One UI 8.5 anticipates the “Private Display” function of Galaxy S26 Ultra to protect the screen from prying looks

Samsung is preparing to renew once again its interface with the arrival, in the coming months, of One UI 8.5. In these days and weeks we are telling you some of the most interesting newcomers in the first Teardown of the release code as a protection system for those suffering from photosensitive epilepsy and a design that winks at Apple’s Liquid Glass.

This time we talk to you about the discovery of an unpublished function designed for protect users’ visual privacy: is called “Private display“(Or” Privacy Display “) and could debut exclusively on others Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The One UI 8.5 makes visual privacy a priority with private display

Well, the new UNI 8.5 update, still not officially announced but already sighted in preliminary versions on Galaxy S25 Ultra, contains numerous references to a mode that reduces the visibility of the screen from lateral angles.

The goal is easy to say: protect sensitive contents from prying looksespecially in public places such as trains, planes, cafés or waiting rooms.

The code strings found inside the Build, by colleagues of Android Authoritythey speak clearly:

“Privacy Display, limits the visibility of the screen from lateral angles to protect your privacy in public“.

We are therefore talking, in simple words, of a smart system capable of changing the surrender yield based on the context of use.

According to rumors, this function will require a specific hardwareas legitimate to expect, and will be closely linked to that of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and more precisely to technology “Flex Magic Pixel” developed by the Samsung Display division.

It is an innovation that exploits artificial intelligence for Dynamically adjust the display pixelslimiting the angular vision without altering frontal visual experience.

The discovered code suggests that the “private display” function can be activated both manually and automatically.

In automatic mode, One UI will activate visual protection when noting that they are using sensitive apps (such as banking or messaging) in crowded environments. The function could take advantage of the proximity sensor or position data to determine if the user is in public places.

In addition, it will always be possible to choose between various levels of privacy protection of their contentsincluding a mode “Maximum Privacy“Which makes the screen darker to make lateral reading even more difficult.

Among the manual settings, the system will include the following advanced options:

• Choice of apps: it will be possible to decide which apps to activate the “private display” mode;
• Hourly planning: it will be possible to set times when the function is activated automatically (for example during the daily journey on public transport);
• Level of darkening: you can adjust the intensity of the protection to adapt it to the context.

A function not for everyone due to hardware limits

Despite the enthusiasm of this novelty, it is important to underline that the “private display” function may not be available on all devices compatible with One UI 8.5. As mentioned, the reason is linked to the presence of the Flex Magic Pixel panel, currently provided only on Galaxy S26 Ultra according to rumors.

Samsung had already announced this technology in recent months, and now it seems ready to make its commercial debut; It remains to be understood if other models of the S26 series will also support it, or if an exclusive of the Ultra model, as per forecast, remain.

In short, the “private display” function is part of an increasingly relevant vein in the mobile panorama or the Protection of privacy on the move.

We are in an era in which smartphones hold more and more sensitive information, from passwords to bank data, from private chats to work documents, therefore it is legitimate that the producers are looking for new ways to protect them even visually, hoping that these privacy functions can make the scales hang in their favor in the purchase phase.

The integration that we have just seen within One UI 8.5 suggests a systemic approach, which is not limited to a simple switch, but extends to all sensitive apps and features, adopting a proactive behavior based on the context of use.

Having said that, if confirmed, this function would add an important distinctive element to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, consolidating it as a reference device for those looking for not only performances, but also protection of confidentiality.

When will one UI 8.5 arrive?

At the moment one UI 8.5 is still in the internal test phase and there is no official release date. The first versions could arrive together with the future updates of the Galaxy S25 series or the debut of the Galaxy S26 series, scheduled for the first months of 2026; But everything makes hope in the first hypothesis given the appearance of the first one UI 8.5 firmware for Galaxy S25 Ultra.

What will be interesting to understand is if the function will be backward with previous models Although the hypothesis that it may be an exclusive feature for the new devices, but everything will depend on the official confirmation of any hardware addictions.