Samsung Experience

This article is about the software overlay by Samsung Electronics. For the company's retail chain, see Samsung Experience Store.

Samsung Experience

Samsung Experience 8.1 (based on Android Nougat) running on a Samsung Galaxy S8
Developer	Samsung Electronics
OS family	Android (Based on Linux), Unix-like
Working state	Discontinued
Source model	Open source with proprietary components
Initial release	December 7, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-12-07)
Final release	Samsung Experience 10.0 (Android 9.0) / 2019
Available in	100+ languages and 25 locales worldwide
Update method	Firmware over-the-air
Kernel type	Monolithic (modified Linux kernel)
Default user interface	Graphical
Preceded by	TouchWiz
Succeeded by	One UI

Samsung Experience (stylized as SΛMSUNG Experience) was the name of the software overlay by Samsung for its Galaxy devices running Android 7.x “Nougat” and Android 8.x “Oreo”. It was introduced in late 2016 on a beta build based on Android 7.0 “Nougat” for the Galaxy S7, succeeding TouchWiz.^[1] It has been succeeded in 2018 by One UI based on Android 9 “Pie” and later versions.

History

Main article: TouchWiz

TouchWiz was the former name that Samsung used for its UI and icons. It was originally released in May 2008 for the SGH-F480 mobile phone. Reviewers had criticized Samsung for including too many features and software bloat, especially in the Galaxy S4, which included what many users called a Samsung "feature creep".^[2] In the following years, though, Samsung had incrementally removed the bloatware and extra features, until TouchWiz was no longer recognized as TouchWiz, leading them to rename it.^[3]

Features

Home screen

Samsung Experience makes several changes to Android's default homescreen. The apps icon is on the bottom right of the screen instead of the bottom middle, the Google Now search bar is just below the middle of the screen instead of at the top, and there is a weather widget (provided by The Weather Channel or AccuWeather in select countries or devices) at the top right corner of the screen. In addition, a user can edit the apps grid layout.^[4]

Edge UX

The "Edge" (curved glass at the edge of the screen) was originally introduced in the Galaxy Note Edge, and popularized with the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Edges

The tasks edge gives users a shortcut to commonly utilized tasks, such as making a phone call to a certain contact, setting a timer, and creating an event in S Planner. It is an assortment of icons (e.g. contact pictures [with phone, messaging, or mail icons], an app icon with a plus symbol on its bottom right corner, or a photo [from your library] masked in the shape of a circle [with the gallery icon on the bottom right corner]) on the right of the screen.^[5] The people edge allows the user to add 5 different contacts to display on the screen, for quick access to functions such as calling, texting, and emailing. It displays the contact's name and photo.^[5] The apps edge displays ten of a user's most frequently used apps, with five in two columns. A user can also add a complete folder to the screen.^[5]

A Galaxy S7 edge phone in the process of switching from the Yahoo! finance panel to the Apps edge panel

Edge panels

Yahoo! sports, finance, and news are panels that are included with the phone.^[5] A user can download extra panels for ease of use, such as an RSS reader, Twitter trends, and news from CNN.^[6]

Quick tools

With quick tools, the Edge transforms into a ruler, compass, or flashlight.^[5]

Edge feeds

When a user swipes the edge of the screen and the screen is off, the edge display turns on and displays missed calls, the current time, weather, and news.^[7]

Grace UX

First released with the Galaxy Note 7 for Android Marshmallow, the Grace UX was named after the device's codename, and eventually made its way to some later phones with Android 6, such as the 2017 edition of the Galaxy A series. The Grace UX features a cleaner, flatter look to iconography and extensive use of white space. TouchWiz Grace UX devices also benefit from the Secure Folder functionality, which enables users to keep certain data, and even apps, behind a secure password.

In addition, for most countries, all the languages that were absent from previous versions (Android Marshmallow or earlier) are be available in this release.

Always-on display

Main article: Always on Display

The always-on display on the Galaxy S7 Edge, displaying the time and the calendar

Most of Samsung's mobile devices have AMOLED displays and the screen is left mostly black when the always-on display is active; only illuminated pixels require power since they are LEDs. The screen will display the current time, the calendar, or a selected image. There are different styles for each option (the clock has 7 styles, the calendar has 2 styles, and the image has 3 styles).^[8] Later on, additional functionality was added to turn on the always-on display feature either in a scheduled manner, or keep it always on. The always-on display also adjusts its brightness as per the ambient light brightness automatically.

The Always-on Display is available on Galaxy A series (2017 & 2018), S7/S7 edge, S8/S8+, Note 8 and higher, Galaxy J7 (2017)/J7 Pro/J7+ (or C7 2017), Galaxy C5/C7/C9 Pro, and higher devices only.

File Manager

Samsung includes a file manager with its Galaxy phones, unlike stock Android.^[9]

It also gives access to Google Drive and OneDrive cloud storage solutions and ability to connect to FTP servers.

Game Launcher

Any game that a user downloads is combined into a single folder. In that folder, one can optimize frame rate and resolution.^[10] It includes Game Tools, a button that appears when a user is playing a game. When tapped, it can mute notifications, turn off the capacitive keys, minimize the game, screenshot, and record gameplay.^[10] This feature was renamed as gaming hub in late 2023.

Bixby

Bixby is an assistant that launched with the Samsung Galaxy S8. It replaces S Voice on Samsung phones and has three parts, including Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision and Bixby Home. Bixby Voice can be triggered by saying "Hey Bixby" or pressing and holding the button located below the volume rocker, dubbed the Bixby Button. Bixby Vision is built into the camera app and can "see" what one can see as it is essentially an augmented reality camera that can identify objects in real time, search for them on various services, and offer the user to purchase them if available. Bixby is also able to translate text, read QR codes and recognize landmarks.^[11] Bixby Home can be found by swiping to the right on the home screen. It is a vertically scrolling list of information that Bixby can interact with, for example, weather, fitness activity, and buttons for controlling their smart home gadgets.^[11]

Keyword

Bixby can do tasks related to a single keyword. For example, a simple "Good Night" can request the device to turn to silent mode and turn on the Night Mode display.

S Pen

(exclusive to the Galaxy Note and Tab series)

• Air Command: A collection of shortcuts that appear when the S Pen is taken out.
• Smart Select: Create custom GIFs (also available on Galaxy S8/+ and S9/+ after 7.0 Nougat update)
• Samsung Notes: The user can take notes, draw, annotate, with a wide selection of brushes, pens, and colors (available as app on Galaxy Apps, except of S Pen writing, but still possible with finger or keyboard type)
• Live Message: The user can draw custom emojis, make animated GIFs, or write messages on photos (also available on Galaxy S8/S8+, S9/S9+ and Note FE after 7.0 Nougat update)
• Screen Off Memo: Capture notes when the screen is off.
• Glance: Have two apps open simultaneously and switch back and forth with ease.
• Magnify: Take a closer look whenever you need to.
• Translate: Translate words or sentences, and convert currencies and measurement units.
• Remote Control: Connected with Bluetooth, can trigger camera, navigate web browser, play/pause/fast forward in music apps. (exclusive to the Note 9)

Version history

See also: Android version history

Version	Android version	Release date	Features
Samsung Experience 8.0	Android 7.0 "Nougat"	January 19, 2017	Redesigned UI Consistent iconography. More sophisticated look. Updated Edge UX New Task edge options. Tilt to Unlock Tilt the phone upwards to unlock it. Updated Always-On Display Third-party app and calendar notifications. Custom signature. Screen-off memo. Additional clock styles. Samsung Cloud 15 GB free cloud storage. Additions to Theme Store Now includes support for icon packs. Blue-light filter Adjust warmth of light on the screen. Wide Selfie Selfie with a field of view of up to 120º degrees. Multi-Locale Supports more than 100 system languages and 25 locales. The ability to use two or more languages at the same time.
Samsung Experience 8.1	Android 7.0 "Nougat"	April 21, 2017	Altered design Outline iconography Other tweaks DeX Connect the Galaxy S8/S8+/Note8/S9/S9+ to a monitor, keyboard and mouse for a desktop experience. Bixby Intelligent interface that learns from you to help you do more. It works with select apps like email and messages, serves up reminders and can help you understand your settings and set up your Samsung devices. Bixby Vision Translate foreign languages, scan business cards, scan QR codes, through camera Samsung Connect support Control smart appliances Other Swipe up for App Drawer Redesigned settings pane [11][12][13]
Samsung Experience 8.5	Android 7.1.1 "Nougat"	September 15, 2017	App Pair (Galaxy S and Note series phones from 7.0 Nougat update) Open two apps at once using Multi Window Expanded S Pen features Glance, magnify, and translate Facial and Iris recognition improvements (exclusive to Galaxy S & Note series) More efficient, and faster More stable UI No frame drops Improved user experience
Samsung Experience 9.0	Android 8.0 "Oreo"	February 8, 2018[14]	Bixby "Bixby briefing" gives updates on weather when an alarm rings Dual Messenger Install a second copy of a message account to use with a separate account Finder Faster results Search results from Contacts, Settings, My files, Messages, and Email shown in cards New results from Galaxy Apps and Google Play Home Redesigned Quick Shortcuts Notification badges on app icons and the panel are synced. Quick Panel Manage notifications for each app with notification categories Icons will be shown at the bottom of the notification panel for notifications that aren't currently visible Samsung Cloud View and manage photos and notes only stored in Samsung Cloud Store any type of file in Samsung Cloud Drive Open from home screen SmartThings (formerly Samsung Connect) Manage devices and scenes with cards Automations based on time, status, and location Samsung Keyboard Improved settings Keyboard toolbar (customization) GIF keyboard More emojis[15] More high contrast options are available Other Improved system performance More Edge screen features DeX improvements Find My Mobile improvements Color Lens Email improvements [16][17]
Samsung Experience 9.5	Android 8.1 "Oreo"	August 9, 2018[18]	Bixby 2.0 Natural conversation Individual recommendations Faster response time Uber hail support[19][20] Emoji Emoji 11.0 support[21]
Samsung Experience 10.0 (beta version of One UI)	Android 9 "Pie"	November 7, 2018	Main article: One UI Later discontinued and released as One UI 1.0.

Devices running Samsung Experience

Note that this list is not exhaustive.

Smartphones

Device	Version
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge	Original: TouchWiz 5.0 (Android 5.0.2 "Lollipop") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat")
Galaxy S6 Edge+	Original: TouchWiz 5.1 (Android 5.1.1 "Lollipop") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat")
Galaxy S5 Neo (SM-G903W)
Galaxy S7, S7 Edge and S7 Active	Original: TouchWiz 6.0 (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy Note 5	Original: TouchWiz 5.1 (Android 5.1.1 "Lollipop") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat")
Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE)	Original: Samsung Experience 8.1 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy Note 8	Original: Samsung Experience 8.5 (Android 7.1.1 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy Note 9	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2016)	Original: TouchWiz 5.1 (Android 5.1.1 "Lollipop") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat")
Galaxy A9 Pro (2016)	Original: TouchWiz 6.0 (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy A8 (2016)	Original: TouchWiz Grace UX (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2017)
Galaxy A8 / A8+ (2018)	Original: Samsung Experience 8.5 (Android 7.1.1 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy A6 / A6+ (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy A8 Star (2018) Galaxy A9 Star (2018)
Galaxy A7 (2018)
Galaxy A9 (2018)
A6s (2018)
Galaxy A8s (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy J5 (2016)	Original: TouchWiz 6.0 (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0/9.5 (Android 8.0/8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy J7 (2016) Galaxy J7 Prime / Galaxy On7 (2016)	Original: TouchWiz 6.0 (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1"Oreo")
Galaxy J3 (2017) / J3 Pro Galaxy J5 (2017) / J5 Pro Galaxy J7 (2017) / J7 Pro	Original: Samsung Experience 8.1 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo") or 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max (2017) / On Max (2017)	Samsung Experience 8.1 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Samsung Galaxy J7 Nxt/J7 Core/J7 Neo	Original: Samsung Experience 8.1 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy J2 Pro (2018) / J2 (2018) / Grand Prime Pro	Samsung Experience 8.5 (Android 7.1.1 "Nougat")
Galaxy J7 Prime 2 Galaxy J7 Prime (2018)
Galaxy J2 Core (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy J7 Duo (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy J4 (2018)
Galaxy J8 (2018)
Galaxy J4+ (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy J6 (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy J6+ (2018)	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy C9 Pro	Original: TouchWiz Grace UX (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy C7 Pro	Original: TouchWiz Grace UX (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.1 (Android 7.0 "Nougat")
Galaxy C8 / C7 (2017) Galaxy J7+	Samsung Experience 8.5 (Android 7.1.1 "Nougat")
Galaxy Feel	Original: Samsung Experience 8.1 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy S Light Luxury (S8 Lite)	Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy Xcover 4	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Samsung Galaxy M10 / M20 / M30

Tablets

Device	Model number	Version
Galaxy Tab S2 (8.0 and 9.7) 2015 and 2016 versions	All (Except T819C, T815C, T719C)[22]	Original (2015): TouchWiz 5.0 (Android 5.0.2 "Lollipop") Original (2016): TouchWiz 6.0 (Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow") Upgradeable (2015): Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable (2016): Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy Tab S3	SM-T820, SM-T825	Original: Samsung Experience 8.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.0 (Android 8.0 "Oreo")
Galaxy Tab S4	SM-T830, SM-T835	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy Tab A 8.0[23]	SM-T350, SM-T355, SM-P350, SM-P355	Original: TouchWiz 5.0 (Android 5.0.2 ''Lollipop'') Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 ( Android 7.0 "Nougat)[24]
Galaxy Tab A 9.7[25][26]	SM-T550, SM-T555, SM-P550, SM-P555	Original: TouchWiz 5.0 (Android 5.0.2 ''Lollipop'') Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 (Android 7.0 "Nougat")[27]
Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) Galaxy Tab A2 S	SM-T380, SM-T385	Original: Samsung Experience 8.5 (Android 7.1.1 "Nougat") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo") (SM-T380 only)
Galaxy Tab Active 2[28]	SM-T390, SM-T395	Samsung Experience 8.5 ( Android 7.1.1 "Nougat")
Galaxy Tab A 10.5 (2018)[29]	SM-T590, SM-T595	Samsung Experience 9.5 (Android 8.1 "Oreo")
Galaxy Tab E 9.6[30][31][32] US version only	SM-T560NU	Original: TouchWiz 5.1 (Android 5.1.1 "Lollipop") Upgradeable: Samsung Experience 8.0 ( Android 7.0 "Nougat")

References

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Preceded by TouchWiz

Samsung Experience 2017–2019

Succeeded by One UI