Think twice before updating your Samsung phone to One UI 5.1 – Digital Trends

Samsung released the Android 13-based OneUI 5.1 update earlier this month, adding a bunch of new features and optimizing the software to a healthy extent. I’ve had a smooth experience so far on my Galaxy S23 Ultra, but there are a number of Samsung users who are having some nagging woes with the latest software update.
Notably, most of the bugs and quirks that we’ve spotted so far on the official Samsung Community forum, Twitter, and Reddit have been limited to Galaxy S22 series phones.
The most common problem that Galaxy S22 users have been raising online is battery drain. Now, feature updates often end up disrupting the battery optimization algorithms, which leads to higher than usual battery consumption, even if the device is idle. One UI 5.1 is proving to be one such update, and so far, we haven’t heard of an official solution from Samsung.
Colour palette doesn’t work normally after the One UI 5.1 update on my Galaxy S22 Ultra
— Alvin (@sondesix) February 15, 2023
If your Samsung phone is aggressively sipping up the battery juice and giving you a headache, try some of the temporary solutions listed below until a corrective patch arrives:
@SamsungIndia weird One UI 5.1 bug pic.twitter.com/tb1tos6U44
— BnF (@iRankMolly) January 21, 2023
In addition to an uncharacteristically high battery drain after installing the One UI 5.1 update, some Galaxy S22 users are reporting issues with Material You theming on their phone, which appears to be non-synchronized in certain UI sections. For example, as you can see in the images shared by a user on Reddit, the volume slider isn’t themed in the same color tone as the rest of the UI elements.
Another worrying complaint that we have come across is a broken back gesture system. Usually, when users swipe inwards from either edge of the screen, it serves as a back gesture that takes them to the previous page in an app. One Galaxy S21 Plus user has even shared a video on Reddit highlighting the problem. 
I hope Oneui 5.1 fixes this bug. It's so irritating pic.twitter.com/i89IDGyk4W
— Albert  (@a_for_albert) February 15, 2023
A notable omission from the update is the subject selection tool in the gallery app, which Samsung has borrowed from Apple. One UI 5.1 was supposed to introduce the feature to Samsung phones, but that hasn’t arrived yet. The feature lets you select any object in an image, extract it with a clear edge crop, and paste it elsewhere.
There are a few other bugs, such as laggy lens switching in the camera app and general stutters. Finally, we’ve also noticed users complaining about Bixby routines causing problems. If you haven’t updated your Galaxy S22 to One UI 5.1 yet, we’d suggest avoiding it until Samsung recognizes these problems and releases a fix. However, if you’ve already installed it, try to avoid a software version rollback if you’ve never done that. 
Software plays a crucial role in any device, but it becomes even more important when you have a limited amount of screen space to interact with the user interface. The Motorola Razr series has always been better than the Galaxy Z Flip lineup in terms of usability when folded. This year, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 closes the gap between the two clamshell foldables by offering a big cover screen.
But sporting a big outer display doesn’t immediately make a flip phone foldable a whole lot more useful; case in point – the Oppo Find N2 Flip, where Oppo gave us six widgets (and added a couple more later) to play around with and called it a day. While Samsung brings 13 widgets to the table, the cover screen software is still not on par with the Motorola Razr Plus.
This summer’s Galaxy Unpacked event was the usual great fun. We got a new Galaxy Z Fold 5 with an improved hinge and more powerful chip, plus the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with a cover screen that’s large enough to see what’s going on. These were joined by the return of a much-loved design in the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, with some refinements to make it even more classy, plus a standard Galaxy Watch 6 and a full new lineup of Samsung tablets.
However, Samsung’s latest product lineup also confirms the road I’ve feared the South Korean gadget maker has been on for at least a few months now. Samsung is getting more serious and less fun and whimsical in its product designs, especially when it comes to color choices.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (left) Galaxy Z Fold 5 (right), and Galaxy Z Flip 5 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I bought the original Samsung Galaxy Fold, which I still have today, and I absolutely loved its futuristic design, multimedia ability, and feeling like I was right on the cutting edge of consumer mobile tech. I purchased the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021 and upgraded to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in 2022 — so surely I’ve already pre-ordered the Galaxy Z Fold 5, right?
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