Samsung has confirmed the existence of a bug in One UI 9 that could potentially make some Galaxy S26 Ultra devices practically unusable. This defect prevents the completion of the initial device setup and may deny the user access to the home screen.
A company representative discovered this issue after receiving reports from users in the Samsung Members digital community. Currently, complaints specifically regarding the setup screen are predominantly coming from South Korea.
The failure may manifest after a Galaxy S26 Ultra running One UI 9 is restored to factory settings. During the setup process, the phone attempts to load a page related to the Samsung Account but displays a content unavailability error. Since this stage is part of the initial process, the user may get stuck in the settings without reaching the main Android screen.
According to Samsung's statement, the problem occurs when the system uses an unstable version of WebView under certain network conditions. The company has suggested several temporary solutions. One option is to change the connection type during setup, switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Another method is to log into the Samsung account via another device, accept the relevant terms of use, and then attempt to complete the Galaxy S26 Ultra setup again.
If these measures do not help, users are advised to contact the manufacturer's support service. An exact release date for the final fix has not yet been established. One UI 9 began rolling out to the Brazilian Galaxy S26 lineup at the end of September. However, no reports of the same setup-blocking error have been registered locally. Nevertheless, one consumer reported complaints about other stability issues, such as freezing, black screens, and slowdowns.
Until a fix is released, users are advised to avoid factory resetting their Galaxy S26 Ultra with One UI 9 unless absolutely necessary.