Samsung may finally fix a long-standing dark mode annoyance in One UI 8.5

Even though One UI has a comprehensive dark mode, it still fails to handle one specific aspect well: the app icons. While the rest of the UI turns dark, you are often left with bright icons on the home screen. But that is likely to change with One UI 8.5.A new clip shared by X user Galaxy Techie shows Samsung testing forced dark-themed icons for every app (including third-party ones). This means your Galaxy’s home screen could finally look cohesive when you switch to Dark Mode.

The more interesting part is that Samsung is experimenting beyond just switching the icon colors. We might see a new 3D look for the apps, with subtle depth and drop shadows. This aligns with earlier One UI 8.5 leaks that revealed floating elements and a more layered interface.
Samsung has another advantage this year: Google updated Play Store policy to require all developers to support themed icons, providing a mandatory monochrome version for Android to recolor. One UI 8.5 appears ready to make full use of that system-level consistency.

The previous leaks showed that Samsung plans to bring 3D application icons to One UI 8.5 which Ice Universe linked to Apple’s iOS 26 Liquid Glass design. Both platforms appear to be embracing more depth, subtle gradients, and floating UI elements.But Samsung has done this before. TouchWiz-era phones like the Galaxy S6 used drop-shadowed icons long before flat design took over. The One UI 8.5 seems to be a blend of those past Samsung design elements and today’s industry trends.

Some early testers of leaked builds say the new 3D elements still need refinement, and rendering them increases load slightly, but that’s expected at this stage, and the final build should be much smoother.

Multiple sources indicate that Samsung will initiate the Galaxy S25 beta program in South Korea, Germany, and the UK on December 8. The second phase of the update will bring the new features to India and Poland on December 22. These aren’t official dates, but the consistency across all sources suggests Samsung is moving fast.

One UI 8.5 is expected to debut alongside the Galaxy S26 series early next year, bringing system-wide dark mode icons, refreshed visuals, and a more cohesive home screen experience.