Samsung's Now Bar Might Actually Be Useful In One UI 8

Contents

The Now Bar has potential but falls short

10 One UI settings you didn’t know you need to change

Summary

Leaks suggest a Now Bar update in One UI 8 may include active call handling and a ‘Do Not Disturb’ toggle.
The current version of Now Bar falls short and lacks promised third-party app integrations and contextual suggestions.
One UI 8 leaks hint at possible improvements for the Now Bar, but the final result remains uncertain.

Samsung first introduced the Now Bar in One UI 7. The company bragged about all of its potential with AI, but the real experience has left many Galaxy users wondering if it is simply a placeholder for a feature that will never arrive. But there might actually be signs of life coming in One UI 8.

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A new leak on X suggests the Now Bar is gaining some utility in the next operating system update (via 9to5Google). The leaks show the Now Bar handling active calls, with the call duration and potentially the contact involved in the call. There also appears to be a Do Not Disturb toggle, although there’s no indication if it is interactive or simply displays the status of the device.

The Now Bar has potential but falls short

Source: X.com

Samsung promised a mind-blowing feature when it showed off One UI 7 back in January. It pitched the Now Bar as a smarter layer of interactivity, but its rollout has been met with yawns. It seems more like Apple’s Dynamic Island, albeit in an even worse location on the screen, than a breakthrough technology. Many people are still waiting for the third-party app integrations and contextual suggestions Samsung pitched.

The current iteration of the Now Bar in One UI 7 is lightweight. It shows statuses of things like battery levels, sports scores, and morning briefs. Active calls and do not disturb would be a welcome addition, but only if these are interactive in the Now Bar. Otherwise, it’s just more paint slapped on a useless gimmick.

What people really want is what Samsung promised: a Now Bar that is driven by contextual AI. Things like a panel that suggests playlists when traveling, or relevant folders or apps appearing based on the user’s activity are just some of the features people are waiting for.

What to expect next

To be fair, One UI 8 has yet to reach beta status. Samsung is still dealing with its rather confusing rollout of One UI 7, so these leaks come from pre-release builds and will most likely change. What we’re seeing could simply be foundational work for something bigger. That, or a minor evolution of a rather lackluster feature.

Either way, Samsung seems to be evaluating the Now Bar ‘s role. That could mean future updates bring it closer to the personal assistant device Galaxy users were originally promised. Or, Samsung might just be following the big tech habit of overpromising and underdelivering.