Mashable

From the first musical moments of The Testament of Ann Lee, I was enraptured. Admittedly, I went in knowing nothing of its subject, an 18th-century religious figure who led the Shakers, a sect also known as the "Shaking Quakers" because of the physicality of their worship. However, the opening thrums of music and the graceful yet powerful thrust of bodies in an inexplicable dance number in a dark forest entranced me and made me eager to know more. 

From this intriguing opening, The Testament to Ann Lee stretches beyond the bounds of historical drama by embracing the music and movements that define the Shaker religious practice. In that, wonder is born onscreen, reflecting their faith in a God that honors such performance as exaltation. 

Written by The Brutalist's screenwriters Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, this is a sweeping American tale of love, faith, community, and creativity that is challenging, enchanting, and awe-inspiring. 

The Testament of Ann Lee reveals the birth of a religious community in America.  Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Helmed by Fastvold, The Testament of Ann Lee charts the life of the eponymous religious leader, not only through dramatic scenes of hardship and joy but also through musical numbers that reflect the Shakers' culture. 

As a young girl in England, Ann is horrified by her vicious father, in both his prohibiting the speech of his many children, but also in his dominion over his wife's body for his own sexual desires. Still, as a young maiden, Ann (Seyfried) strives to be a good wife to her rugged husband (Christopher Abbott), giving in to his demand for sex despite her own lack of interest. That is, until a series of miscarriages convinces her that chastity, hard work, and song is a better way for her to serve God. 

This belief will earn her devoted followers, including her brother William (Thunderbolt*'s Lewis Pullman), the resolute Mary (Thomasin McKenzie), and an American preacher (Tim Blake Nelson). However, as this boundary-pushing woman preaches of God and these tenets from England to New York, she will earn her the ire of her lusty husband and the violent rejection of those unmoved by the Shakers' song. 

Amanda Seyfried is a marvel in The Testament of Ann Lee.  Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Seyfried is no stranger to musicals, but this one is very different from the Broadway adaptations she's starred in before. Forget the bouncy glee of Mamma Mia! or the resounding theatricality of Les Misérables. The motions here feel more akin to modern dance, the song more mantra then belted or cheered.

Limbs of conservatively dressed Shakers shoot forth sharply, pausing in the air as if awaiting a signal or a sign, then plunging in a new direction. Their bodies rise and fall in a rhythm they create through their shared song. In the film's opening, they move through a forest, dancing in unison, throbbing together like one living organism. Through this connection in movement, Fastvold instantly and effectively communicates that this is a community that lives, loves, and suffers together. 

This sentiment of union through hardship is bolstered with every successive song-and-dance number. For instance, when Ann endures a series of miscarriages, a song, deep-throated and aching, pulls her through one to the next, the motions of sex, birth, and loss connecting across scenes to create a sense of flow and growing agony. For it's not just her loss. Others' arms embrace her across scenes of conception and birth, expressing a physical connection, but also ones that scar her. Thus, Seyfried is not just the film's center, but the core of its company. 

As Ann is resolute in her faith, Seyfried carries a certainty, whether working to construct a colony, the sect's signature chairs, or a better bond with her "children" — meaning her followers, who call her "Mother." Yet certainty doesn't make for stoicism. Seyfried's portrait is awash in jubilation, agony, and earnestness. Her eyes echo this fervor, even in climactic moments of violence. But it's in the song and dance that this role becomes extraordinary. In every motion and note, Seyfried leads the cast as Ann leads her people in the film, resolute and radiant. 

Mona Fastvold's vision in The Testament of Ann Lee is rapturous.  Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Like The Brutalist, The Testament of Ann Lee tackles decades of an immigrant's life in an America that welcomes their labor and violently rejects their culture and autonomy. Set in different eras, the films work together as a timeless and dynamic diptych of this country's melting pot, sometimes warm, often scorching. But beyond America, Fastvold's film sings the song of a woman who fought without raising a fist for the sanctity of community and glory of art. 

Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall creates movements that feel modern yet don't clash with the period piece's production design. Her dances evoke passion but not sexuality, reflecting Lee's tenets of faith. Alone, one dancer might seem strange — creating some understanding of the suspicion of the neighboring New Yorkers. But joined by the company, they become glorious, a reflection of what wonders our simple mortal figures can manifest, through work and the embrace of our souls. 

The music by composer Daniel Blumberg was inspired by Shaker hymns. Their lyrics, deceptively simple and repetitive, draw us in through the rounds. The music around them strange, experimental, yet inviting. Thus, we are welcomed in — not only to their story but to the feeling of their exuberance. 

Told in movements, broken up by title cards quoting Bible verses like "The Woman Clothed by the Sun With the Moon Under Her Feet," The Testament of Ann Lee swells and swoons like an orchestra playing an epic opera. Less an investigation into her testament and more a reveling in its passion and resilience, this drama is dynamic and dreamy. It may not make you a believer, but it may well leave you awestruck.

The Testament of Ann Lee opens in wide release Jan. 23.

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2026, 1:46 p.m. This review was first published on Sept. 21, 2025, as part of Mashable's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It has been updated in anticipation of its wide release.

American cinema has long been fascinated by professional fighters. Rocky, Raging Bull, The Fighter, The Wrestler, Cinderella Man, Creed, Million Dollar Baby, Girlfight, Ali, The Hurricane, Warrior — the list goes on and on. Within this sports subgenre, actors like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Russell Crowe, Will Smith, Hilary Swank, Michael B. Jordan, and many more have made their mark, with rave reviews, big box office, award nominations, and big wins. So, it's a shrewd move for Dwayne Johnson to prove he's ready to leap from smoldering action-comedy star to dramatic heavyweight with The Smashing Machine. 

The pro wrestler formerly known as The Rock has spent decades building broad appeal as a movie star, ranging from the lip-curling machismo in the Fast and Furious franchise to the bouncy bravado of his voicework as Maui in Moana to a swath of half-baked action movies that coast on his broad shoulders and signature smile. But with The Smashing Machine, Johnson sheds his larger-than-life persona to disappear into the role of UFC fighter Mark Kerr.

The ways he does this are laudable, but the results are mixed because of writer/director Benny Safdie's challenging choices in constructing this narrative and reconstructing his leading man's face. 

The Smashing Machine reveals the out-of-the-ring struggles of Mark Kerr.  Dwayne Johnson plays Mark Kerr in "The Smashing Machine." Credit: A24

Picking up in 1997, the Safdie-scripted drama follows the beginning of Kerr's MMA (mixed martial arts) career within the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Set across several years, The Smashing Machine ushers audiences to Japan, where Kerr would compete in Pride FC, then back to the U.S., where he trained while carrying on a tumultuous romantic relationship with Dawn Staples (played here by Johnson's Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt). 

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

Rather than centering his narrative around a particular goal — like winning a belt or defeating a particular nemesis — Safdie chooses a more scattershot approach. A smattering of scenes across Kerr's highs and lows aim to capture the contrast of "The Smashing Machine" in the ring, where he was mighty and intimidating, to the man behind the persona, who was gentle, even when battling his own demons. However, without a driving narrative, the film feels meandering, lacking momentum.

The Smashing Machine shies away from sports drama cliches, with mixed results.  Benny Safdie, writer/director of "The Smashing Machine," holds a camera in the film's final sequence. Credit: A24

Elements of Kerr's story are pretty common within the pro fighting industry. Take a look at Dark Side of the Ring for many examples. The incredible demand put on a fighter's body and the ruthless training regimen can encourage abuse of painkillers and other drugs to cope with the physical strain. However, Safdie's so matter-of-fact about Kerr's intravenous drug use that it almost seems harmless. There's a casualness to how Mark is shown readying an injection, doing so while getting dressed and carrying on a conversation, that almost suggests his drug use is not a problem, but part of a routine. But a vague but vicious argument with Dawn shortly after suggests Kerr's losing his grip. 

It might be lauded that Safdie and Johnson (who is also a producer on The Smashing Machine) aren't interested in making Kerr's real-life low points into a gaudy spectacle. But little is given to otherwise illustrate his battle here. Safdie's script reveals a near-fatal overdose through a phone call between Dawn and Mark's friend/colleague Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader). His time in rehab happens entirely offscreen. Thus, much of his struggle with addiction is limited to strained jokes about doctors who offer him over-the-counter painkillers and his passive-aggressive comments to Dawn, when she returns from a boozy meal with friends. Essentially, the punches feel pulled, outside the ring and inside too. 

The Smashing Machine won't let audiences get close to Mark Kerr.  Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt embrace in "The Smashing Machine." Credit: A24

Safdie rejects the standard of Hollywood boxing movies by keeping his cameras firmly outside of the ring. A cavalcade of other directors have used close-ups to give audiences an unblinking look at everything from the fear or confidence flashing on the fighter's face to the sweat and blood streaming down their muscles. But Safdie won't let us any closer than the fans in the film, stuck behind the ropes. It's a choice that echoes his aim of authenticity over Hollywood razzle-dazzle. But it literally and emotionally keeps us at a distance. 

Other forms of authenticity work better. Handheld camera lends energy and a hazy excitement to everything from Mark striding to the arena to his grappling with a hysterical Dawn. A soundtrack of late '90s/early '00s songs (like Sublime's "Santeria" and Sugar Ray's "Every Morning") played in the background help audiences time-travel back to his heyday. But most impactful is Safdie's unconventional casting choices.

As he's done in past films like Uncut Gems, he peoples The Smashing Machine with nonactors. In this case, to play Mark's friends and rivals, the director brought in fighters Ryan Bader, Oleksandr Usyk, Satoshi Ishii, James Moontasril, Cyborg Abreu, and Marcus Aurélio, many making their acting debuts. They bring an earthiness and earnestness to the film, with Bader being a terrific standout, seemingly effortless in scenes of professional drama and domestic bliss. 

In terms of Johnson's performance, authenticity meant asking the actor to bulk up and to wear facial prosthetics and meticulously detailed wigs to resemble Kerr. And here's where Safdie's choices hurt Johnson most. 

Dwayne Johnson is incredible in The Smashing Machine, but the prosthetics are a problem.  Dwayne Johnson plays Mark Kerr in "The Smashing Machine." Credit: A24

Props to the make-up team — the prosthetics are seamless and do the job of erasing the familiar face of The Rock. This transformation gives Johnson the space to create a performance that is distinctly separate from his own personas in pro-wrestling and as the leading man of many an action franchise. Do they make him look like Mark Kerr? I'm less convinced. But we've seen plenty of thespians get Oscar gold for hiding their famous features to better inhabit a character. (That includes Charlize Theron in Monster, Brendan Fraser in The Whale, and Nicole Kidman in The Hours, just to name a few.) 

The problem is that while these prosthetics erase The Rock, they also inhibit Johnson's face. Sure, his performance here is more nuanced than in his splashy blockbusters. An early scene where Kerr, bruised and battered, gently explains his work to a little boy and a judgmental grandmother is gracefully done. The softness in his tone is reflected in a gentle physicality as he insists there's camaraderie outside the ring. Later, this gentleness reemerges as he talks to his fellow fighters and as he pleads with a spiraling Dawn. (Blunt gives her best to a role that is achingly archetypal, painting Dawn as a volatile drunk with a Jersey Shore thirst for fashion and fighting). However, this performance is often cut off by the brow bone of the prosthetic. 

Creating a ledge that throws a dark shadow, the make-up too often makes it hard to see Johnson's eyes. So, much like being pushed out of the ring in the fight scenes, we're pushed out of Mark's experience by not being able to see how he's feeling. In a showier Johnson performance, this might not be an issue, as he can ooze emotion out of big gestures and bellowing line delivery. But here, nearly every aspect of the film is aiming for subtlety, to better explore the shades of gray of Kerr. And without seeing his eyes, we're too often left in the dark. 

In the end, Johnson gives a career-defining performance that should well prove he can handle meatier, even artier fare. Blunt gives her all in a thankless role, and Safdie, in his feature-length directorial debut without his brother/Uncut Gems co-helmer Josh Safdie, takes some big swings. It's a shame he didn't have a sharper eye on what was hitting, and what was leaving his audience needing more.

The Smashing Machine is now streaming on HBO Max.

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2026, 2:41 p.m. EST "The Smashing Machine" was reviewed out of its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in this article, originally published on Sept. 20, 2025. It has been updated to include the latest streaming information.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: Unova Heavy Hitters Premium Collection is on sale for $134.87 at Amazon. That's $25 off its usual $159.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Unova Heavy Hitters Premium Collection $134.97 at Amazon
$159.99 Save $25.02   Get Deal

Premium Pokémon TCG collections rarely see meaningful discounts around their launch window, but we’re starting to see discounts on the Black Bolt and White Flare expansions more regularly. As of Jan. 23, the Pokémon TCG: Unova Heavy Hitters Premium Collection is available for $134.87, making it one of the better-value large-format Pokémon releases you can pick up right now.

The last expansions of the Scarlet and Violet set, this Generation Five Unova-based collection gives you a generous amount for just under $135. If you’re an avid trading card collector who missed out when both these expansions launched in July 2025, it’s a perfect set to help you catch up. 

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Inside the Pokémon TCG’s Unova Heavy Hitters Premium Collection, you’ll get 12 boosters total — six Black Bolt packs and White Flare packs, a code card for Pokémon TCG Live, four foil promo cards — Zekrom ex, Reshiram ex, Victini, and Zoroark — and an oversized Kyurem ex foil promo card designed for display. 

In terms of raw value, that pack count alone makes this deal more than worth your money. On Amazon right now, individual packs of both White Flare and Bolt Bolt are being sold for around $15. Based on the Heavy Hitters Collection’s 12 packs alone, this deal is saving you $45 compared to buying them separately. The added promo cards essentially feel like a great bonus prize on top.

For more multi-pack bargains, you can still buy an eight-pack lot of the Pokémon TCG’s Journey Together expansion at $16 off. For another high-end collection, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Charizard X ex Ultra-Premium Collection is still $100 off at Amazon.

SAVE $34: As of Jan. 23, the Apple Pencil Pro is on sale for $94.99 at Amazon. That's a 26% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Pencil Pro $94.99 at Amazon
$129 Save $34.01   Get Deal

The Apple Pencil Pro is back on sale at Amazon and if you use your iPad for anything more than casual scrolling, this is a solid time to grab one. The Pro is the most advanced in the range, designed for people who regularly write, draw, or do anything creative on their iPad. So if that's you, you'll love this deal. As of Jan. 23, the Apple Pencil Pro is down to $94.99, a saving of $34 on list price.

This Apple stylus is designed for iPads, giving a low-latency performance with tilt and pressure sensitivity for more accurate drawing, writing, and navigation. It even has gesture controls such as squeeze and barrel roll for switching tools or adjusting settings, along with haptic feedback.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

There's no cables involved or complicated pairing either, the pencil just attaches magnetically to the iPad for wireless pairing and charging. It also supports Apple Pencil hover on compatible models, a feature that lets you preview marks before actually placing them. And if you're worried about losing it, not to worry, it is compatible with Find My so you can track its location.

Get this Apple Pencil deal at Amazon and save over $30.

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Jan. 21-24. Play Game, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering free sports fiction books for Kindle e-readers.

Welcome back, Stuff Your Kindle Day. We missed you over the festive period.

Play Game, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering readers the chance to download heavily discounted or free sport fiction ebooks. And the books that you download are yours to keep forever. So stop what you're doing and take this opportunity to stock up. The Stuff Your Kindle Day schedule is pretty busy in 2026, but we don't see a lot of sports fiction in these giveaways.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best Kindles to help you find the perfect e-reader

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Play Game takes place on Jan. 21-24. Stuff Your Kindle Days often take place over 24 hours, this event runs for four days. That gives you time to check out everything on offer, assess how much you can actually read, and then download a sensible number of ebooks. OK, there's no need to be sensible here.

Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?

One of the great things about Stuff Your Kindle Day is that everyone can participate. Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone.

Which ebooks are free?

Indie Author Collective is running the show, and has a helpful hub page for Play Game. This has a bunch of filters for major tropes, spice level, content level, and representation. By utilizing these filters, you camn head directly to what you want to read most.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time, so there's no need to hold back. This is the time to be greedy.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $109.99 at Amazon
  Get Deal Why we like it

These popular e-readers help you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase.

SAVE $1,320: As of Jan. 23, the Jackery HomePower 3000 Portable with DC-DC Alternator Charger is on sale for $1,499 at Amazon. That's a 47% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3000 Portable with DC-DC Alternator Charger $1,499 at Amazon
$2,819 Save $1,320   Get Deal

There are some great deals on portable power stations at Amazon right now, and if you're looking for a whole home power unit, the Jackery HomePower 3000 Portable with DC-DC Alternator Charge is nearly half off.

As of Jan. 23, this stacked model is down by 47%, now priced at $1,499. That's a saving of $1,320 on list price. And this isn't just for the power station unit on its own. No, this includes an alternator charger, a high-power car charger designed to rapidly recharge compatible Jackery power stations while you’re driving.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

The unit itself is designed to power your whole home when required. It has a 3,600W output (7,200W surge) and a large 3,072Wh capacity that can keep all your essentials running during an outage. It can power a home setup for up to 15 hours, or keep a refrigerator running for one to two days. It has a range of outlets too, including AC, USB-C, USB-A and DC ports, as well as dual 100W PD ports for fast charging.

Charging is flexible too, and you won't need days of notice to prepare it. In fact, it can fully recharge in around 1.7 hours using the hybrid AC and DC, 2.2 hours via AC alone.

Get this Jackery deal from Amazon now.

TikTok will officially remain in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. A new, majority U.S.-owned company had been established to continue running the popular video-sharing app in the country, and has announced some very U.S.-centric changes coming to your For You feed.

SEE ALSO: Why pro-Palestinian content is at the center of the TikTok ban

U.S. politicians pushed for TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell to American owners for years. These lawmakers claim that the Chinese government spies on American users via the app (though there is no evidence that this is actually happening), and accuse TikTok of manipulating its algorithm to present content that is sympathetic to Palestine and China.

Now it seems these politicians have gotten their way. Called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, the new company will take over ownership of TikTok in the U.S., as well as the American operations of other ByteDance apps such as CapCut and Lemon8.

"TikTok USDS Joint Venture's mandate is to secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm through comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity measures," read TikTok USDS Joint Venture's announcement. 

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is owned by a plethora of different investors, most of which are American. While TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retains 19.9 percent of the U.S. joint venture, 45 percent is evenly split among three managing investors: U.S. private equity firm Silver Lake, U.S. IT company Oracle, and UAE investment firm MGX. 

A string of predominantly American investors own smaller chunks of the remaining 35.1 percent, including investment firm Dell Family Office and Susquehanna International Group affiliate Vastmere Strategic Investments.

How TikTok's new U.S. owners will impact your For You feed

TikTok USDS Joint Venture stated that U.S. user data will be held in Oracle's U.S. cloud servers, indicating that this will ensure it is secure. TikTok previously did the same, investing $1.5 billion to quarantine U.S. users' data with Oracle in an initiative dubbed Project Texas. Even so, this wasn't enough to reassure U.S. lawmakers and stave off the sale.

TikTok USDS Joint Venture will also use U.S. user data to retrain and update the app's famous content recommendation algorithm, also keeping this new version in Oracle's cloud. Other countries will presumably continue to use the TikTok algorithm without these U.S.-centric updates.

It seems fair to assume that this retraining may attempt to address politicians' aforementioned concerns regarding the type and tenor of content that people in the U.S. see on TikTok. The company further noted that it will "safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem" by taking control of TikTok's U.S. content moderation and trust and safety policies.

Fortunately, these changes don't mean that TikTok users in the U.S. will be completely cut off from the rest of the world. TikTok USDS Joint Venture states that content from U.S. creators will still be shown to users in other countries. However, it remained silent on whether U.S. creators would similarly continue to see content from the rest of the world.

As such, it wouldn't be surprising if U.S. users saw fewer pro-Palestinian TikToks on their For You feeds in the future. 

TikTok U.S.' new owner is led by CEO Adam Presser and CSO Will Farrell (not to be confused with actor Will Ferrell), both of whom previously worked at TikTok. The company will also have a seven-member, majority-American board of directors, including TPG Global senior advisor Timothy Dattels, Susquehanna International Group managing director Mark Dooley, Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban, Oracle executive vice president Kenneth Glueck, and MGX chief strategy and safety officer David Scott. Famously Singaporean TikTok CEO Shou Chew will also serve as a director at TikTok USDS Joint Venture.

We've previously learned that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 smartphones would feature an innovative Privacy Display, and now that seems to have been confirmed — by Samsung itself.

Sammy Guru grabbed an animation showing Privacy Display earlier this month. And this week, in an official update on the One UI 8.5 arriving with the new S26 phones, Samsung included a screenshot that clearly shows a Privacy Display mode in the settings menu, all but confirming its official existence.

Mobile insiders have also spotted references to Privacy Display in the code of early versions of One UI 8.5.

Privacy Display is something like a frosted screen protector, blocking other people from seeing what's on your phone's screen. By activating Privacy Display, the Galaxy S26 phones will be able to do this natively, which is a neat trick. iPhones definitely can't do it (yet).

Everything we know about Privacy Display

Veteran Samsung leaker Ice Universe posted a video showing privacy screen technology in action. Filmed at Mobile World Congress in 2024, the video shows a device called the Flex Magic Pixel with the technology. See it for yourself on X.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

In addition, the animation first spotted by Sammy Guru has also started making the rounds on X and Reddit.

Reddit

"Prevent others from seeing what's on your screen," reads a description of the feature. "Privacy display makes the screen less visible when viewed from a side angle. You can turn it on when you need it or set conditions for turning it on automatically."

Credit: Samsung Credit: Samsung Is Samsung copying Liquid Glass for the S26?

With the next Galaxy Unpacked event rumored to take place in late February, we're in the midst of a wave of pre-launch leaks — many of which confirm long-rumored new features such as Privacy Display. The rumor mill also suggested that One UI 8.5, and by extension the whole S26 lineup, will also adopt a more Liquid Glass-like aesthetic.

Liquid Glass is Apple's new design language, and debuted with iOS 26. It features translucent elements, more customization, and animations that bend and refract light. So far, iOS 26 and Liquid Glass have been controversial, with many design nerds criticizing the new look. Nevertheless, it appears Samsung is set to follow suit.

One UI 8 has already features some translucent elements — and a new preview of One UI 8.5 posted to the Samsung-affiliated Good Lock website shows even more Liquid Glass-style features. The widgets screen in particular looks very similar to the widgets screen in iOS 26.

A promo image from Samsung's One UI 8 overview Credit: Samsung A preview of the widgets screen in One UI 8.5. Credit: Samsung / Good Lock