Leaked One UI 5.1 changelist reveals new features coming first to the Galaxy S23 line

Can you feel it? This coming Wednesday, February 1st, Samsung will hold the latest Unpacked event and that means the company will unveil the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Just about all of the hardware specs have been leaked as has the pricing in the U.S., Europe, and some other markets. Germany's WinFuture has been the source of some leaks and has done it again.

This time, the online publication has leaked the One UI 5.1 changelist for the Galaxy S23 series. One UI is the Samsung interface that moves tappable elements to the bottom of the screen. This makes them more easily reachable for those with small hands who are using a large-screened phone one-handed.

WinFuture originally published the changelist in German but we used the translation feature available with the Microsoft Edge browser to translate it into English. The One UI 5.1 update will eventually find its way to other handsets besides the Galaxy S23 series (including the Galaxy S22 series). However, one feature called "AI Restoration" will reportedly be found only on the Galaxy S23 line. This sounds like it could be similar to the Photo Unblur feature for the Pixel 7 series. Photo Unblur fixes old, blurry photos in the Google Photos app even those that were taken using another camera.

The leaked and translated One UI 5.1 changelist is as follows:

Easily change the hue of your selfies using the "Effects" button on the side of the screen.

• Quick access to Expert RAW

Expert RAW app allows you to capture high-quality images without processing or compression, perfect for those who want to edit their photos later. Accessing Expert RAW is now easier from the Advanced menu.

Gallery:

• Shared Family Album

With Shared Family Album, sharing photos with your family is easier than ever. Gallery recommends photos that you can add to your shared family album by recognizing the faces of your family members. Plus, you get 5GB of storage per family member (up to 6 people).

• Improved handling

Processing automatically removes shadows and reflections to make your photos look great. You can also recreate GIFs for better resolution and clarity.

• Convenient display of information

When you swipe up when viewing an image or video in your gallery, you can see at a glance when and where the image was taken, on which device, where it's stored, and more.

• Search has become more powerful

You can now search for more than one person or item at a time. You can even search for people without tagging their names by simply clicking on their faces.

• Choose a location to save screenshots

Now you can save screenshots and screen captures to a folder of your choice by setting it up in the advanced features.

AR Zone and AR Emoji:

• Use 3 emojis in AR emoji camera

Take funny photos and videos with friends (up to 3 people) in mask mode. You can replace your friends' faces with other characters by clicking on the emoji.

• Layout and editing improvements in AR Doodles

The brushes are now available on AR Doodle's main screen for faster access. You can also resize and move drawings after they are created, and the new Eraser tool lets you delete only a portion of your drawings without deleting them completely.

Widgets:

• New battery widget

The new battery widget allows you to check the battery level of your Galaxy devices. Right from the home screen, you can see how much battery your smartphone, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch and other supported devices have left.

• Intuitive weather widget

The new illustration style and a summary of current weather conditions make it easy to know the weather information, whether it's sunny, cloudy, raining or snowing.

Modes and scenarios:

• Different wallpapers depending on the mode

Set different wallpapers on the lock screen and home screen depending on your current activity. Choose a background for work, one for sports, and more when setting different modes.

• Additional conditions and actions for scenarios

Run scripts automatically when you turn on airplane mode or mobile hotspot. Scripts can now open some apps, adjust left/right audio balance, and more. With new actions, you can now control Quick Share and touch sensitivity, as well as change the ringtone and font style.

Connectivity:

• Collaborate in Samsung Notes

Create a shared note that multiple people can edit at once. Write a report with colleagues, take notes for a study group, or draw a picture with a friend. The possibilities are endless.

• Inviting to shared apps made easy

Now you can easily invite people to shared albums, notes, and calendars using a link that can be shared through apps like messenger, email, and social networks.

• Advanced multiple control between Galaxy Book and smartphone

Now you can use your Galaxy Book's mouse, keyboard, or trackpad not only with your Galaxy tablet, but also with your Galaxy smartphone. You can easily copy and paste text and drag and drop images from one device to another as if they were the same device. (1)

• Media output for Wi-Fi speakers

If you still want to listen to music on Wi-Fi speakers via Spotify Connect and Chromecast built-in, just open Media Output from the Quick Access Toolbar, not the Music apps. (2)

• Continue browsing on your PC

If you browse the web with Samsung Internet on your smartphone and then continue browsing on your PC, you can find the websites you have opened on your smartphone and continue browsing them using the PC browser. (3)

Samsung DeX:

• Improved multitasking in DeX

In split screen mode, you can now drag the splitter in the center of the screen to resize both windows. You can also align a window to one of the corners so that it occupies a quarter of the screen.

Settings:

• Recruitment suggestions

Suggestions now appear at the top of the settings screen, letting you know about useful features to try or settings that need your attention so you can turn them on or try them right away.


Samsung Internet:

• Improved search

You can now search for folder names in bookmarks or group names in tabs. Improved search logic allows you to find what you're looking for, even if something is misspelled.

Setup Wizard:

• Faster and easier initial setup of your new Galaxy

When you switch from a Galaxy or other Android device to a new Galaxy, just scan the QR code on your old device to automatically transfer your Wi-Fi networks, Samsung account, and Google account to the new device without typing anything. (4)

Weather:

• Detailed weather information at a glance

Useful weather information is now displayed on the main screen of the Weather app. You can check severe weather alerts, daily weather reports, hourly precipitation, and color temperature graphs.

Calls:

• Bixby text calls

Use Bixby text calls to automatically answer calls and figure out the purpose of the call. You can see what the caller is saying in a text chat, and you can tap or type answers that are read out loud to the caller. Bixby text calls are only available in English and Korean.

Some of the more interesting changes include the addition of a battery widget as both iPhone and Pixel handsets already have one available. We like the ability to use a QR code to move over your Wi-Fi information from an older Galaxy phone to a new one. And with One UI 5.1, if you use the Samsung Internet app on your phone, any pages you open on the phone will appear on your PC browser.

The new features that you are looking forward to will probably differ. Or as they say, your mileage may vary.