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

The

release of One UI 7
has been something however easy for Samsung. After starting to roll out the replace on April 10 within the US, the tech large paused it only some 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 sequence and the most recent Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip fashions. Extra gadgets, such because the S23 sequence, will obtain it quickly.

Whereas the look ahead to 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 a number of months now, and listed here are 5 of my favourite options that made me not miss my iPhone, and that you need to check out when you obtain the replace in your Galaxy machine.

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

In the event you take pleasure in customizing your cellphone display with numerous widgets, you will love the brand new widget choices Samsung has launched with One UI 7. For starters, Samsung has added three new widget measurement choices for its default apps, corresponding to Calendar, Clock, Climate, and extra, permitting you to regulate their measurement to your desire. When you place the widget, you’ll be able to drag its corners to resize it.

One other new widget characteristic is the choice to customise its form, which implies 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 will see all of the completely different form choices accessible.

My favourite new widget possibility is the countdown characteristic for Calendar, which lets you add an occasion to the Calendar widget that counts right down to particular events, corresponding to birthdays, holidays, and particular occasions. For example, 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

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 that shows all of the dwell actions taking place in your cellphone. For instance, for those who’re taking part in a track

on Spotify
, it will likely 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 cellphone 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, making it tremendous straightforward to entry, particularly while you’re utilizing your cellphone with one hand. In the event you faucet on any of the dwell actions, you’ll be able to develop them to see extra choices accessible. It additionally helps Google Sports activities, so for those who comply with any sports activities groups on Google, the scores of their video games might be displayed within the Now Bar. In the event you’re watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs proper now (go Leafs), this can be a should. A few of the apps that assist the Now Bar are Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Maps, Clock, Voice Recorder, Samsung Notes, Dwell Interpreter, and Samsung Well being. Extra third-party apps are anticipated to assist 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 method to the notification middle and fast settings menu, splitting them into two distinct menus. Beforehand, while you swiped down from the highest of the display, you would be greeted with fast settings choices and notifications. Now, with One UI 7, while you swipe down from the top-left or center of the display, you solely see notifications. Nonetheless, while 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 admire this alteration, as I discover myself hardly ever utilizing the choices within the fast settings menu except I am touring or altering my display brightness. Having one display completely devoted to notifications is way more handy, making it really feel extra like iOS 18, which I am accustomed to coming from my iPhone. Samsung has additionally made extra adjustments to the short settings menu, permitting you so as to add extra settings and rearrange the panels on the display.

In the event you choose the outdated fashion, the place fast settings and notifications are mixed into one display, you’ll be able to change it again by opening the Fast Settings menu, tapping the pencil icon, deciding on Panel Settings, and selecting the Collectively possibility fairly than Separate.

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2

Lock display customization

You’ll be able to regulate the Clock widget extra freely now

The lock display 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, permitting you to show photos out of your cellphone’s gallery on it. So if you would like an image of your annoying however lovely cat in your lock display always, now you can do this. You’ll be able to even add PNGs to the lock display’s gallery widget, so the photographs might be clear and mix in higher together with your lock display’s background.

My favourite new lock display addition with One UI 7 is the flexibility to maneuver the clock face round much more freely. This characteristic is on the market in One UI 6, however One UI 7 introduces many extra choices, permitting you to regulate and scale the clock to match your cellphone’s lock display background a lot 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. In the event you keep in mind that countdown widget for the house display I discussed earlier, you can too add it to the lock display for any occasions you are excited for.

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1

Dwelling display upgrades

New app icons and sizes

With One UI 7, Samsung has up to date all its default app icons with recent appearances that make them stand out and look extra trendy total. However that is not all Samsung has carried out with app icons. In the event you go to the Settings app and choose Dwelling display, now you can change the dimensions of all of your app icons. You’ll be able to 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: the flexibility to show off app labels and widget labels. Which means that for those who not need to see the names of apps beneath 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 and completely different app pages.

Moreover, now you can enlarge the dimensions 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 to the underside for higher usability. Additional, it is now doable to view apps within the App Drawer vertically as a substitute of horizontally by adjusting the type choice to Alphabetical.

There are a few different honorable mentions I need to give for

other new One UI 7 features,
together with the redesigned digicam app and new battery safety modes.

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