Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
Asus smartphones aren’t the most well-liked available on the market. Nonetheless, the corporate has persistently created the perfect gaming telephone annually with its ROG Cellphone collection. Moreover, the Zenfone collection earns excessive reward annually. With that in thoughts, you could be inquisitive about Zen UI, the software program pores and skin you’ll discover on all these telephones.
See additionally: Asus Zenfone 8 collection purchaser’s information
On this information, we’re going to let you know every thing it’s good to learn about Zen UI. Hopefully, this may assist people who find themselves on the fence about shopping for an Asus telephone. This is also useful for individuals who already personal one however need to change into extra accustomed to it. Let’s dive in!
Editor’s word: This text is up to date as of October 2021. We’ll add/take away content material as Asus reveals extra details about Zen UI.
Zen UI at a look
Contents

Luke Pollack / Android Authority
General, Zen UI is most much like Google’s Pixel UI. It leaves the appear and feel of inventory Android alone, for probably the most half, whereas including in new options to boost the consumer expertise. The one exception to that is the optionally available “ROG UI” mode on ROG Telephones, which revamps the OS to make it look extra like a gaming rig.
Zen UI additionally seems on Asus-branded tablets (which aren’t made a lot anymore) in addition to standalone functions, such because the Home windows-based ZenLink app. Primarily, although, Zen UI is related carefully with Asus’ Android telephones.
See additionally: What’s Android?
Earlier than the existence of this Android pores and skin, Asus’ smartphones got here with the clunkily-named WaveShare UI. You probably have an older Asus telephone, you may nonetheless see WaveShare on it. We cowl this extra additional down within the article.
Sadly, Asus has a poor historical past of maintaining its telephones up-to-date with regards to software program. It wasn’t till the summer time of 2021 earlier than its 2020 flagships noticed Android 10, for instance. The corporate is also pretty sluggish with regards to pushing safety patches to its telephones. Nonetheless, Asus is getting higher at this as time goes on. Nonetheless, if quick and frequent software program updates are necessary to you, an Asus telephone won’t be what you’re searching for.
The most recent model of Zen UI

Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Some producers sync up their Android pores and skin variations with the variations of Android. OnePlus’ Oxygen OS, for instance, now matches Android — Android 11 is Oxygen OS 11, Android 12 is Oxygen OS 12, and so forth. Asus, although, doesn’t try this. In the present day, the newest model of Zen UI is Zen UI 8. That is based mostly on Android 11.
The latest steady model of the pores and skin is Zen UI 8 based mostly on Android 11.
Asus is at the moment operating a beta program for Zen UI 9 based mostly on Android 12. As standard, it’s fairly late to the sport as many firms had began beta packages months earlier. It would most likely be the tip of 2021 and even early 2022 earlier than any Asus telephones see Android 12.
We have now steps on the best way to examine your model quantity within the subsequent part.
examine your model and for updates utilizing Zen UI

Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
In the event you don’t know which model of Zen UI is in your Asus gadget, you possibly can simply examine. Listed here are the steps:
- Head to Android Settings by discovering the shortcut in your app drawer or notification shade.
- Scroll to the underside of the listing and faucet on the System part.
- Inside System faucet on the About Cellphone part.
- Within the About Cellphone part, you’ll see your Android Model. Asus doesn’t particularly let you know which model of Zen UI is in your telephone, but it surely’s simple to find out after you have your Android model quantity (see subsequent part).
In the event you’re operating an older model of Android/Zen UI, there’s an opportunity an replace could possibly be ready for you. You’ll be able to examine for software program updates utilizing the next steps:
- Head to Android Settings by discovering the shortcut in your app drawer or notification shade.
- Scroll to the underside of the listing and discover the System part.
- Inside System, discover and faucet on System Replace.
- Zen UI will let you recognize if you happen to’re operating the most recent model. If not, it will provide you with directions on the best way to obtain and set up an replace.
In case your software program is up-to-date however you don’t have the most recent model of Zen UI, meaning your telephone hasn’t obtained the replace but. It’s additionally doable your telephone is simply too outdated to get new updates.
A short historical past of Zen UI

Previous to Zen UI, Asus’ Android pores and skin was generally known as WaveShare UI. That is the pores and skin you’ll have discovered on older Asus units together with its distinctive telephone/pill hybrid collection generally known as PadFone.
In 2014, although, the corporate formally introduced Zen UI. It will definitely made its method to older PadFone fashions and, clearly, got here out of the field with new Asus telephones and tablets.
Zen UI has all the time been akin to inventory Android. Over time, Asus has added increasingly options to the system to make the consumer expertise higher. The stock-like really feel of the pores and skin hasn’t modified although.
Listed here are the assorted variations of Zen UI and the way they match as much as the model of Android on which they’re based mostly:
- 2014 — Zen UI (Android 4.4 KitKat)
- 2015 — ZUI 2 (Android 5 Lollipop)
- 2016 — ZUI 3 (Android 6 Marshmallow)
- 2017 — ZUI 4 (Android 7 Nougat)
- 2018 — ZUI 5 (Android 8 Oreo)
- 2019 — ZUI 6 (Android 9 Pie)
- 2020 — ZUI 7 (Android 10)
- 2021 — ZUI 8 (Android 11)
What Zen UI seems to be like
Here’s a gallery of screenshots that ought to provide you with an concept of what to anticipate from Zen UI.
The very best distinctive options of Zen UI

Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
Each Android pores and skin on the market places its personal stamp on the software program. Listed here are 4 issues Zen UI can do that almost all different skins can’t.
‘ROG UI’
This function is unique to Asus’ line of Republic of Avid gamers (ROG) telephones. Whenever you initially arrange a ROG Cellphone, you’re introduced with a alternative between the “default” format and the “traditional” format. Though Asus doesn’t discuss with them as such, the “default” format is colloquially known as “ROG UI” because it provides the telephone’s software program an aesthetic that matches ROG gear. The “traditional” format is principally simply Zen UI by itself. You’ll be able to all the time change your thoughts on this later by heading to Settings > Themes And Wallpaper > My Themes.
Battery Care
The longevity of your telephone’s battery is essential. Typically, to increase the size of your battery’s usability so long as doable, you must run it right down to zero and solely ever cost it to 80%. Asus takes the guesswork out of this by supplying you with the choice to restrict your telephone’s charging to cease at 80%, 90%, or 100%. It additionally provides you an easy-to-read indicator of your battery’s total well being. You’ll find this in Settings > Battery > Battery Care.
Sport Genie
No, this isn’t the cheater adapter you used to snap in your NES video games. This can be a function geared in the direction of players that goals to provide the finest gaming expertise doable on an Asus telephone. It’s tremendous simple to search out: simply begin up a sport after which swipe in from the perimeters. Inside the Sport Genie instrument, you’ll discover completely different toggles to vary your expertise, akin to locking the telephone’s brightness, turning off notifications, displaying a framerate counter, and extra. Be aware that this function first debuted on ROG Telephones however is now on Zenfones too.
Twin Apps
A few of us have two accounts inside one app. For instance, you might need a public Instagram account and a personal one which’s simply on your buddies. With the Twin Apps function, you possibly can launch each of those accounts on the identical time, saving you the trouble of logging in/out inside the app itself. Sadly, solely sure apps and video games assist this function, however the listing grows on a regular basis. To show this function on for a particular app, head to Settings > Superior > Twin Apps.
That’s every thing it’s good to learn about Asus’ Zen UI! You should definitely bookmark this web page as we’ll replace it as Asus modifications the Android pores and skin.