Samsung’s recent One UI 8.5 stable rollout has given many Galaxy owners new features — and a handful of weird visual glitches. Over the past few days users have reported that dark mode inside Google apps no longer looks right: menus, search bars and backgrounds that used to sit in deep charcoal or near‑black are now a patchwork of black, dull gray and a lighter, unpleasant gray that ruins contrast and readability.
What people are seeing
Screenshots shared across Reddit and other forums show the problem cropping up in Google apps such as Gmail, Messages, Keep and Google Fi. Instead of a consistent dark theme, some parts of the UI render pitch black while adjoining panels shift to washed‑out grays. The result is an inconsistent, high‑contrast look that many find harder to read and simply ugly.
It’s not universal. Some Galaxy owners who updated to One UI 8.5 see no change at all — others do. Reports have come from owners of flagship phones (S25 and S26 series are mentioned frequently), but the issue isn’t strictly limited to one model.
Why it’s happening (likely)
The simplest explanation is a clash between Samsung’s new default color handling in One UI 8.5 and Google’s Material design theming. Google’s Material You (and its newer Material Expressive tweaks) dynamically tints UI elements using the system color palette. Samsung changed how that palette is applied in the latest build, and for users who haven’t customized their color palette, the new default tone seems to push lighter grays into places that used to be darker.
Put another way: when Samsung’s color values meet Google’s styling engine, some apps end up with mismatched background tones.
If you prefer a deeper, uniform dark theme, the odd part is that enabling Material You theming across the system usually restores the darker look — but not everyone wants to use dynamic wallpaper colors everywhere.
Workarounds people are using
Two practical (if imperfect) fixes have emerged:
- Tweak the phone’s Color Palette in Wallpaper & style. A few users report that picking or creating a darker palette can reduce the problem. It’s not guaranteed and feels more like a temporary band‑aid.
- Use advanced tools. Reddit users have shared a workaround using a forked build of Shizuku (and ADB on a PC) to revert color values to the pre‑8.5 defaults. That’s effective for power users, but it’s technical and not something the average phone owner should attempt lightly.
If you don’t want to mess with developer tools, your best bet is to report the issue through the Samsung Members app so it shows up in official bug reports.
One anecdote from customer support suggested Samsung might “update the color to a darker tone in the next update,” but that wasn’t a formal company statement, so treat it cautiously.
Camera side effects: video filters missing
Dark mode isn’t the only casualty of One UI 8.5. Multiple users have noticed that filters previously available in video mode have gone missing. Filters still exist in photo mode, but the direct, in‑camera video filter options (even at 1080p where they used to work) appear absent.
There are two clumsy workarounds: apply filters after recording via the phone’s video editor (which can re‑encode and compress the clip), or start in photo mode, select a filter, then long‑press the shutter to switch to video — a hassle but functional. If you relied on quick video filters, that absence is particularly frustrating.
This change fits a pattern: One UI 8.5 has quietly adjusted or removed a handful of UI features (it’s also been reported to block third‑party custom fonts), which annoys users who liked the earlier behavior. You can read more about how 8.5 has adjusted bundled fonts in our look at how it blocks third‑party custom fonts.
Where this goes from here
Samsung’s One UI 8.5 has been shipping quickly and includes new touches — for example, a broader beta that rolled out features like Quick Share/AirDrop‑style support — but rapid rollouts can surface rough edges. If you’re following the update because of those new features, remember that system updates can also create regressions in unexpected places (we documented the company’s One UI 8.5 beta expansion that added AirDrop‑style Quick Share).
For now, report the dark‑mode and camera issues via Samsung Members, try a color‑palette tweak if you want a quick fix, and avoid hacks unless you’re comfortable with ADB and third‑party tooling. Given how visible these problems are — they affect readability and core camera functionality — expect Samsung to prioritize fixes in follow‑up patches, even if the company hasn’t yet announced an official timeline.
