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10 Major Changes Coming to Samsung’s One UI 7

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10 Major Changes Coming to Samsung’s One UI 7

As Google prepares Android 16, Samsung is gearing up for the launch of OneUI 7 based on Android 15, the next major Android version for Samsung smartphones.

Samsung OneUI 7 is currently in beta and expected to be rolled out in early 2025 along with the Samsung S25 series. Since the beta is already out, we have a clear destination of what Samsung plans to bring to the table. If you are like me, waiting to see the next version of the One UI, here are ten major changes coming to OneUI 7 and how it is going to change how your Samsung smartphones work.

Devices Expected To Get the One UI 7 Update

Before going to the list of major changes in OneUI 7, here are the Samsung devices that will support OneUI 7. Please note that this is not on the official Samsung list.

Series

Devices

Galaxy S Series

S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S21 FE, S22, S22+, S22 Ultra, S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE, S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE

Galaxy Z Series

Z Flip 3, Z Flip 4, Z Flip 5, Z Flip 6, Z Fold 3, Z Fold 4, Z Fold 5, Z Fold 6

Galaxy A Series

A06, A05s, A15, A25, A35, A55, A14, A24, A34, A54, A33, A53, A73

Galaxy M Series

M14, M34, M54, M35, M55

Galaxy F Series

F14, F54, F55

Galaxy Tab Series

Tab S8, Tab S8+, Tab S8 Ultra, Tab S9, Tab S9+, Tab S9 Ultra, Tab S9 FE, Tab S9 FE+, Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab A9, Tab A9+, Tab Active 4 Pro

10 Major Changes Coming to One UI 7

Visual changes – More Refinements

The first major change you will notice in OneUI 7 is changes in the visual design. This is not a big jump or a complete redesign overhaul, but this update refines the existing design aesthetics of OneUI 7.

samsung oneui 7 visual enhancements

OneUI 7 comes with redesigned app icons with more rounded corners. The icons now look modern, have a gradient color, and are even more rounded. The battery icon has also been updated with rounded corners, which matches the design aesthetics of the One UI 7.

The recent apps section also gets an update with a new design and smooth-shifting animations. There are no major changes in the settings page. If you love using widgets on your home screen, the widgets on OneUI 7 also get a redesign with support for new widgets. The lock screen also gets a couple of updates. Furthermore, Now, you can personalize your lock screen with dynamic widgets and customizable shortcut icons with widgets.

Quick Panel and Notification Are Now Separated

The major change in OneUI 7 is the quick settings. The quick settings panel is now divided into two pages, similar to Android 16. Now, the settings and notifications are completely separate from each other, which I am not a big fan of. However, Samsung allows you to keep the notification and quick pane similar to the old style.

Accessing the new Quick settings panel is now different. Instead of swiping from the crown, you need to swipe down from the right for the quick settings and swipe down from the left for the list of all your notifications. It’s very similar to the iOS.

The quick settings panel also gets redesigned elements with an almost similar setup: the two toggles on the top and edit power icons and settings on the top. No, the quick settings icons are now slightly bigger, with rounded corners and a modern design aesthetic.

New App Drawer – Vertical Scrolling

One UI 7 also brings a new vertically scrollable app drawer instead of the horizontal one in the previous one. Similar to the Quick panel, you can customize and set it to horizontal scrolling like before.

In the new vertical app drawer, the search bar is moved to the bottom, which comes in handy, especially for big phones like the S24 Ultra, where it is hard to reach the top to search for and find the app you are looking for.

Improved Animations – Better Than iOS?

OneUI 7 also brings improved animations compared to the previous versions while switching. Dynamic switching between apps and closing apps has been significantly improved on OneUI 7.

The New Navigation Bar: Dynamic Island for Samsung Smartphones

Apple’s software trick to hide the notch, the dynamic island, has been a hit and inspired almost every major Android brand, including OnePlus with OxygenOS 15. Samsung has also introduced a very similar feature called the Now bar, but it is different from what we have seen so far.

Similar to the dynamic island, Samsung’s ‘Now bar’ shows live information from the app running in the background. Currently, in the beta version, apps that support the Now bar include the clock, voice recorder, emergency sharing, Samsung Health, interpreter, maps, Samsung Notes, and Bixby. We can also expect support for third-party apps in the future.

Samsung has chosen a different approach to differentiate itself from the rest. The ‘Now bar’ is primarily designed for the live activities on the lock screen. When there is an ongoing task, for instance, a song playing or the clock running in the background, it is shown on the lock screen as a live activity. You can tap on the Now bar and interact with it, customize, control it, and more. The Now bar supports multiple activities; you can swipe up to switch between live activities.

Additionally, when there is an ongoing task, you will see a small pill in the notification status bar, similar to Android 15. When you tap on it, it expands as a pill-shaped interaction panel where you can interact with the live activity.

While this seems like a nice-to-have feature for many, after using it on the iPhone 15, the ‘Now bar’ can be very helpful in real life, especially interacting directly from the UI instead of opening the apps and making changes, which takes a significant amount of time, it can be accessible universally from any app or website that you are currently on. The Now bar is also available in the always-on display. You can turn it on if you want from the AOD settings in the Settings app.

Transcript Calls With Handy Features

Now, when you record a call, you can transcribe it in real time in multiple languages. Plus, Samsung adds a few nifty features that further enhance its usage. Unlike a full transcript text, Samsung goes a step further and displays the transcript in the messaging conversation screen to easily differentiate conversations between you and the other person. You can tap on any conversation and listen to it. Plus, the handy search feature can help you find the specific conversation in the transcription.

samsung oneui 7 call transcription feature

AI Enhancements – Early to the Game

Samsung is the first among others to roll out AI features. With OneUI 7, Samsung also brings enhancements to the existing AI features and also adds a few AI features that can be very helpful in the daily usage of the smartphone.

oneui 7 ai features

Along with the new call transcribe feature, Samsung has also improved existing AI features with a new design. Samsung’s AI assistant Bixby gets a redesign. Photo apps get new features, and the Samsung keyboard now comes with better AI support that comes in handy, especially in messaging apps.

Additionally, the writing tools get universal support. You can access writing tools from any place on your Samsung device. When you select the text, it shows the option for the writing tools, where you can use them to translate, improve the text, or make any modifications to the text.

Also, using AI, you can transform standard photos into artistic images with different styles, like comics, 3D cartoon sketches, and more. It also introduces new live effects that add depth to the photos. Finally, the notification summaries which were introduced in iOS 18 are also coming to Android with OneUI 7.

These changes might not seem significant, especially in this AI era. However, Samsung already has plenty of AI features, and OneUI 7 updates give it an edge over the iPhone or any other Android devices currently on the market.

New Camera App Layout

OneUI 7 also gets a redesigned camera layout. The new layout is not drastically different from the previous one; if you use your camera app on your device frequently, the new design makes a difference.

The viewfinder is now slightly bigger. The camera lens functions, such as optical zoom, are now integrated into the bottom of the camera screen, right above the shutter button. The switch button is also moved to the bottom for easy access. Now, you can easily switch between different modes, including Photo, Video, and Portrait, with one hand.

samsung oneui 7 new camera layout

Samsung has minimized the functions and options at the top, limiting them to essentials. While this is minimal, accessing the timer, lens options, and aspect ratio settings has been moved to the bottom, which adds an extra step to access them. However, it minimizes distractions and keeps you more focused on the viewfinder. The Night mode is still in the same position.

In addition to these changes, the exposure is also now separated, which makes it easier to adjust using the slider instead of tapping it from the viewfinder and adjusting it on the screen.

One UI 7 also brings the ability to control audio playback while recording video. Now you can keep playing your favourite music while recording. For your information, the audio playing will not be included or recorded while you are recording the video.

Improved Landscape Mode

Landscape orientation on Android smartphones is still not the best, especially as phones are getting closer to tablet-sized devices. However, this is going to change in OneUI 7.

With OneUI 7, Samsung improves the landscape mode. The icons are neatly arranged, similar to iPadOS, along with the widgets, and no longer messed up. This can be handy, especially for people who use smartphones in landscape mode while using the smartphone in landscape mode.

Identity Check

Along with the Android theft protection, OneUI 7 brings new identity check features that add an extra layer of security to your device. Once you enable the identity check feature, it continuously monitors suspicious activities. It automatically locks your device when any suspicious activity is detected, such as changes to the device’s location or someone trying to change your PIN without proper authorization.

A Useful One UI Update for Samsung Users

Those are the ten major changes coming to OneUI 7 that might change how you use your Samsung smartphone. While Android updates have been very iterative for the past couple of years, Samsung’s OneUI 7 includes several significant enhancements, both in terms of features and in optimizing and enhancing the existing user experience. From the new navigation bar to smoother animations, OneUI 7 brings a lot to the table.

While writing this, One UI 7 is currently in beta and available in limited countries, including Germany, India, Poland, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. If you have a Samsung phone and want to try out these features, you can join the beta and install it on your device. If you find any new or helpful features, let me know in the comments below.

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