One UI 6.1.1 fixes Google apps' Material You theming, brings unwanted Smart select changes

Update 16/10/24: Samsung Galaxy users can expect the GIF maker in Smart select to make a comeback at some point this week, at least according to a forum moderator in the Korean community. This statement was made over the weekend, but since it’s in the Korean community, it’s likely that the rest of the globe will get it later this month or perhaps even next month.

Update 24/09/24: Samsung has now revealed that it will bring back the GIF creator after removing it with One UI 6.1.1 update. The feature should arrive somewhere this month or in October.

Original article follows:

Samsung’s latest One UI 6.1.1 update has brought a mix of joy and disappointment to Galaxy users. While the update has finally fixed a long-standing issue with Material You theming in Google apps, it has also introduced a significant change to the Edge Panel and how users access the Smart select feature.

One of the most frustrating bugs to plague Galaxy users since One UI 6 was the broken Material You theming, especially inside Google apps. Picture this: you carefully pick a gorgeous green wallpaper, expect your apps to adopt that fresh, leafy vibe, but then Google Drive and Docs stubbornly stay blue. That’s what users had been dealing with for months, with no fix in sight through One UI 6.0 updates and even the earlier 6.1 upgrade.

Well, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief. One UI 6.1.1 has swooped in to save the day. According to users, the Google apps are finally playing nice with Material You theming. Your Gmail, Chrome, Gboard, and other third-party apps should now reflect the colors you’ve selected through Samsung’s Color Palette menu. There are still a few stragglers, like Google Maps, that remain unthemed, but overall, Samsung seems to have nailed this fix after what felt like an eternity of waiting. Some users had to reset their color palette to see the changes, but hey, it’s a small price to pay for finally having consistency in your apps’ aesthetics.

Now, not everything in One UI 6.1.1 is sunshine and rainbows. Several Samsung fans were quick to notice that a beloved feature — GIF creation from the Smart select tool — seems to have vanished. For those who loved capturing moments in motion and converting them into playful GIFs on the fly, this was a shocker.

Samsung has made some changes to Smart select, reshuffling its location within the Edge Panel and introducing a new AI-driven selection tool. While the AI cropper is handy for some, it’s not winning any popularity contests among longtime users. For many, the old rectangle and oval selection tools were far more intuitive, and the removal of the GIF-making feature feels like a downgrade.

Some users are crossing their fingers that Samsung will bring back the GIF maker in future updates. Others have already taken to support forums hoping that enough complaints will push the tech giant to reconsider. Until then, creating a GIF now requires the longer, less convenient process of screen recording and cropping. Not ideal.

If you’re rocking a Galaxy device and have installed the latest update, you’ll definitely appreciate the smooth theming experience. Just don’t expect to whip up a GIF without jumping through a few extra hoops.

Here’s hoping Samsung listens to its loyal user base and keeps tweaking One UI 6.1.1 for the better.