If you have habits similar to mine when using your Galaxy phone, chances are you barely even see the One UI lock screen anymore.
Sure, Samsung improved the lock screen with better widgets through recent One UI updates, but none of those changes were impactful enough to make me want to break my muscle memory.
I've become accustomed to pressing the fingerprint scanner on the Always On Display. I instantly unlock my device, and off I go, using my apps as usual without even noticing the lock screen.
However, One UI 7 might finally have what it takes to break that habit loop and change how I interact with my Galaxy phone. Specifically, the Now Bar might be the puzzle piece that will turn things around.
In theory, Samsung's Now Bar in One UI 7 should bring some relevancy back to the lock screen. The Now Bar delivers key information and controls to the lock screen, and best of all, it's dynamic. It changes based on what app you're using and the activities you're doing. And you can conveniently swipe through different activities manually.
Although support for the Now Bar seems relatively limited — mostly to Samsung apps — in One UI 7 beta, I hope that the Now Bar will support more third-party apps in the future. Assuming it catches on.
Fundamentally, I haven't changed much in the way I interact with One UI and my Galaxy phone in recent years. My UI-related habits were finely tuned for efficiency over time, but the trade-off is that my user experience has become a bit stale.
All in all, the Now Bar in One UI 7 might make me rethink at least some aspects and could slightly rewire my brain in relation to how I interact with my phone. And I must admit I'm a little excited for a possible change of pace.
One UI 7 will debut with the upcoming Galaxy S25 series but will gradually be released for older phones, including the Galaxy S24+ (which I happen to use), in the coming weeks or months. Samsung hasn't revealed an official launch roadmap.
