Galaxy S26 Ultra setup bug leaves some users stuck after One UI 9

Some Galaxy S26 Ultra owners appear to be hitting a serious setup problem after installing One UI 9, with one reported failure leaving the phone unable to show the lock screen or home screen.¹

Android Central reports that a user on Samsung's Korean forums described a black screen after the update, alongside an error saying that a webpage was unavailable.¹ The report says the problem appeared during startup rather than as a minor glitch inside a single app, which makes it particularly disruptive for anyone trying to get back into a phone they have just updated.

Samsung reportedly told the user that its development team had identified unstable System WebView on certain networks as the cause. Its suggested troubleshooting steps were to update a browser such as Google Chrome, connect to Wi-Fi rather than relying on a mobile connection, and then try signing into a Samsung Account again.¹

A narrow report, not a confirmed widespread outage

The available evidence points to a specific setup failure, not a confirmed problem affecting every Galaxy S26 Ultra. Android Central says it is unclear how widespread the issue is, and Samsung has not confirmed in the report that a future software update will resolve it.¹ That distinction matters: one user's experience can expose a real fault without establishing its frequency or the full list of affected devices and networks.

The timing is still awkward for Samsung. Its official Galaxy S26 Ultra page presents the phone as a flagship built around a customised processor, advanced AI features and a prominent privacy display.² A setup process that strands users behind a black screen cuts across the basic promise of a premium phone, even if the underlying cause turns out to be a WebView or network interaction rather than the handset hardware itself.

The report also arrives after other One UI 9 complaints cited by Android Central, including an “XML Access Denied” error that users said had frozen several Galaxy models.¹ Those incidents are not proof of one shared bug, but they make the quality-control question harder to ignore while Samsung continues rolling out its Android 17-era software.

What affected owners can try

Samsung's reported advice is straightforward: update Chrome or the relevant browser, switch to a stable Wi-Fi connection and retry the Samsung Account sign-in. Anyone who cannot reach the home screen should avoid treating those steps as a guaranteed fix, however. The report does not establish whether the workaround succeeds for every affected user, and it does not provide a recovery procedure for people who remain locked out.

Our opinion

This is exactly the kind of software failure that damages confidence disproportionately. A visual bug inside an app is frustrating; a setup error that prevents access to the lock screen makes the entire device feel broken. Samsung's quick response is useful, but a support explanation is not the same thing as a confirmed fix. Until the company publishes clearer scope or a patch, Galaxy S26 Ultra owners should treat the report as a warning to keep a reliable Wi-Fi connection and an alternative device available before starting a major update.

Samsung has not confirmed how many Galaxy S26 Ultra users are affected, and the reported troubleshooting steps should not be read as evidence that the issue is resolved.¹