Best One UI 7 features coming to Samsung Galaxy S25 (and older models, too)

Samsung just announced the latest generation of Galaxy smartphones. Along with the new lineup comes new software. One UI 7 is now available for public download, and older compatible Samsung devices can also use the latest software.

Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2025: Galaxy S25 Ultra, AI features, and more

It’s unclear when older Galaxy devices will receive the update, but the S23 and S24 series phones will likely receive it shortly after the S25 launch. Given Samsung’s commitment to offering seven years of OS upgrade support, it’s expected that most flagship and midrange Samsung smartphones released in 2021 or later will support One UI 7.

One UI 7 includes plenty of user interface upgrades, such as smoother animations, more intuitive control bars and menus, and customizable shortcuts and quick actions. Samsung’s main focus is building up and further integrating Galaxy AI into its devices, and One UI 7 incorporates AI into almost every corner of the upgraded operating system and its user experience.

1. Now Bar is the status indicator we’ve been waiting for

One UI 7 is defined by a redesigned notification system, with one intriguing feature being the Now Bar. One UI 7’s Now Bar is reminiscent of Apple’s Dynamic Island, an interactive widget that displays live information from apps like Stopwatch, Interpreter, Music, and more.

Also: The 5 best AI features coming to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series

The Now Bar resides on the lock screen, and Samsung says this design choice eliminates the need to frequently unlock your device to access relevant notifications. The Now Bar uses Galaxy AI to display notifications your device thinks you may find helpful, such as music suggestions, weather reports, calendar reminders, and more. It’ll also pull up live scores of your followed sports teams via Google.

According to Android Police, the Now Bar’s configuration during beta testing blocked this API from third-party developers. This blockade means only native Samsung apps can display information in the Now Bar, aligning with Samsung’s description. Hopefully, third-party developers will have access to this feature in the future, allowing live notifications from your favorite apps.

2. A new camera app layout and features

With One UI 7, Samsung has reorganized the Camera app, simplifying the controls displayed on the screen to create a simpler user experience. Now, the only camera functions displayed at the top are flash, resolution settings, and the motion photos feature.

Also: Every Samsung Galaxy S25 model compared: Which phone should you buy?

The extra camera settings once displayed at the top of the screen, like exposure, filters, and timer, are now tucked inside an expandable menu. Moving these features should make accessing more advanced camera features easier, improving your photo and video-taking experience. Additionally, AI helps remove unwanted figures from motion photos, such as boomerangs and slow-motion shots.

3. Galaxy AI features you’ll want to use

There are plenty of expanded Galaxy AI features from last year that appear in One UI 7, and, notably, Samsung enhanced the Chat Assist feature from last year to include new writing assistant features. Now, users can access writing enhancement features across all apps, and AI can help you improve your structure, grammar, and writing style.

Also: I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S25 – and the AI features were surprisingly polished

Additionally, US users can access call recording and transcription. Users must manually record calls, meaning the other party will be notified that they are being recorded. After the call, AI can automatically transcribe it.