and hold the home button/gesture handle and then circle around or tap objects on the screen to view relevant web searches. It's that simple.

Galaxy AI brings a few other tools you may try, albeit they are focused more on productivity. As long as you are using a 2022 flagship model with One UI 6.1, you can summarize articles in Samsung Internet and Samsung Notes, use the new AI-powered Interpreter, translate calls on the fly, and even change the tone of your messages with Chat Assist.

Lastly, you should keep in mind that you can manage most of these new Galaxy AI features individually by opening the Settings app, accessing “Advanced features,” and tapping “Advanced intelligence.”

The post Things to do once you get One UI 6.1 on your Galaxy phone appeared first on SamMobile.

The Galaxy S24 series brought One UI 6.1, and one of the highlights of the new software is Galaxy AI, a suite of AI-powered features that come in very handy in day-to-day life.

Last month, the company rolled out One UI 6.1 to its flagship smartphones and tablets from last year, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy S23 series, and the Galaxy Tab S9 series, along with most of the AI-powered features from the Galaxy S24.

Yesterday, Samsung released One UI 6.1 to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3. While One UI 6.1 on the S22, Fold 4, and Flip 4 comes with the same set of Galaxy AI features that we see on newer devices, it is severely restricted on the Fold 3, Flip 3, and S21. These three devices only get one Galaxy AI feature and that's Google Circle to Search.

Why hasn’t Samsung brought the remaining Galaxy AI features, including Live Translation, Chat Assist, Generative Edit, and Browsing Assist, on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy S21? Well, it could either be because these devices don’t have enough processing power and memory or Samsung doesn’t want to offer Galaxy AI to older devices.

If it is the latter, the brand might be taking that approach because if it keeps bringing new features to old devices, people might not upgrade to a new phone, and that's not something any brand, including Samsung, would want. Still, it's disappointing, and Samsung may have to deal with some backlash because of the decision.

The post One UI 6.1 for Galaxy S21, Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3 lacks most Galaxy AI features appeared first on SamMobile.