A leaked copy of the Samsung Phone app shows that it is getting easier to use with one hand in One UI 9.5. The search button moves from the top of the screen to the bottom navigation bar, and a new shortcut lets you text a number straight from the dialer. The changes are expected to reach Galaxy phones next year.
The screenshots come from SamMobile, which obtained the One UI 9.5 build of the Phone app before Samsung has announced anything. Samsung has not confirmed the changes. One UI 9.5 is still in development, so the final version could look different.
What changes in the Phone app
In current versions of One UI, the Phone app's search icon sits in the top-right corner. That spot is hard to reach with your thumb on a large phone like the Galaxy S26 Ultra. In the leaked One UI 9.5 build, search moves into the bottom bar next to the existing Keypad, Recents, and Contacts tabs.
Here's what the leaked app shows:
- Bottom search button: Search now sits in the bottom bar with Keypad, Recents, and Contacts, so you can reach it without stretching to the top of the screen.
- Message shortcut on the dialer: When you type a number, a new message button appears next to the call button, so you can start a text without leaving the Phone app.
- Updated search screen: A “Search” header now sits beside the back arrow, and the placeholder text in the search field reads “What are you looking for?” instead of just “Search.”
None of these are big changes on their own. But you search contacts and dial numbers many times a day, so small fixes like these make a difference. The message button also saves a step: right now, texting a number you've just typed usually means copying it into Samsung Messages or another texting app.
SamMobile didn't find any other notable changes in this build. Samsung could still add more before One UI 9.5 ships.
Part of a wider push to put search within reach
The Phone app isn't the only Samsung app getting this change. Earlier this month, SamMobile showed a One UI 9.5 version of Samsung Calendar where the search button had also moved to the bottom right, next to a narrower Add event bar. The Calendar search screen also gained a Key events section.
The idea goes back further. In August, tipster Fahad Ali posted leaked One UI 9.5 screenshots on X that showed a glass-like design for some interface elements and a floating tab bar at the bottom of the screen. Those images also suggested the Phone app's search icon would move to that bottom bar, which is what the new build now shows.
One UI has always focused on making big phones easier to use with one hand, mostly by putting controls in the lower half of the screen. Moving search down across Samsung's own apps follows the same idea. It also fits the way apps across Android are moving key buttons closer to your thumb.
When to expect One UI 9.5
Samsung began rolling out the stable Android 17-based One UI 9 in September, starting with its newest foldables and the Galaxy S26 series before moving on to older Galaxy phones. One UI 9.5 will be the next big update after that.
Earlier this month, One UI 9.5 test builds for the Galaxy S26 series showed up on Samsung's test servers. As usual, Samsung's newest Galaxy S flagships are expected to get the beta first. According to SamMobile, the beta program could start for the Galaxy S26 lineup by the end of November. That would be earlier than last year, when the One UI 8.5 beta arrived later for the Galaxy S25 series.
Samsung has not announced a One UI 9.5 beta date, a stable release date, or which devices will get the update. Earlier leaks suggested One UI 9.5 could make its debut on the Galaxy S27 series. It's also unclear whether the new search button and message shortcut will reach older Galaxy phones that don't get One UI 9.5 through a Phone app update.
As of November 12, 2026, these features have only been seen in a pre-release build. When the beta opens, Galaxy S26 owners should be the first to try them, along with any other changes Samsung adds to its apps.
