Samsung just made Galaxy phones more secure in One UI 9 beta

Samsung’s One UI 9 beta integrates Lockdown mode into the power menu. This is the screen that contains Power off, Restart, and emergency options. Opening it initiates Lockdown mode, disabling biometric authentication.

“We tried it out on the Galaxy S26 Ultra running on One UI 9 beta 2, and it returns users to the lock screen instead of the previous app,” Android Authority noted.

A PIN or password is then required to unlock, power off, or restart the device.

What changed

On One UI 8.5, users can access the menu by long-pressing the power button or, depending on their settings, by long-pressing the power and volume down buttons. If it is closed without selecting an option, users are returned to the app they were using. Lockdown mode is available as a separate option in the menu.

Other changes Samsung is bringing to Galaxy phones and tablets include a unified call log and settings for managing Android 17‘s Audio Hardening feature.