Samsung One UI 8.5 Drives Galaxy Users to Replace Default Apps and Launcher
Updated
Updated · How-To Geek · Jul 1
Samsung One UI 8.5 Drives Galaxy Users to Replace Default Apps and Launcher
3 articles · Updated · How-To Geek · Jul 1
Summary
One UI 8.5 is pushing some Galaxy users to abandon Samsung’s default home screen and apps in favor of custom launchers and third-party alternatives.
The backlash centers on inconsistent redesigns across stock apps—awkward spacing, heavier gradients, oversized contact cards and new visual effects that many users see as clutter rather than improvement.
Samsung’s AI push has intensified the frustration: floating search bars now appear across apps, adding confusion and making search harder to reach, while the new Perplexity-based Bixby is described as chattier but less reliable.
That software dissatisfaction is feeding broader comparisons with rivals, with Motorola’s foldables cited as offering cleaner Android design and better multitasking while Samsung’s long-standing software lead appears to be slipping.