Samsung has just given the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display a real boost with One UI 9 Beta 4. If you use Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode often, then you will notice this upgrade right away. It actually makes Privacy Display usable while not messing with the rest of your screen.
Currently, only users in the One UI 9 beta programme get this, but the stable release (built on Android 17) should land later this week.
So what’s different?
Well, usually when you turned on Privacy Display during PiP, the whole screen dimmed out under the privacy filter. Sure, nobody else could see your video, but you couldn’t do much else either—the home screen and other apps were all blanketed by the privacy layer.
Beta 4 update
With the Beta 4 update, that changes. Now, the privacy effect only covers the PiP window itself. Everything else—your home screen, open apps, notifications—stays visible and ready to use. Multitasking gets much smoother, and you do not sacrifice privacy.
Ice Universe showed off the new version in a short video: as you drag the floating PiP window around the screen, the privacy effect follows it and only it. The rest of your display stays untouched. You can check your messages, scroll through your apps, or just use your phone as usual, all while keeping nosy neighbours out of your video. Samsung’s own Korean Community forum backs this up—the privacy protection moves in real time with the PiP box.
If you have not messed with Privacy Display before, Samsung rolled it out earlier this year on the S26 Ultra. This means anyone who worries about shoulder surfing. When you turn it on via the Quick Panel, the screen looks clear to you but gets dim and hard to see from odd angles. You can set it to protect notifications, only cover certain apps, or just toggle it on and off as needed. It works well for travelling, working in crowded spots, or whenever you want extra security.
Samsung is rolling out Beta 4 through the Members app for S26 Ultra beta testers now. The final One UI 9 version (again, based on Android 17) will probably drop this week, right around the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8.
No wild interface overhauls, at least not yet, just smart tweaks like this one that make the daily experience better. And honestly, this is the kind of privacy tweak people actually use.
