Samsung is taking lock screen customization on Galaxy phones a step further. A new LockStar update expands Samsung’s unlock animations, giving you a quick way to make your phone feel different every time you unlock it. It’s simple and immediately stands out.
The Galaxy Store notes for LockStar 8.5.00.8 highlight additional “Unlock Animation” effects and One UI 8.5 support, in addition to some quality of life improvements. There’s a catch: Samsung doesn’t specify which models will get all the features or when they’ll be available everywhere.
Unlock animations are the focus
The main change is the new effects unlock menu in LockStar, with hundreds of animations to choose from. That’s a lot more variety than most people expect from a lock screen tweak.
Same version number and indicates One UI 8.5 requirement. Samsung’s own notes confirm that the feature is present, but do not confirm the exact number or whether the full list is the same across devices.
It’s not just eye candy
This update is also aimed at suitability for everyday use. LockStar 8.5.00.8 adds manual always-on display brightness control for full-screen AOD models. If your screen is too bright in a dark room, this is the solution you actually use.
Samsung also mentions a new “Text” feature for phones running One UI 8.0 or later that will let you add custom text to your lock screen. Additionally, it fixes an issue with the fingerprint effect and adjusts the rounding of widget corners. These are small changes that can make the lock screen look cleaner.
So try it now
To try it out, open the Galaxy Store and update LockStar to version 8.5.00.8. Then go to LockStar and look for the “Unlock Animation” setting. Tap around and choose one that you enjoy watching on a daily basis.
If you install the update and don’t see the full animation controls, your One UI version is probably stuck. Keep an eye out for One UI 8.5 on your model and check back with LockStar once your phone is updated.
