Samsung is usually one of the first brands to roll out major Android updates, but thathasn’t been the case with One UI 7and Android 15. The company announced the update months ago, yet here we are – almost a quarter of the way through 2025, and the stable version still hasn’t arrived. While a beta version has been available for a handful of recent Galaxy flagships, the final release has been MIA.
Thankfully, Samsung has confirmed thatOne UI 7 will finally start rolling outnext month for most recent Galaxy flagships, including the Galaxy S24,Galaxy S23, and the latest Z Fold and Z Flip models. I’ve been using One UI 7 on my Galaxy S23 for about a week now, and here are some of the best features I’ve come across.
Gives quick info without cluttering the lock screen
Samsung and Apple have a long history of “borrowing” features from each other, and One UI 7 is no exception. One of the most noticeable additions is the Now Bar, which is (clearly) inspired byApple’s Live Activities. Instead of large, space-consuming widgets, the Now Bar introduces a pill-shaped, dynamically updating widget on the lock screen.
For example, when playing music, instead of a full-sized media widget, you’ll now see a small Now Bar at the bottom of the screen that can be expanded when tapped. Other supported apps include Google Maps, Samsung Health, stopwatch, and timer, with more third-party apps expected to gain support soon. The Now Bar also appears in the status bar when the phone is unlocked, and you can control which apps use the Now Bar in settings.
Samsung’s new Galaxy AI features want to use your phone for you
At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung show off its new personalized AI features coming to the Galaxy S25 lineup.
5Quick settings and notifications finally get their own space
A cleaner, more organized layout
One of my biggest gripes with Samsung (and even Pixel phones) has been the unified quick settings and notification tray. While having both in one panel looks nice, it also means you always have to swipe down twice to access quick settings toggles. Moreover, on large-screen phones, such as theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, reaching the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other controls with one hand has been far from ideal.
With One UI 7, Samsung is finally fixing this by separating the quick settings and notifications into two different swipe gestures. Swiping down from the left side opens notifications, while swiping from the right side brings up quick settings. you may easily switch between them with left/right swipe gestures. The quick settings layout is also more customizable, letting you move frequently used toggles (like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) to the bottom for easier one-handed access.
Plus, if you don’t like the change, Samsung gives you the option to switch back to the old style viaEdit > Panel settings > Togetherin the Quick Settings tray.
How to see which Android apps are running from Quick Settings
By closely monitoring the apps running in your Android device, you can easily avoid speed performance issues and improve battery health.
4New charging controls
One UI 7 gives you more control over charging habits
Battery life has been a mixed bag for Samsung phones. While theGalaxy S25 Ultrahas seen some improvements, it still falls short of rivals like theOnePlus 13, which offers larger battery capacities. Let’s not even talk about my Galaxy S23, which barely lasts a full day, forcing me to charge it multiple times – which isn’t great for battery health.
With One UI 7, Samsung is introducing new charging controls to extend battery lifespan. You now get three battery protection modes, namely Basic, Adaptive, and Maximum. The Basic protection charges your phone to 100%, then stops until the battery drops to 95% before recharging. The Adaptive charging protection stops charging at 80% overnight and tops up to 100% before you wake up, based on your usage patterns, while the Maximum protection prevents your phone from charging beyond 80% to minimize battery wear.
5 everyday mistakes that could be destroying your phone battery
While you can’t stop your phone battery from naturally degrading, there are things you can do to help slow down the process.
3One UI 7 feels smoother and more customizable
More ways to tweak your phone, plus fluid animations
This isn’t exactly a feature, but One UI 7 just feels faster, smoother, and more intuitive than before. Animations feel snappier, and overall responsiveness has improved. I’m not sure if Samsung has made any deep animation-level optimizations, but the difference is noticeable.
Customization has also seen major improvements. The quick settings toggles are now fully rearrangeable, allowing you to position them for your needs. Samsung has also added more widget customization options, letting you adjust the shape, size, transparency (with blur effects), and background styling. Lock screen widgets are finally here as well, allowing you to place weather, battery, Samsung Health data, and more, directly on your lock screen.
Samsung has also integrated Home Up, which was previously a Good Lock module, directly into One UI 7, meaning you can now customize home screen layouts freely, allowing you to place apps and widgets anywhere without grid restrictions.
This is how I optimize my Galaxy phone to improve performance
Samsung phones work great out of the box but can get sluggish over time. Here’s how to optimize Galaxy phones to boost performance.
2The camera app UI is now easier to navigate
Improved controls for a better shooting experience
Samsung’s camera app UI has remained largely unchanged for years, but One UI 7 finally brings a much-needed visual refresh. The entire layout has been optimized for one-handed use, making frequently used features easier to reach.
The top menu has been simplified, now featuring only essential controls like flash and megapixel settings, while a Quick Controls button on the bottom bar provides easy access to other settings. Zoom controls have also been improved – now, when zooming, you’ll see preset buttons for 2x, 3x, and higher zoom levels while still being able to drag to zoom freely.
Don’t snap another pic without these 5 Android photo apps
From amateur to pro photographer, you just can’t beat these five free Android apps.
1Bonus: Samsung finally gives us a vertical app drawer
It took years, but the long-requested layout is here
For years, Samsung’s app drawer has been stuck with a horizontal swipe layout, which feels unintuitive, especially if you’ve used a Google Pixel or OnePlus phone, where the app drawer scrolls vertically in alphabetical order. With One UI 7, Samsung finally gives users the option to switch to a vertical scrolling app drawer.
The feature isn’t enabled by default, but you can turn it on by going toApp Drawer > Three-dot menu > Sort > Alphabetical order.
How I customize my Android home screen to make it truly mine
Google’s mobile operating system gives you a lot of leeway to make your phone more personal, and a lot more beautiful.
