Samsung Adds 3-Second Motion Photo Wallpapers to One UI 9 on 3 Foldables

Q: Why is Samsung seemingly hiding its most dynamic new wallpaper feature from Galaxy S26 users?

Samsung is probably not “hiding” the feature so much as limiting it to a staged rollout tied to stable One UI 9.0 on its newest foldables. Right now, Motion Photo wallpapers have only been spotted on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8, all of which ship with the final version of One UI 9.0. By contrast, the Galaxy S26 line is still on the One UI 9.0 beta, and reports say the option is missing even on the S26 Ultra running Beta 5. That strongly suggests Samsung has enabled the feature only on selected devices and software builds so far. There are practical reasons for that. Wallpaper features that animate short clips can affect battery life, memory use, and lock-screen behavior, so Samsung may be validating performance on the newest hardware before expanding support. Foldables also tend to serve as showcase devices for new interface tricks, making them a logical first stop for a more dynamic wallpaper tool. Samsung’s own update practices also point to a gradual release. Feature availability often varies by model, region, carrier, and software version, even within the same One UI generation. In other words, the S26’s absence does not mean the feature is being withheld permanently. The most likely outcome is that Galaxy S26 users get Motion Photo wallpapers when stable One UI 9.0 arrives, or in a follow-up update shortly after. Until Samsung confirms timing, the missing feature looks more like phased deployment than deliberate exclusion.

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Aug 17

One UI 9.0 now lets users set Motion Photos as home-screen or lock-screen wallpapers, adding animated backgrounds to Samsung’s latest foldables.
3-second Motion Photos — short clips saved around the shutter press — can be previewed before applying, and users can toggle the animation on or off.
Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 have the feature so far, while Galaxy S26 phones running the One UI 9.0 beta have not yet shown it.
The addition expands Motion Photos beyond still-image capture, giving Samsung another software feature to differentiate its newest foldable lineup.