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

The

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

serious bug.

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

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

Whereas the watch for One UI 7 has been lengthy, the options it has been full of are effectively 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 below are 5 of my favourite options that made me not miss my iPhone, and that it is best to check out when you obtain the replace in your Galaxy system.

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

When 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, similar to 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 function is the choice to customise its form, which suggests your widgets not should 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 accessible.

My favourite new widget possibility is the countdown function for Calendar, which lets you add an occasion to the Calendar widget that counts all the way down to particular events, similar to birthdays, holidays, and particular occasions. As an illustration, I created a countdown widget that tracked the times till the Andor season two premiere.

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4

Now Bar

You view dwell actions in your lock display screen

One of many first new stuff 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 dwell actions taking place in your telephone. For instance, should you’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 in regards to the Now Bar is its placement. It is situated proper on the backside of the lock display screen, making it tremendous simple to entry, particularly whenever you’re utilizing your telephone with one hand. When you faucet on any of the dwell actions, you’ll be able to broaden them to see extra choices accessible. It additionally helps Google Sports activities, so should you comply with any sports activities groups on Google, the scores of their video games will probably be displayed within the Now Bar. When you’re watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs proper now (go Leafs), it is a should. Among the apps that help the Now Bar are Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Maps, Clock, Voice Recorder, Samsung Notes, Stay Interpreter, and Samsung Well being. Extra third-party apps are anticipated to help the Now Bar sooner or later.

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Fast settings and notifications have been separated

With One UI 7, Samsung has adopted a notably Apple-like strategy to the notification heart and fast settings menu, splitting them into two distinct menus. Beforehand, whenever 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, whenever you swipe down from the top-left or center of the display screen, you solely see notifications. Nevertheless, whenever 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 respect this alteration, as I discover myself hardly ever utilizing the choices within the fast settings menu except I am touring or altering my display screen brightness. Having one display screen solely devoted to notifications is rather more handy, making it really feel extra like iOS 18, which I am accustomed to coming from my iPhone. Samsung has additionally made extra modifications to the short settings menu, permitting you so as to add extra settings and rearrange the panels on the display screen.

When you desire the outdated 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 possibility somewhat than Separate.

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2

Lock display screen customization

You may modify the Clock widget extra freely now

The lock display screen can also 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 photographs out of your telephone’s gallery on it. So if you’d like an image of your annoying however lovable cat in your lock display screen always, now you can try this. You may even add PNGs to the lock display screen’s gallery widget, so the photographs will probably 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 function is out there 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 possibility that permits you to modify the thickness of the clock’s font, together with new animated clock fashion choices. When you keep in mind that countdown widget for the house display screen I discussed earlier, you may as well add it to the lock display screen for any occasions you are excited for.

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1

Dwelling 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 fashionable general. However that is not all Samsung has carried out with app icons. When you go to the Settings app and choose Dwelling display screen, now you can change the scale of all of your app icons. You may select between small, medium, and huge 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 that should you 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 scale 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 attainable 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.

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