TLDR: Samsung’s One UI 8 Beta, based on Android 16, is set to significantly bolster user privacy and security with the introduction of Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP) and advancements in Knox Matrix. These features aim to secure on-device AI functionalities, provide comprehensive cross-device threat detection, and introduce quantum-resistant encryption for network protection, debuting with new Galaxy devices and rolling out to existing ones.
Samsung is rolling out its One UI 8 Beta, built on the foundation of Android 16, marking a significant leap in mobile security and user privacy. This update, currently in beta testing for select smartphones including the Galaxy S25 series, introduces a suite of advanced features designed to safeguard personal data, particularly in the era of pervasive Artificial Intelligence.
At the forefront of these enhancements is Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP). This new architecture is specifically engineered to secure the next generation of personalized, AI-powered features. KEEP creates encrypted, app-specific storage environments within the device’s secure area, ensuring that each application can only access its own sensitive information. This is crucial for features like Galaxy’s Personal Data Engine (PDE), which tracks user habits and preferences to offer personalized suggestions. KEEP works in conjunction with Knox Vault, Samsung’s tamper-resistant hardware security environment, to keep deeply personal insights—such as routines and preferences used by features like Now Brief and Smart Gallery search—entirely on-device and protected. Samsung emphasizes that this system-level structure allows KEEP to scale across various Galaxy AI innovations, enabling more advanced AI experiences without compromising privacy.
Further strengthening the security ecosystem, Samsung is evolving Knox Matrix, its private blockchain-based security system, to offer more proactive and user-friendly protection across connected Galaxy devices. With One UI 8, if a device is flagged for serious risk, such as system manipulation or identity forgery, it is designed to automatically sign out of the Samsung Account. This action helps prevent threats from spreading across the user’s connected ecosystem. Users will also receive notifications across all their Galaxy devices, guiding them to the ‘Security status of your devices’ page to take immediate action against any detected issues. Even devices without the latest update can trigger warnings when anomalies are detected.
Network security also receives a substantial upgrade with Secure Wi-Fi now supporting Post-Quantum Cryptography (EDP). This enhancement is designed to secure key exchanges from future quantum computing attacks, providing a robust defense for data transmitted over public networks. Additionally, features like Auto Protect, which automatically secures Wi-Fi in public places, and Enhanced Privacy Protection, which hides phone information, add extra layers of safety. A protection log will allow users to review which apps and networks have been secured.
These innovations underscore Samsung’s multi-layered security approach, which integrates protections across both hardware and software. Core safeguards like Knox Vault continue to secure sensitive credentials such as passwords, PINs, and biometrics in a physically isolated environment, protecting them even if the main operating system is compromised. Features like Auto Blocker also help prevent unauthorized app installations and mitigate command-based or zero-click attacks.
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Samsung is currently conducting the One UI 8 beta testing in several regions, including Germany, India, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with plans to expand to more regions soon. The company has officially confirmed that One UI 8.0 will launch on July 9, debuting with the new Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 series foldable phones, along with the Galaxy Watch8 series, at the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event in New York. The upgraded security suite will subsequently roll out to existing devices.
