The Galaxy S26 series into the hands of consumers, and as we here at Android Central continue to test devices, we’re impressed with its many features. Some of them are more well-known, such as Privacy Screen on Ultra, and more features are coming gradually, e.g Screen automation with Gemini. However, one feature that I felt fell under the radar was the improved Audio Eraser, which was very impressive to begin with.
during Galaxy S26 at launch, Samsung announced that Audio Eraser will now support third-party apps, meaning you can use it to adjust the volume while watching a show or scrolling through Instagram. I’ve been testing this feature on my Galaxy S26 Plus and I have to say, it’s becoming my favorite new feature on Samsung’s latest flagships!
Audio Eraser and One UI 8.5 update
Samsung’s Audio Eraser may and should look familiar to anyone with a newer Pixel smartphone. Enabled with this feature Galaxy S25 seriesand as in Pixel, some Samsung phones can analyze videos and separate audio into different categories such as voices, music, noise and crowd. After the video is analyzed, you can adjust each audio category for the desired effect, whether it’s drowning out the sounds of the crowd to better hear the main speaker, or amplifying the background music on stage so that voices can’t be heard.
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The results are pretty amazing, and phones like the Galaxy S26 can even use it for videos that aren’t shot on the phone itself, such as videos you store on the device.
However, with A UI In the Galaxy S26 series 8.5, Samsung takes this a step further with third-party software support. When using apps like YouTube, Netflix, Instagram, and more, you can adjust the volume so that the speaker can be heard more clearly, effectively drowning out background noise or music, so you can better hear what’s going on.
The tools aren’t as detailed as those found in the Gallery app, but the main feature works surprisingly well in third-party apps.
How to use Audio Eraser in Gallery app
1. Select a video In your gallery app.
2. hit Galaxy AI glitter icon. Wait for the program to analyze the video.
3. Adjust audio categories to your taste or hit Automatic button let the app make the adjustments itself. You can also tap “Hear Original” above to compare the edited audio with the original audio.
4. Click Save edits after agreeing.
Note that while you’re in the edit screen, each audio category will be highlighted in yellow in the video scrubber wherever that audio type appears in the video, making it easier to visualize where the changes were made.
How to use Audio Eraser in third-party applications
1. YouTube, Netflix, Instagram, Prime Video and more. open programs like and start playing the video.
2. Swipe down to open quick settings menu. hit Audio eraser above.
3. Turn on the audio eraser and adjust the power Audio eraser to reduce background noise in video.
4. If you are listening to music and want to increase the main vocals by lowering the volume of the music, adjust the power to the highest levelafter Turn on audio focus. This feature will remain grayed out and unavailable until the power is turned all the way up.
5. Tap when done It’s over.
One of Samsung’s most practical AI features
Many Samsung Galaxy A.I features like creating stickers or editing photos are fun to use, but Audio Eraser has just become one of the features I can’t live without. I often find that for one reason or another I have a hard time hearing things properly while watching TV shows. For this reason, I often turn on the subtitles so that I can fully understand the dialogue, such as when watching The Expanse, which features a lot of action and moments where the characters talk over the crowd.
In the example above, I find it quite difficult to hear Colm McGuinness’s voice clearly in his fantastic rendition of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Nancy Mulligan’. When I turn on the Audio Eraser, his words become clearer and easier to understand (my last stumbling block is his strong Irish accent).
However, Audio Eraser isn’t perfect in this regard, especially when Voice Focus is enabled. Yes, it gives the sounds a nice boost and makes them very easy to hear, but sometimes the sounds can get blurry as the AI tries to keep up, and now and again it backfires, making it hard to understand the sounds. As such, this particular feature is best used sparingly.
Still, I can see how this feature could be a great accessibility tool that’s useful for people who are hard of hearing. Some of the changes may seem subtle, but sometimes they can go a long way in making the difference between hearing something clearly and not. While Voice Focus has its drawbacks, it makes a pretty dramatic difference when watching videos or listening to music, and I hope Samsung expands this into music apps like YouTube Music.
For now, Audio Eraser has become a truly indispensable upgrade to Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite.
