Galaxy S21 Gets Its Wonderful One UI 5.1 Update

The launch of the Galaxy S23 this month also meant the arrival of a big One UI 5.1 update for the rest of Samsung’s still-supported top tier phones. We’ve seen One UI 5.1 hit devices like the Galaxy S22, Flip 4, and Fold 4 already, but now it’s time for the Galaxy S21 to see the goods.

Folks with a Verizon Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, or Galaxy S21 Ultra are in line for the update to end the week. I’d imagine others with unlocked models or from other carriers shouldn’t be far behind.

For new builds, you’ll want to tap into Settings>System update>Download and Install to grab it and be on the lookout for G991USQU5EWAI (S21), G996USQU5EWAI (S21+), and G998USQU5EWAI (S21 Ultra).

What’s new in One UI 5.1? Quite a bit.

Verizon lists out a long changelog of new features or tweaks to One UI, but the basics are improvements to the Camera, Gallery, Wallpaper, Widgets, and multi-tasking. More specifically, look for smoother and faster animations, a new battery widget, new weather widget, quicker access to Samsung’s Expert RAW mode, Samsung Notes collaborating, improved media output controls, DeX something-or-other, and more.

We’ve already heard from at least one reader who grabbed this update (Cheers Matthew!), so feel free to take a look. While this may not be Android 14 or a big OS update, it’s still a really nice update from Samsung.