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Samsung ships dozens of new features after each major update, like One UI 8.5. After installing it, most people explore all the features, but I do the opposite. I go straight to Settings and change the same handful of settings that improve my everyday usability, security, and privacy. A few of these are new to One UI 8.5, and the rest have simply become a habit after every update. These aren’t hidden tricks or something that requires a PC and terminal, just built-in settings that take a few minutes to configure.
I enabled Auto Blocker before installing anything
Better safe than sorry
If you remember Android’s OG “Install unknown app” toggle, Samsung’s Auto Blocker is basically an upgraded version of that toggle. Not an upgrade, per se, but an additional layer of protection that even overrides the “Install unknown app” feature. Even if an app has the "install unknown apps" permission, Auto Blocker still blocks installs from any source other than the Galaxy Store or Play Store. And by "upgrade," I meant it protects things that the old version never touched, like USB command blocking, unauthorized software updates via USB, and message guard for malicious images in texts. There is also a “Maximum restrictions” mode that protects your device from almost everything, including device admin apps, 2G networks, auto-connection to non-secure Wi-Fi, and more.
This is one of the few settings I turn on after an update (I checked today, and Auto Blocker wasn't even on). As a developer, I test things every day; some days a new app I'm building, other days something over ADB via USB debugging. To be honest, my Developer options are always on, so I am more exposed to risky installs than the average person. This Auto Blocker setting is a lifesaver for me. It has a "Turn on automatically” mode that turns the Auto Blocker ON after 30 minutes, so I can just turn off the Auto Blocker whenever I am working and forget about it since it will turn on again in 30 minutes anyway.
I completely reorganized the Quick Panel
One swipe, fewer distractions
Samsung is always playing with the Quick Settings panel. Each update adds something new. Maybe good for a few groups of people, but not always fruitful for many, and I am not one of those. UI and UX are a big part of my day-to-day workflow. And I don't like it when things change suddenly. So, after each big update, I like to revert to the panel I was used to. But after One UI 8 and now One UI 8.5, Samsung has added more customization options than ever. That gave me an option to make the Quick Panel look similar to my primary phone, an iPhone. But Samsung being Samsung, it didn’t hand over full control of the tiles — brightness and volume sliders, for instance, stayed locked to horizontal on my S24, at least.
When I said it didn’t directly give full control, I meant nothing directly in the Settings, but an additional official Samsung app — Good Lock. Most Galaxy users don’t even know that Samsung offers an official suite of apps/modules for deep UI customization and advanced features. QuickStar is one of the modules inside Good Lock. It helped me restyle the Quick Panel to look more like my iPhone and remove all the extra noise I didn’t need.
I turned off Galaxy AI features I never use
Not every AI tool earns its place
Everyone likes the new and exciting AI features OEMs are introducing every other month. I, on the other hand, am the opposite. And this is me saying this when my work life is surrounded by AI models and apps all the time. Some days a local LLM, some days Claude Code, and some days Codex. But when it comes to my personal life and devices like my smartphone, I don’t use many AI features. Samsung, over the years, has packed in a ton of AI features. Depending on the Galaxy model, Samsung has added more than 10 micro-tools under Galaxy AI.
In my case, since my model is a little older, it has eight AI features under Galaxy AI. And frankly, I only use one of them, Call Assist; I've never even tried the others. Call Assist is actually a helpful feature. Since the Galaxy is my secondary device, I don’t get many calls on it. Whenever I get a call from an unknown number, the Call Assist feature helps me decide whether to answer it. Other than that, I try to keep all the other features off. If you are like me and don't like sharing your personal data for AI training, Samsung offers a one-click option: “Process data only on device.” Just toggle it on, and you are good to go.
I tweaked battery settings before my first full charge
Small tweaks, longer days
Since I have a desk job, my phones are almost always on the desk, plugged into the charging socket. It doesn't matter whether it is my primary iPhone or secondary Galaxy. And actually, my secondary phone is mostly connected to either a power socket or to my system for testing. So, battery health is very important for me. Yeah, I am aware of the power cycle thing, the 20-80 charging rule, and others, but to be honest, I am too lazy to follow them, and my work also doesn't allow me to. When the device is connected to my system 8–10 hours a day, how am I supposed to maintain the power cycle?
That’s where One UI’s power settings come in handy. If you visit the battery settings, you will notice a ton of options to manage your battery health. The first thing I did after a big update like One UI 8.5 is enabled Battery Protection, switch it to Maximum mode, and set the charge limit to 90–95%. Once that is enabled and the charging reaches that level, it stops charging but keeps the device connected. After that, I also disabled Fast Charging and Fast Wireless Charging. So, no heating issues while it is charging, and I am working at the same time.
Small settings, same result every time
One UI 8.5 introduced various new features, but these four settings delivered the biggest daily usability improvements for me. These are the first things I do after all major updates, and the settings depend on what's in the update. But the idea and direction are always the same — maximum usability and least noise. Once these are configured, I explore the rest of what 8.5 has to offer. These don't fundamentally change the software, but they do make my phone feel more secure, organized, and better suited to my style.
