5 One UI 7 options that make me cease lacking my iPhone

The

release of One UI 7
has been something however easy for Samsung. After starting to roll out the replace on April 10 within the US, the tech big paused it just a few brief days later to deal with a

serious bug.

Now, over per week later, Samsung has lastly resumed the rollout, permitting customers to start out downloading One UI 7 once more on

eligible devices
, starting with the Galaxy S24 sequence and the most recent Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip fashions. Extra units, such because the S23 sequence, will obtain it quickly.

Whereas the look forward to One UI 7 has been lengthy, the options it has been full of are properly well worth the wait. I have been lucky sufficient to have had the chance to check One UI 7 on the

Galaxy S25+
for just a few months now, and listed here are 5 of my favourite options that made me not miss my iPhone, and that you must check out when you obtain the replace in your Galaxy system.

Associated

I used the Pixel 9a and OnePlus 13R for a week, and the winner is obvious

Mid-range Android telephones are peaking, and these two present how far they’ve come.

You now add a countdown widget to your own home display screen/app pages

In case you take pleasure in customizing your telephone display screen with numerous widgets, you may love the brand new widget choices Samsung has launched with One UI 7. For starters, Samsung has added three new widget dimension choices for its default apps, resembling Calendar, Clock, Climate, and extra, permitting you to regulate their dimension to your choice. When you place the widget, you’ll be able to drag its corners to resize it.

One other new widget characteristic is the choice to customise its form, which implies your widgets not must resemble rounded rectangles and squares; you’ll be able to add a little bit of aptitude if you want. Merely faucet the widget, choose settings, and you may see all of the completely different form choices obtainable.

My favourite new widget choice is the countdown characteristic for Calendar, which lets you add an occasion to the Calendar widget that counts right down to particular events, resembling birthdays, holidays, and particular occasions. For example, I created a countdown widget that tracked the times till the Andor season two premiere.

Associated

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a stellar but extremely boring smartphone

The Galaxy S25 Extremely is an all-around top-tier smartphone, however it’s additionally very unexciting.

4

Now Bar

You view reside actions in your lock display screen

One of many first new belongings you’ll discover instantly with One UI 7 is the

Now Bar
. It is a new pill-shaped widget on the lock display screen that shows all of the reside actions occurring in your telephone. For instance, for those who’re taking part in a tune

on Spotify
, it is going to be displayed within the Now Bar, permitting you to pause playback, navigate backward, or ahead in your playlist, all while not having to unlock your telephone or open the app.

What I like most concerning the Now Bar is its placement. It is positioned proper on the backside of the lock display screen, making it tremendous straightforward to entry, particularly while you’re utilizing your telephone with one hand. In case you faucet on any of the reside actions, you’ll be able to develop them to see extra choices obtainable. It additionally helps Google Sports activities, so for those who observe any sports activities groups on Google, the scores of their video games can be displayed within the Now Bar. In case you’re watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs proper now (go Leafs), it is a should. A few of the apps that help the Now Bar are Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Maps, Clock, Voice Recorder, Samsung Notes, Reside Interpreter, and Samsung Well being. Extra third-party apps are anticipated to help the Now Bar sooner or later.

Associated

The Galaxy S25+ plays it safe, but is that really a bad thing?

The Samsung Galaxy S25+ is a powerful smartphone. Whereas it could not astound you, it definitely will not allow you to down.

Fast settings and notifications have been separated

With One UI 7, Samsung has adopted a notably Apple-like method to the notification middle and fast settings menu, splitting them into two distinct menus. Beforehand, while you swiped down from the highest of the display screen, you would be greeted with fast settings choices and notifications. Now, with One UI 7, while you swipe down from the top-left or center of the display screen, you solely see notifications. Nevertheless, while you swipe down from the top-right, you entry the short settings menu, permitting you to regulate your Wi-Fi settings, activate Airplane mode, activate the flashlight, and extra.

I recognize this transformation, as I discover myself hardly ever utilizing the choices within the fast settings menu until I am touring or altering my display screen brightness. Having one display screen completely devoted to notifications is way more handy, making it really feel extra like iOS 18, which I am accustomed to coming from my iPhone. Samsung has additionally made further adjustments to the short settings menu, permitting you so as to add extra settings and rearrange the panels on the display screen.

In case you want the previous fashion, the place fast settings and notifications are mixed into one display screen, you’ll be able to change it again by opening the Fast Settings menu, tapping the pencil icon, choosing Panel Settings, and selecting the Collectively choice moderately than Separate.

Associated

Google Messages is set to get even more useful thanks to a new update

Google is engaged on two new options for its RCS Messages platform on Android: a delicate content material warning system, and real-time location sharing.

2

Lock display screen customization

You possibly can alter the Clock widget extra freely now

The lock display screen can be receiving some love with One UI 7, that includes new customization choices that may make yours much more distinctive and personalised. Now you can add a gallery widget to the lock display screen, permitting you to show photos out of your telephone’s gallery on it. So in order for you an image of your annoying however cute cat in your lock display screen always, now you can try this. You possibly can even add PNGs to the lock display screen’s gallery widget, so the pictures can be clear and mix in higher along with your lock display screen’s background.

My favourite new lock display screen addition with One UI 7 is the power to maneuver the clock face round much more freely. This characteristic is accessible in One UI 6, however One UI 7 introduces many extra choices, permitting you to regulate and scale the clock to match your telephone’s lock display screen background significantly better. Samsung has additionally added a brand new thickness choice that allows you to modify the thickness of the clock’s font, together with new animated clock fashion choices. In case you keep in mind that countdown widget for the house display screen I discussed earlier, you can even add it to the lock display screen for any occasions you are excited for.

Associated

Making my smartphone into a Kindle replacement is how I started reading more

You possibly can leverage your attachment to your smartphone to learn extra and higher with the suitable arrange.

1

Residence display screen upgrades

New app icons and sizes

With One UI 7, Samsung has up to date all its default app icons with contemporary appearances that make them stand out and look extra trendy total. However that is not all Samsung has achieved with app icons. In case you go to the Settings app and choose Residence display screen, now you can change the dimensions of all of your app icons. You possibly can select between small, medium, and enormous icons, with the default setting set to medium.

Two different new settings have been added to additional customise the house display screen: the power to show off app labels and widget labels. Which means for those who not wish to see the names of apps below their icons, you’ll be able to disable them. The result’s a super-clean, minimalistic search for all of your apps on the house display screen and completely different app pages.

Moreover, now you can enlarge the dimensions of app folders, enabling you to entry apps inside them while not having to open the folders themselves. That is game-changing and one thing I hope Apple adopts for iOS sooner or later. The App Drawer has additionally undergone some modifications, with Samsung relocating the search bar from the highest of the display screen to the underside for higher usability. Additional, it is now doable to view apps within the App Drawer vertically as an alternative of horizontally by adjusting the kind choice to Alphabetical.

There are a few different honorable mentions I wish to give for

other new One UI 7 features,
together with the redesigned digicam app and new battery safety modes.

Associated

Samsung’s One UI 7 is rolling out now: Eligible devices and how to update

Samsung’s One UI 7 replace has begun rolling out within the US.