Now Bar is one of the best new features Galaxy smartphones will get with Android 15/One UI 7.0. Now Bar displays colorful live notifications for ongoing activities, such as music or video playback, navigation, and an active timer, on the lock screen and the notification shade.
We called it a bold philosophy that ushers a new era for One UI when the first One UI 7 beta update was released for the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra, but it seems we will have to withdraw that compliment for the time being.
We say that because Samsung has downgraded the Now Bar's functionality with the third One UI 7 beta update. Before this update, the Now Bar supported live notifications for the Clock app, emergency sharing, Interpreter, Bixby, Maps, Samsung Health, Samsung Notes, and Voice Recorder. Now, it only supports the first three.
Here's the Now Bar menu from the first two One UI 7 betas (left) and the third beta:
A moderator on the Samsung US community forums has offered an explanation for this downgrade. Samsung removed the options “as an intentional refinement” and is planning to bring them back with the official/stable version of One UI 7 after making some improvements.
Samsung is essentially still making tweaks to Now Bar. This suggests that there's still some work to be done and the One UI 7 beta program for the Galaxy S24 lineup may go on a little longer. Our first look at the finished version of the feature will likely come with the Galaxy S25 series, which is set to be unveiled on January 22.
