Widgets are having a moment. After years of being that thing you accidentally swipe onto and immediately close, they’re finally getting some real attention. Google kicked things off with Gemini’s ‘Create My Widget’ feature, which lets you build and personalize widgets straight from your home screen. Now it looks like Samsung wants a piece of that, too. According to Gizchina, a leaked screenshot shared by Fahad Ali Javed points to a new feature in One UI 9.5 called ‘My Custom Widget.’
What we know about ‘My Custom Widget’
The details are thin right now. The leaked screenshot confirms the feature exists inside One UI 9.5, but how it actually works is still unclear. The big question is whether Samsung built this from scratch or if it’s basically Google’s Gemini feature wearing a Samsung badge. That’s not a small distinction. Google has already confirmed that its ‘Create My Widget’ tool is coming to Galaxy devices before the end of summer 2026, so there’s a real chance Samsung’s version is just that, wrapped in One UI’s design language.
Still, Samsung has a history of adding its own spin to shared Android features, so it wouldn’t be shocking if ‘My Custom Widget’ ends up doing something slightly different or at least looking quite a bit different from what Google ships on Pixel.
One UI 9.5 is shaping up to be a proper update
The custom widget feature isn’t the only thing coming. One UI 9.5 looks like a fairly substantial release across the board. Here’s what’s expected to land alongside the AI widget tool:
- Smoother animations throughout the UI
- A redesigned fingerprint enrollment screen
- Camera app tweaks including adjusted menu curvature, padding, and a subtle background blur on pop-ups
- New Finder and Google Search bar options for the home screen on older devices
- Improved PC mirroring, likely tied to Galaxy Book compatibility
None of that is flashy stuff, but it adds up. Smoother animations and a cleaner camera UI are the kinds of changes that actually improve daily use, even if they don’t grab headlines.
When is One UI 9.5 actually coming?
Don’t hold your breath for a surprise early drop. The current rumor points to One UI 9.5 arriving alongside the Samsung Galaxy S27 family early next year. That’s how Samsung has operated for years. The new flagship lineup is where the new software debuts, and everyone else gets it a few months later.
Devices that launched with One UI 9.0 are the ones waiting in line. So if you’re on a Galaxy S25, you’ll likely need to sit tight until 2027 before you see this on your phone. That’s the trade-off with Samsung’s update schedule, and it hasn’t really changed.
The AI widget feature is genuinely interesting though. If Samsung can make it work well, building custom widgets without digging through settings menus could actually become something people use every day. Whether it ends up being a real feature or a buried menu option that nobody finds is the real test.
