Samsung's One UI 8 Update: Now Bar Gets AI-Powered Upgrades

Samsung's Now Bar might actually be useful in One UI 8

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. Related Samsung's animations look smoother than ever in this One UI 8 leak Looks like a massive glow-up from One UI 7 Posts 1 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 Close 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. Related 10 One UI settings you didn't know you need to change Make these One UI tweaks to unlock your Galaxy's full potential Posts 8

Samsung May Bring Do Not Disturb, Phone Calls to AI-Powered Now Bar

Now Bar is tipped to add a Do Not Disturb button on lock screen Users may also see call time and recipient info in Now Bar The features are said to be in development as part of One UI 8 With One UI 7 being widely rolled out, Samsung is already said to be working on its next iteration dubbed One UI 8. As per a tipster, the update may bring a noticeable improvement to Now Bar, a feature which the company introduced with its Android 15-based OS. While it currently provides a lock screen quick view of insights generated by the Galaxy AI-powered Now Brief, Samsung is tipped to equip it with more capabilities, such as phone calls and a Do Not Disturb option. Tipster @opraks9plus shared a video of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra running One UI 8 in a post on X (formerly Twitter). It allegedly shows a new Do Not Disturb button in the Now Bar on the phone's lock screen. However, it remains unclear if this will be a permanent option in the deck that can toggle the DND feature or just a notification of its activation. A subsequent X post also allegedly shows a new option for phone calls in One UI 8's Now Bar. Accompanying image suggests users may be able to check in on active phone calls via the pill-shaped button. Further, it displays the call time and is also speculated to show the recipient's details. There isn't much more apart from the shared visuals. However, it is to be noted that the Now Bar feature was discovered in an early build version of One UI 8 and may still be subject to changes. Notably, the Now Bar feature is an artificial intelligence (AI) feature, part of the Galaxy AI suite and introduced with One UI 7. It appears as a rectangular bar featuring multiple cards near the bottom of the lock screen. Users can vertically scroll through them with a card deck-like animation. It is said to be an extension of Now Brief, another AI feature which delivers a personalised briefing with suggested content such as health and wellness metrics, event reminders, news, travel updates, and traffic conditions in a card-style interface.