Samsung pushes out One UI 3.1 Upgrade (Android 11) for Samsung M31s in India

App copies made using Dual messenger can no longer access SD card files directly.

Korean tech giant Samsung has pushed the One UI 3.1 OTA update in India for its mid-range smartphone Galaxy M31s, which runs on the popular Exynos 9611 chipset.

With the latest over-the-air (OTA) upgrade, the popular mid-ranger has joined the long list of Samsung devices to receive the Android update so far.

The update is rolling out to Galaxy M31s users in the country and weighs in at 1.9GB (1932.15 MB) with the new firmware version M317FXXU2CUB1 / M317FODM2CUC1 / M317FXXU2CUA9. The update also brings a security patch level of 1 February 2021.

The device, however, is receiving the update to Android 11 based One UI 3.1 “Core” as this is an M-series device and will not support Samsung’s full One UI experience.

Users who install the update will still have access to Chat bubbles, the new conversations section on the notification area, overhauled permissions and privacy settings and refinements to One UI’s interface and apps. They will also have access to a few new features like edge panels and new additions to the built-in keyboard, which were previously not available on the previous version of One UI Core.

According to the changelog for the update, users who use Micro SD cards might face issues with their Dual Apps, which may not be able to access the expandable storage area directly. This means that they will have to go to the app they want to share the image from and then use the system’s share option to select the Dual app, the report states. This is likely due to Android’s own changes for security that limit apps access to storage on Android 11 with the Storage Access Framework.

However, for the keen people who love to know what the new update brings for their smartphone experience, find out below what’s included in this update:

“One UI 3.1 is designed to help you focus on what matters. Our visual redesign has improved the places you visit the most, like the Home screen and quick panel, to reduce distractions, highlight important information, and make your experience more consistent. Performance improvements will help apps run quicker while using less battery power. And One UI 3.1 puts control in your hands with new privacy controls, one-time permissions, and enhanced Digital Wellbeing,” says Samsung about the new update.

The full list of changes, claimed by Samsung, are mentioned below:

Visual design:

We’ve refreshed the look and feel of One UI 3.1 in lots of ways, from new, more consistent icons to smarter quick panel organization and notifications. Motion is smoother and more natural, with improved animation. And better interface response means the user experience is second to none, on any device.

Improved performance:

We optimized One UI 3.1 with enhanced dynamic memory allocation, so apps run faster and perform better. We’ve also restricted background activities to provide better performance and power usage.

Better customization

• New image categories have been added to the Dynamic Lock screen, and you can select up to 5 categories at once.
• On the Lock screen, you can add a widget to check your usage time.
• Get an interactive preview when setting a wallpaper.
• Adjusting the Always On Display and Lock screen is easier.
• Add a call background to see a picture or video when you make or receive a call.
• In Samsung Internet, you can reorder and lock tabs.
• New icons and Lock screen widgets make it easier to find and control your routines.
• Use Digital Wellbeing with separate personal and work profiles.

Enhanced features

Home screen and Lock screen

• Add widgets by touching and holding an app on the Home screen.
• Turn off the screen by double-tapping an empty space on the Home or Lock screen. (Set it up in Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures.)
• On the Lock screen, tap the clock area to see widgets like calendar, weather, and music.

Calls and chats

• See conversations separately in the notification panel. Works with Messages and your favourite chat apps.
• Easily remove duplicate contacts stored in the same account in Contacts. The storage period for deleted contacts has been extended from 15 days to 30 days.
• Added the ability to edit multiple linked contacts from a single screen.
• Added Trash in Messages so that recently deleted messages are stored for 30 days.

Pictures and videos

• Take pictures quicker with improved autofocus and auto exposure.
• View, edit, and share pictures and videos more easily from the Gallery.
• Find pictures and videos are quicker with new search features and categories in Gallery.
• Revert edited pictures to their original versions at any time, even after they’re saved, so you never lose a shot.

Settings

• Settings have a new simpler look and feel. Your Samsung account is shown at the top, and Home screen settings are now easier to access.
• Find the settings you need more easily with new Search features. You’ll get better results for synonyms and common misspellings, and you can tap on tags to see groups of related settings.
• Quick settings buttons have been reduced to provide only the most commonly used features. You can also add buttons to create your own customized quick panel.

Samsung Keyboard

• Increased the number of input languages to 370.
• Added emoji and sticker suggestions when you enter a text-based emoticon.

Productivity

• In the Internet app, you can hide the status and navigation bars for a more immersive experience and quickly translate webpages.
• You’ll be prompted to block websites that send too many pop-ups or notifications.
• You can browse and select cloud drive files from the file selection screen in My Files.
• You can now delete cache files in My Files to easily free up storage space.
• Events with the same start time are displayed together in the month and list views in the Calendar.

Easy media and device control

Media and device control is easier with the improved media panel in notifications. You can see recently used media apps and quickly change the playback device. You can also check Android Auto settings in the Advanced features menu in Settings.

Identify and improve your digital habits

Improved Digital Wellbeing features make it easy to check how you’re using your phone or tablet and help you form good digital habits. Check your usage while driving or see weekly changes in your screen time by function at a glance through upgraded weekly reports.

Accessibility for everyone

One UI 3.1 recommends useful accessibility features for you based on your usage. The improved Accessibility shortcut makes accessibility features easier to start and use. You can use the Speak keyboard input aloud feature to get voice feedback of your typing even when TalkBack is turned off.

Stronger privacy protection

You can now let an app access to your microphone, camera, or location just one time. Any permissions that an app hasn’t used in a while will be automatically revoked. You can no longer give apps permission to always see your location in the regular permission popup. To let apps access your location when they’re not in use, you need to go to the location permission page for the app in Settings.

Some apps will need to be updated separately after the One UI 3.1 update.

App copies made using Dual messenger can no longer access SD card files directly. To share SD card files in an app copy, select the files in Gallery or My Files, tap Share, then select the app copy.

You can no longer connect to Chromecast using Smart View. You can use Google Home instead. Learn more at: https://doc.samsungmobile.com/5M-M317F/INS/doc.html

Pertinently, Samsung has been the company to beat this year, so far as Android updates are concerned. With Android 11 rolling out to over half of the devices scheduled to receive it, the company is now updating devices slated to get the update a month later.