When Samsung rolled out One UI 7 earlier this year, the Now Bar and its Live Notifications made their debut with a lot of promise, and one major caveat. These lock-screen-aware notifications, inspired ...

The Now Bar has been around since One UI 7, when it launched with the Galaxy S25 series. Without support for third-party apps, Samsung’s Now Bar has felt like an underbaked lock screen function.

One UI 8.5 will reportedly support the Clock app on the Now Bar, allowing users to view and dismiss alarms from the lock screen. The Voice Recorder app is also getting a redesign, featuring gradients ...

With One UI 8.5 beta, the flashlight also gets a major usability boost with a live “torch on” indicator in the Now Bar. YouTube recommendations in Now Brief also now use a clean, swipe-friendly ...

Chris has reported for various tech and consumer goods outlets over the past decade, including Android Police and MakeUseOf since early 2022. Previously, he has contributed to outlets such as ...