More Samsung phones are getting One UI 6.1 with Galaxy AI

Following an abortive earlier attempt, the One UI 6.1 update is now properly rolling out to the Galaxy S22 series in the US, along with a handful of other devices, Samsung confirmed on Friday. The main addition with 6.1 is Galaxy AI, something that originally premiered alongside the Galaxy S24 in January. The exact AI features available will depend on your device, but the S22 is getting every major item including Circle to Search, Chat Assist, Live Translate, Note Assist, Transcript Assist, Browsing Assist, Generative Edit, Edit Suggestion, and AI-Generated Wallpaper.

Other devices getting the same AI features include the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup. The first two (at least) should also get Interpreter. A reduced set of features is available to Galaxy S21 models, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 — specifically, just Circle to Search and Chat Assist.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of Galaxy AI‘s highlights:

• Circle to Search: Probably the biggest one for most users, this lets you circle anything onscreen and get results from Google, whether it includes text or images.
• Note Assist: Provides summarization and formatting help.
• Browsing Assist: Similar to Note Assist, but summarizes and translates webpages.
• Transcript Assist: Summaries and translates meetings.
• Live Translate: Real-time voice and text translations of phone calls.
• Interpreter: Translates your voice into text in real-time, showing it on a split screen if you’re using a foldable device.
• Chat Assist: Translates messages and/or adjusts their tone.

Samsung has been gradually deploying One UI 6.1 to more devices for months, such as the Galaxy S23 and Tab S9. The reason for the slow progress likely comes down to customizing, localizing, and testing each release, and perhaps not wanting to overwhelm servers.

What happened with the earlier One UI 6.1 rollout for the S22?

Samsung initially tried deploying One UI 6.1 to the Galaxy S22 a week ago, but users quickly discovered a lockscreen bug that caused the phone’s touchscreen to become unresponsive, according to Android Authority. That forced the company to pull the update. Presumably the issue has since been solved, but we’ll have to wait for more hands-on anecdotes (including our own) to guarantee smooth sailing.

Owners may still have to wait for the 6.1 update depending on their device and region. Companies like Apple and Samsung try to push out updates to as many countries as possible, though, so anyone not seeing it available today should probably have access within a short space of time, possibly only a few hours. You can check for 6.1’s availability by going to Settings -> Software update/System updates, then tapping on Download and install, Check for system updates, or Check for software updates. Menu labels may depend on where you bought your device, Samsung says.