Depending on when you’re reading this, Samsung is either about to release the One UI 8 beta program or has already launched it. After the debacle that was One UI 7, with Samsung taking six months longer to make it available to customers compared to every One UI update that has preceded it, the company is making up for it big time by launching the One UI 8 beta program much earlier than any previous One UI beta program.

With One UI 8, refinement, not big fancy features, is the name of the game, but the path to the final version will potentially be patchy and filled with bugs, as is the case with any unfinished software. So, before you enter uncharted territory, there are a few things you should do to prepare your device.

Samsung doesn't offer beta program access to all devices or regions. Samsung will likely limit the One UI 8 beta program to the US, the UK, Korea, China, India, Poland, and Germany, and initially offer it only for the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 could get the beta a few weeks after the Galaxy S25 series, but whether any other devices will be added to the beta program remains to be seen.

To register for One UI beta programs, you have to use the Samsung Members app, which comes preloaded on all Galaxy devices, and make sure you're logged in to your Samsung account. To do that, navigate to the device's Settings » Accounts and backups » Manage accounts » Add account menu, then select Samsung account and follow the instructions.

When you're dealing with beta software, backing up your data is a must. While beta updates don’t usually brick devices, bugs and performance issues are part of the experience, and there’s always a possibility that you will have to factory reset your device if something goes wrong.

Samsung gives you a few easy ways to back things up. The Temporary cloud backup feature is one of the most convenient methods. It stores everything in the cloud using your Samsung account for 30 days. There is no limit to how much data you can upload, just that an individual file shouldn't be larger than 100GB.

To access the Temporary cloud backup feature, open the Settings app, navigate to Device care, scroll all the way down and tap Maintenance mode, then scroll down once again and tap Temporary cloud backup.

You can also backup your data to a PC using Samsung’s Smart Switch software. If you have an external USB disk, you can backup all your data to it using the Smart Switch app directly on the phone. Of course, you can also just backup important files the old-fashioned way: connecting it to a PC using a USB cable and accessing its data from the file explorer.

Our One UI 6.0 preparation guide goes into detail about these backup methods, be sure to check it out. It also includes details on how you can back up your WhatsApp chats and media.

Haven't checked for or downloaded a software update for some time? You will want to do that before the beta goes live. Since beta updates usually depend on the latest existing firmware, you should install any pending updates before proceeding.

To check for updates, open the Settings app on your phone, navigate to the Software update menu, then tap Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware from our archives.

Depending on whether your device supports seamless updates, Samsung requires it to be charged to either 20% or 30% before installing an update. But we still recommend charging it to at least 30% no matter the make or model. Charging your device to a sufficient level avoids potential interruptions during installation and lets you explore the new software immediately without needing to stay plugged in.

While you wait for the beta, visit our YouTube channel where we have lots of One UI 8 content that explores the features and improvements it will bring to eligible devices. Speaking of eligible devices, click here to see if your phone or tablet is on the list.