Stuck on XML Access Denied After One UI 9? Fix

Updated 27 October 2026. Checked against Samsung's support pages and Samsung Members threads, plus reporting from Android Authority, SamMobile and Android Police.

Short answer: if your Galaxy installed One UI 9 and then stopped on a page of XML text that says "Access Denied", the phone isn't bricked and you shouldn't factory reset it. Samsung says a server problem during the post-update setup caused it and that it was fixed on 13 October, so restart once first. If the One UI 9 XML Access Denied screen comes back, cut the phone off the internet (Safe mode plus Airplane mode, or router off and SIM out), restart normally while offline, finish setup, and only then reconnect.

That's the whole fix for most people. Below I've laid it out step by step, in the order I'd try it, with what to do if you can't even reach Quick settings, how to tell this error apart from a couple of lookalikes, and how to install One UI 9 on a phone that hasn't got it yet without running into it.

Jump to:

• What the error looks like
• Why it happens
• Is it this bug or a lookalike?
• Step 1: Restart once
• Step 2: Force restart
• Step 3: Safe mode
• Step 4: Go fully offline
• Step 5: Restart and finish setup offline
• Step 6: Reconnect
• Step 7: Still stuck?
• Haven't updated yet?
• FAQ

What the One UI 9 XML Access Denied error looks like

The update itself installs fine. The trouble starts afterwards, at the point where a Galaxy normally shows its "Welcome to One UI 9" tour of what's new. Instead, you get a plain page that reads something like "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below", followed by AccessDenied and "Access Denied". That's the exact wording a Galaxy owner posted on Samsung's Korean Members forum on 12 October.

From there, Back and close are about the only things that respond. Restarting usually lands you on the same page, which is what makes people panic. Reports started on 12 October 2026 on Reddit, X and Samsung Members, and Android Authority and SamMobile picked it up the same day. The phones named so far are the Galaxy S26, S25 and S24 series, some Z foldables and the Galaxy A57. Plenty of people updated the same models with no trouble at all.

Why One UI 9 gets stuck on Access Denied

Samsung's own explanation is short. Its US support page, "Screen displays an error message (XML file) on Galaxy device", last updated 13 October, says a temporary issue during initial setup "due to infrastructure or network concerns" caused it, and that it "has now been resolved". Samsung Customer Support posted much the same reply in the S25 Ultra thread on Samsung Members: server maintenance caused the screen, the maintenance is finished, restart the phone.

That fits what owners saw. The welcome screens pull content from Samsung's servers, the server refused the request, and the phone showed the raw refusal instead of the tour. Take the network away and that step can't run, so the phone skips past it. Tipster Fahad Ali Javed suggested on X that the trigger was a server-side change meant to stop firmware leaks. Samsung hasn't confirmed that, so treat it as a theory.

Here's why I'm still writing this two weeks later. One UI 9 is still going out in waves. According to SammyGuru's rollout tracker, the Galaxy S23 series, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 and a long list of A and M phones only started getting it between 14 and 26 October. Samsung's page is also written for people who are "still experiencing the issue", so it clearly expects some phones to land on it after the fix.

Is it this bug or something else?

A few other One UI 9 setup problems look similar at a glance. Match what's on your screen before you start pressing buttons:

The Samsung Account webpage error comes from Android Police, citing a Samsung community manager on the Korean forum who blamed the WebView component in the build. I'm only listing it so you don't chase the wrong fix. The rest of this guide is about the XML page.

Step 1: Restart the phone once

This is the fix Samsung itself gives, and since its server side has been sorted out, it's worth one honest try before anything else. Press and hold the Side button and Volume down together until the Power off menu appears, tap Restart, then tap Restart again.

For the owner who opened that S25 Ultra thread, a plain restart after Samsung's reply was enough, and they posted "It is working now" a bit later. Welcome screens load fine for you this time? Then you're done, no need to read on. If the same XML page comes back, move on.

Step 2: Force restart if the screen won't respond

If the Power off menu never shows up, keep holding Side + Volume down for more than 7 seconds. Samsung's support page says the phone will restart on its own. On older Galaxy models the Side button is the Power key, but it's the same combination.

Don't let go as soon as the screen goes black. You want to be ready for the next step, because the moment the Samsung logo appears is when you get into Safe mode.

Step 3: Boot into Safe mode

This is the part most people are searching for. Owners on Reddit and Samsung Members say Safe mode is what got them past the screen, and one Members user noticed that Safe mode switched Airplane mode on by itself.

1. Force restart with Side + Volume down as in Step 2.
2. When the Samsung logo appears, let go of the Side button but keep holding Volume down.
3. Hold it until the phone finishes starting. You should see Safe mode in the bottom-left corner.

If "Safe mode" doesn't appear, Samsung's Safe mode guide says to repeat the steps. Timing is the usual problem: press Volume down the moment the logo shows, not after the animation. If you can reach the Power menu, there's a second route. Touch and hold the Power off icon, then tap Safe mode.

One thing to know before you go further: Samsung warns that when you exit Safe mode, some customizations like wallpapers and themes may reset to their defaults. Your apps, photos and messages aren't touched. I'd take a reset wallpaper over a wiped phone any day.

Step 4: Take the phone fully offline

Being offline is what actually matters here, so this step is the one to get right. In Safe mode, swipe down from the top of the screen and turn on Airplane mode. Then check that Wi-Fi and Mobile data are both off, because on Galaxy phones you can turn Wi-Fi back on while Airplane mode stays on.

If you can't get to Quick settings, or you'd rather not fiddle with toggles on a half-working phone, take the network away from outside it. Android Authority and Android Police both list these as alternatives owners used:

• Turn off your Wi-Fi router for a few minutes, or walk out of its range.
• Remove the SIM tray if the phone uses a physical SIM. One owner in the Korean Members thread said pulling the SIM alone got the phone past the screen.
• On eSIM-only phones you can't pull anything out, so turning off the router and getting Airplane mode on from Safe mode is the way to go.

Step 5: Restart normally and finish setup offline

Now restart the phone the normal way: Side + Volume down, then Restart. A normal restart takes it out of Safe mode. Samsung also offers a "Safe mode is on" notification with a Turn off button, which does the same thing.

While the phone is still offline, go through whatever setup screens appear and get to the home screen. Owners in the Samsung Members threads and on Reddit say this is where it finally works, with no factory reset and no lost data. Leave Airplane mode on until you're actually looking at your home screen. Reconnecting halfway through setup is the one way to undo all of this.

Step 6: Reconnect and check calls and data

Once you're on the home screen, turn Airplane mode off, switch your router back on, or put the SIM back in. Then do a quick check:

• Make a call and send a text.
• Open a website on mobile data, then on Wi-Fi.
• If you use Wi-Fi Calling, check it's still on under the Phone app's settings. Big updates sometimes flip it off, and my Wi-Fi Calling fixes cover what to do if it won't come back.
• Reset your wallpaper or theme if Safe mode put it back to the default.

It's also worth opening Settings > Software update and checking for a follow-up patch. Android Police thinks a proper fix might come with the November security update, but Samsung hasn't said so.

Step 7: Still stuck? Wait, retry, then contact Samsung

If the XML page keeps coming back even offline, wait a while and try Steps 3 to 5 again. Android Authority noted that some owners found a later restart worked on its own, which points to the server side changing under them.

After that, contact Samsung support (online chat or the Samsung Members app on another phone) or your carrier, with your model and a photo of the error screen. A few things I'd avoid:

• Factory reset. It erases everything, and nobody I found needed it for this error. Keep it as the absolute last resort, after Samsung has had a look.
• Flashing firmware from random sites. You don't need it, and the wrong file can make things much worse.
• "Fix" tools that ask for payment. This is a free fix.

All these restarts eat battery, so keep the phone on a charger while you work through them. My slow charging guide has the checks if it isn't charging as fast as it should.

Haven't updated yet? How to install One UI 9 safely

If your Galaxy hasn't got One UI 9 yet, or it's sitting downloaded and waiting, you can sidestep the whole thing. SamMobile's advice was to switch Airplane mode on before updating, so the welcome screens can't reach Samsung's servers. Here's the order I'd follow:

1. Back up first. Samsung Cloud, Google One or Smart Switch to a PC all work.
2. Charge the phone well past half. The download is big: SammyGuru puts it at roughly 3 to 4 GB for phones coming from the stable release, and a dead battery mid-install is a problem you don't need on top of this one.
3. Download the update on Wi-Fi from Settings > Software update > Download and install.
4. When the download finishes, turn on Airplane mode and check that Wi-Fi is off too, then tap install.
5. After the phone restarts, finish the welcome screens offline. Only reconnect once you're on the home screen.

Samsung says the server issue is fixed, so you may not need any of this. But it costs nothing, and it's a lot less stressful than learning the Safe mode button combo with a frozen phone in your hand. If you moved to a Galaxy recently and your eSIM is the only line on it, my eSIM transfer guide is worth a read before a big update.

FAQ

Is my Galaxy phone bricked by the One UI 9 Access Denied error?

No. The firmware has already installed by the time the XML page appears. The error comes from the online welcome step afterwards, which is why going offline gets past it. Owners report reaching the home screen with all their data intact.

Did Samsung fix the One UI 9 XML error?

Samsung says yes, on its end. Its support page (last updated 13 October 2026) says the temporary setup issue has been resolved and tells anyone still seeing it to restart. There's no separate software patch for it yet.

Will Safe mode delete my data?

No. Safe mode only stops third-party apps from running until you restart. Samsung does warn that leaving Safe mode can reset things like your wallpaper and theme to the defaults.

How do I get out of Safe mode on a Samsung phone?

Restart the phone normally with Side + Volume down, then Restart. Or swipe down, tap the "Safe mode is on" notification and tap Turn off. Stay offline until you've reached the home screen.

Should I wait before updating to One UI 9?

You don't have to wait, since Samsung says the server problem is fixed. If you want to be careful, back up, download the update on Wi-Fi, then turn on Airplane mode before installing and finish the welcome screens offline.

Still seeing the XML page?

Tell me in the comments which Galaxy you have, the build number if you can reach Settings > About phone > Software information, your carrier, and which step got you through (or didn't). If enough people are still landing on this after Samsung's fix, that's worth knowing, and I'll update this post with whatever pattern shows up.