Samsung’s latest One UI 8.5 update has unintentionally altered Dark Mode on a swath of Galaxy devices, replacing true blacks with muted gray tones. Users across Reddit,X and Samsung’s own forums report the visual glitch appearing in apps and system UI shortly after installing the update.

Galaxy S25 series and Fold line hit by the gray‑scale bug

The problem is not limited to a single model; the Galaxy S25 series, which received the stable One UI 8.5 build in early May in Korea, shows the same issue as the older S24, Z Fold 7, Fold 6, Z Flip 7 and Flip 6. According to the flood of posts on Samsung’s community forums, the gray‑ish rendering affects both native Samsung apps and third‑party software that rely on the system’s dark theme.

Material You versus Samsung’s Color Palette – a clash of themes

Technical observers point to a conflict between Google’s Material You dynamic theming and Samsung’s custom color‑palette adjustments introduced in One UI 8.5. The interaction appears to override the default dark theme, causing the intended pitch‑black OLED background to shift to lighter gray shades. As the source reported, this mismatch creates a “jarring visual experience” for users who depend on Dark Mode for eye‑strain relief and battery savings.

Unofficial workarounds keep the darkness alive

Until Samsung releases an official patch, users have turned to temporary fixes. Adjusting the Color Palette under Wallpaper and Style, or deploying community‑built tools like Shizuku and ColorBlendr from GitHub, can restore darker tones. However, these tweaks are fragile; re‑applying the Color Palette feature often reverts the UI to the gray state.

Samsung’s silence and the push for an official fix

Samsung has not issued a formal statement, but customer‑support chats suggest the company is aware of the bug and plans a corrective update.. The source notes that affected owners are encouraged to submit feedback through Samsung’s channels to highlight the prevalence of the issue.

Who will verify the root cause?

While the Material You versus Samsung palette theory is plausible, Samsung has not confirmed the exact technical trigger.. The lack of an official diagnosis leaves room for speculation, and developers are watching closely for any firmware notes that might clarify the underlying code conflict.