Upcoming UniFi Releases: Features to Watch

UniFi’s been steadily building toward some big moves in 2025. From powerful new gateways to a full NAS lineup, and smarter features across their software stack, there’s a lot happening. Whether you manage a couple of sites or dozens of them, this wave of upgrades is going to change how you plan, deploy, and maintain networks.

Let's dive in !!

Network 9.1 brings real-time clarity

UniFi Network version 9.1 is already rolling out to UniFi OS consoles, and it adds a whole new way to see what’s happening on your network. The big highlight here is real-time traffic visibility. Now, you can see who’s doing what on your network, live. Not five minutes ago. Not from a cached graph. But actually in real time.

This kind of live feedback is a game-changer when you’re trying to hunt down bandwidth hogs or rogue devices. There’s also better QoS support, faster interface for applying policies, and some serious improvements to how port usage is tracked across switches.

Protect 6.0 turns cameras into tools

UniFi Protect 6.0 feels less like a camera system and more like a real security platform. Here’s what stands out:

• You can search video by person, motion, or object, all across multiple cameras.
• There’s a “spotlight” view that shows just the action, skipping all the empty time.
• Dwell time metrics tell you how long someone stood in a specific area.

If you’re running cameras for a business, this update is worth the hype. It helps you get to the point fast, no more scrolling through hours of footage.

New gateways: more speed, more control

One of the most exciting things coming from UniFi is a new generation of gateways. We're talking faster routing, better VPN handling, and clean integration with UniFi's software stack. Ubiquiti has already released the UniFi Express 7, Cloud Gateway Fiber, and Dream Router 7.

These devices are built to handle gigabit+ speeds without breaking a sweat. For IT pros and MSPs, that means fewer bottlenecks and more future-proof installs. Expect better compatibility with newer ISPs, as well as multi-WAN features that just work without constant reconfiguration.

Wi-Fi 7 access points are coming

Yep, you read that right. Wi-Fi 7. It’s not a rumor, Ubiquiti confirmed it’s on the roadmap and we’re expecting new access points to hit shelves soon. Wi-Fi 7 brings faster speeds, better latency, and a feature called multi-link operation (MLO), which lets devices connect to multiple channels at once.

This upgrade is going to matter most in offices, schools, or high-density homes. It’s not about getting another 100 Mbps of speed, it’s about stability when 50 people are streaming, Zooming, and gaming at the same time.

UniFi Drive gets serious with NAS

Until now, UniFi’s storage products were mostly tied to camera footage or controller backups. That’s changing fast. The upcoming UniFi Drive NAS units are built for general-purpose storage.

Expect different models for different use cases:

• 2-bay and 4-bay options for home and office backup
• SSD-based models for media professionals
• Enterprise ZFS models with snapshotting and redundancy

If you've been juggling cloud drives and external hard drives, these are worth watching. And since they tie into the same controller as your network, backups and file sharing become way easier to manage across multiple locations.

Better control with PPSK and per-user Wi-Fi

Per-user passwords for Wi-Fi are finally here, with PPSK (Private Pre-Shared Key) support. You can give each user their own password for the same SSID. This is great for guest access, multi-tenant spaces, and even just controlling who has access to what.

It also allows you to revoke access by simply removing a specific user’s key, no need to change the password for everyone.

Better remote control and diagnostics

Ubiquiti keeps pushing toward giving you better remote tools. New features in the UniFi mobile app now let you:

• Run WAN speed tests right from your phone
• Reboot APs and switches with a tap
• Get alerts for offline devices immediately

This isn’t flashy stuff. But it’s the kind of upgrade that saves you from rolling a truck to a site just to reboot a switch.

Smarter mesh and wireless uplinks

Wireless uplinks between UniFi APs are getting smarter and more stable. This is especially useful in outdoor setups or hard-to-wire buildings.

You’ll be able to:

• Monitor mesh quality in real time
• Force APs to connect to specific nodes
• Get alerting when backhaul quality drops

This makes mesh feel less like a fallback and more like a primary deployment option.

Predictable, useful updates

The UniFi ecosystem used to be known for surprise updates that changed behavior overnight. That’s shifting. Ubiquiti now posts full changelogs, lets you hold back upgrades, and pushes stable versions after testing. It's a small change, but it builds trust, especially for MSPs managing multiple sites.

What this means for you

If you're a home user, this is a great time to upgrade your AP or gateway. You'll get better speeds, smoother traffic handling, and all the latest features without needing a full network refresh.

If you're an MSP or IT manager, this is a good year to rethink how you deploy UniFi. Here’s what we’d suggest:

• Switch to cloud-hosted controllers if you haven’t already.
• Start speccing in Wi-Fi 7 APs for future installs.
• Test out the new gateways on a pilot site.
• Start using PPSK in your guest or tenant networks.
• Plan for local file storage with the new NAS models.

Final thoughts

UniFi’s upcoming features aren’t just new toys, they’re practical upgrades that solve real problems. From smarter traffic views to future-proof wireless, this is the most useful stretch of updates we’ve seen from Ubiquiti in a long time.

And if you’re managing networks for others, now’s the time to stop hosting your own UniFi controller. Let us at Unihosted handle that part, so you can focus on delivering great service, not updating firmware or rebooting VMs. We offer secure, reliable UniFi hosting that scales with you, and there’s even a free plan to get started.