Galaxy S26 Ultra setup fails after reset as Samsung acknowledges WebView fault
A fault in the One UI 9.0 interface is leaving Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phones frozen in South Korea. Owners reported the failure on October 21, 2026, and it appears after a factory reset, halting the initial setup and blocking access to the operating system.
The first complaint came from a consumer in South Korea on the official Samsung Members community forum. A moderator who also represents the company confirmed the anomaly there. In a machine translation of the post, the user wrote: “Since the UI 9.0 update, this keeps appearing on my phone screen,” adding that the screen stays black and the home screen never shows up.
Why the setup stalls on certain mobile networks
The phone fails to reach Samsung’s servers during the last step of setup, right after the owner formats the device for a clean install. According to the company’s development team, the root is an unstable WebView, the system component that shows web pages inside apps, when the phone uses certain mobile data networks. The incompatibility blocks the Samsung Account policy and terms page, displays an unavailable-address warning, and keeps the screen completely black, so the user never reaches the lock screen or home screen.
In its replies on the South Korean community platform, Samsung gave a detailed diagnosis. “The development team has confirmed that this issue occurs when using an unstable system WebView on certain networks,” the company’s official representative said in a translated statement. The representative also asked the user to follow the troubleshooting guide listed below.
Temporary steps for phones stuck at the Samsung Account screen
Owners who already reset the phone and remain stuck have a temporary route from the company. The first step is to move from mobile data to Wi-Fi, update the browser, such as Google Chrome, to its latest version, sign out of the account by hand, and try to log in again.
A second option is to use another device, such as a computer or a different phone, to open a web browser and access the official Samsung Account website. There, the owner logs in, accepts the latest terms of use, and then resumes the process on the locked phone. If neither step unlocks the screen, Samsung advises contacting its official support and avoiding another factory reset on One UI 9.0 devices until a repair package arrives through an over-the-air update, known as OTA, which is software delivered wirelessly.
See also: Galaxy S27 targets January 2027 release as Samsung accelerates production
Earlier One UI 9.0 faults and the Android 17 rollout across Galaxy models
One UI 9.0 is the interface built on Android 17. Its stable release began in mid-September 2026, reaching the Galaxy S26 series first, then the Galaxy S25 line and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. In October 2026, it arrived at the Galaxy S24, S23, Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, and owners of the S24 and S25 Ultra reported boot freezes, “Access Denied” messages and fast battery drain across the Galaxy family.
What the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers: screen, chip, cameras and battery
The affected model carries the newest parts in the company’s lineup. Its main specifications are listed below.
- Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with LTPO technology, QHD+ resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 2,600 nits
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
- Internal storage: 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB
- Rear cameras: 200 MP main sensor with OIS and f/1.9 aperture; 50 MP ultrawide with f/1.9; 50 MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, OIS and f/2.9; 10 MP second telephoto with 3x optical zoom, OIS and f/2.4
- Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2 aperture
- Battery: 5,000 mAh with 60W charging support
- Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 and NFC
- System and size: Android 17 under One UI 9.0, measuring 78.1 x 163.6 x 7.9 millimeters
Samsung has not announced a release date for the firmware or server fix that will permanently correct the WebView failure, and it has not said how many devices are affected outside South Korea. A Samsung update released in South Korea on October 26, 2026 brought stability and security improvements. Reports from November 2026 mention a security patch for that month, but no official source ties it to the setup bug.
