Samsung has officially announced the launch of the One UI 9 beta, based on Android 17, for Galaxy S26 phones, just hours before Google showcased some of Android 17's features at its Android Show I/O Edition event.

Starting this week, Galaxy S26 series users in select markets, including the US, UK, Germany, India, South Korea, and Poland, will be able to register for the beta program via the Samsung Members app.

Samsung also revealed the key features coming with the new update. The Samsung Contacts app now has an AI-powered Creative Studio tool for creating custom profile cards directly within the app.