While Google has already started rolling out Android 16 to Pixel smartphones, Samsung is still playing catch-up with Android 15. One UI 7 debuted with the Galaxy S25 series in January, but Samsung has only recently started rolling out the Android 15-based One UI 7 to its older devices.
That said, One UI 7 is a major update for Galaxy phones and brings a number of new features and visual tweaks. However, the update doesn’t get everything right out of the box. If you’ve just updated your Samsung Galaxy smartphone to One UI 7, here are a few settings you should change to get the most out of your device.
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7 Bring back the unified quick settings and notifications layout
Split view looks cool, but unified works way better
One of the major new changes in One UI 7 is the updated notifications and quick settings panel. For years, Samsung, like OnePlus and Google, used a unified panel where swiping down first showed the notification panel, and swiping again revealed the full quick settings menu.
However, with One UI 7, Samsung switched to an iPhone-like interface wherein swiping down from the left shows the notification tray, while swiping from the right opens the quick settings panel. If you’re not a fan of the new UI, like me, you can switch back to the old combined layout. To do this:
- Swipe down from the right to open the Quick Settings panel.
- Tap the pencil icon at the top right.
- Select Panel settings.
- Choose Together.
If you like the new layout but prefer quick settings on the left and notifications on the right, turn on the toggle for Quick panel on the left side in Panel settings.
6 Set a charging limit to protect battery health
Helps your phone last longer with smarter charging
While our reviewer, Will Sattelberg, had no major issues with the battery life of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung and good battery life are not exactly known to go together. Many Galaxy phone users are frustrated with battery life, often due to the lower battery capacity in the device itself. However, frequent charging and recharging also leads to degradation, resulting in lower battery health and shorter battery life.
With One UI 7, Samsung introduced a new Battery Protection feature in Galaxy smartphones. While this won’t directly improve your Galaxy device’s battery life, it will help slow down the battery degradation. You can now set a maximum charging limit so that once your phone hits that point, it stops charging, preserving battery health. To enable it:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Battery.
- Tap Battery protection and turn on the toggle.
- Choose from three modes:
- Basic: Charges to 100% and waits until the battery drops to 95% and then starts charging again.
- Adaptive: Stops charging at 80% and only charges to 100% when it predicts you’ll unplug.
- Maximum: Lets you manually set your preferred battery charge limit.
5 Customize the Now Bar to fit how you use your phone
It’s one of One UI 7’s most powerful little tweaks
Now Bar is one of the major new additions to One UI. Similar to the iPhone, your Samsung Galaxy smartphone can now display a contextual notification-like bar that updates in real time at the bottom of the lock screen. For example, instead of sending separate notifications, Google Maps can show a dynamic lock screen bar that updates with directions as you move.
Besides Google Maps, many other apps support this feature, including Samsung’s Health app and the Google app, which displays sports scores. However, if you prefer a regular notification instead of a Now Bar from a specific app, you can adjust this setting easily.
To choose which apps can use Now Bar, go to Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Now bar and enable or disable the apps accordingly. You can also configure whether to show Now Bar in Always On Display mode by going to Always On Display and enabling the toggle for Show Now Bar.
4 Revert to the classic lock screen notifications
The new look isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay
If you’ve updated your phone to One UI 7 and notice that notifications no longer show up on the lock screen like they used to, you’re not alone. Samsung changed the default lock screen notification behavior in One UI 7, wherein now, only app icons appear on the lock screen, and tapping them reveals the notifications.
If, however, you prefer the old style, where all notifications are fully visible on the lock screen, you can easily switch back. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Tap Lock screen notifications.
- Change the default style from Icons to Cards.
Much easier to browse, especially with one hand
For years, Samsung has shipped a horizontally scrolling app drawer on Galaxy smartphones. While there hasn’t been a major issue with it, it doesn’t feel natural, especially since apps aren’t placed in a specific order and the default grid doesn’t make the most of the available space. It can feel quite different if you’re coming from a OnePlus or Google Pixel smartphone.
Thankfully, with One UI 7, Samsung has finally added an option to fix this. However, you have to enable it manually. Here’s how:
- Open the app drawer.
- Tap the three-dot menu at the bottom.
- Select Sort, then choose Alphabetical order.
2 Use Good Lock to truly make your phone yours
Custom icon size, layout control, and a lot more
Samsung’s Good Lock already offers a plethora of customization options, but One UI 7 brings even more to the table. The company has added a new Home Up module that lets you completely redesign your home screen. I’m not just talking about changing icon size or app grid — that’s still there — but it goes further, allowing you to move apps freely, literally anywhere on the screen, in any layout you want.
With Good Lock, you can also customize other aspects of your phone, like theming the Quick Settings panel, changing the AOD clock style, and more. Good Lock is a powerful module for Galaxy devices that lets you customize your phone in ways most other Android smartphones can’t match. Good Lock isn’t available on your smartphone out of the box, but you can easily install it from the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store.
1 Enable anti-theft settings before it’s too late
These new features can actually save your device
It’s 2025, and unfortunately, smartphone theft is still common, especially in metropolitan cities. Google has been working on several features to protect your device from theft and secure your data if it is stolen. The company has released three new anti-theft features for Android, which are also available on One UI 7. Additionally, Samsung has introduced its own anti-theft features in One UI 7.
Key features include Theft Detection Lock, which uses on-device machine learning to detect if your phone has been snatched and locks it down. There’s also Offline Device Lock, which secures the phone if someone tries to disconnect it from the network. Lastly, Remote Lock allows you to track and lock your phone remotely if it’s been stolen.
Samsung has also added Galaxy-exclusive protections like Identity Check and Security Delay, which require biometrics to authenticate or delay changes made to sensitive settings when the phone is in an unfamiliar location.
To enable these, search for “anti theft” in your device’s settings, then enable and configure all the options that appear.
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One UI 7 isn’t perfect out of the box, but you can make it your own
Samsung took its time rolling out One UI 7 for its devices, but the company has added several new features and visual tweaks that make your device feel fresh and feature-rich. If you’ve upgraded your phone to the new software, there are also several other One UI 7 tips and tricks you should check out and try on your Galaxy smartphone.
