It was only a month ago that Samsung launched the One UI 7 beta program for the Galaxy S24 series. Then the second beta update arrived to fix key issues including Wireless DeX connections, the Samsung Messages app, and the Now bar.
Speaking of the Now bar, it’s an important piece of the software that introduced a quick-access feature for ongoing tasks. Samsung says that it can remind you when to leave for the airport, curate a travel playlist, and provide weather updates without needing to open multiple apps, all with the data it collects from your device. But there’s no cause to worry, and here’s why.
Now bar stops unnecessary phone unlock
As with most features on phones these days, Samsung’s Now bar is big on personalisation. It learns from your daily habits and offers helpful suggestions. It also provides quick updates, and helps you to relive your favorite moments throughout the day.
When you have multiple apps open, like Spotify for music, Clock for a timer, or Maps for navigation, a small pill-shaped bar appears at the bottom of your screen. If you swipe on this bar, you can see a quick preview of the live activities from those apps. Tapping on any one gives you more control.
For instance, if you’re listening to music on Spotify, tapping the Spotify icon on the Now Bar will bring up a mini version of the playback controls on your lock screen. This lets you pause, skip tracks, or adjust the volume without fully opening the app or unlocking your phone.
With a single swipe, you can access the weather forecast — no need to search or check various apps. Throughout your trip, your phone captures the magic of each moment, and as each day winds down, it helps you relive the highlights.
Morning and night, Galaxy AI will keep you both informed and inspired with actionable tips and recommendations uniquely tailored to your life. Game-changing personalization with privacy you can always trust. This is the next evolution of Galaxy AI.
Samsung
Normally, that sounds like a dream. But, of course, with great personalization comes great responsibility and data sharing. These are areas of concern, especially with Galaxy AI powering the feature. For the Now bar to work so well, it needs to collect and process a lot of personal information, your daily routines, locations, app usage, and preferences. However, Samsung assures you that all the data stays on your device.
Related: Here’s everything coming your way on One UI 7
Now bar is a step ahead, but crosses no lines
Samsung’s Personal Data Engine will keep your data in a secure space, and this data is protected by an encryption key managed by Knox Vault. Knox Vault is Samsung’s trusted security platform, which is also going to protect your most sensitive information, from the fingerprint to facial data. Even if someone tries to hack into your phone, they can’t access your personal data.
For an added layer of security, Samsung’s post-quantum cryptography shields you from future threats where traditional encryption methods fail, and ensures that your information remains a secret even when advanced technology is used to attempt theft.
When you consider all these factors, it starts to make sense why Samsung saw the need for smarter notifications. The Now bar sits on your lock screen and shows the apps or tools you use the most, letting you access them quickly without unlocking your phone instead of getting random notifications.
Related: I’m Not A Fan: One UI 7 Is Going To Look Very Different
If you’ve already made comparisons of Samsung’s Now bar to Apple’s Dynamic Island or other features, you’re right to spot similarities. For some people, it may feel like a gimmick or a repackage of what you could already do.
You could already get reminders from the notification panel in One UI 6. The difference now is that the Now Bar centralizes these interactions into a more visually engaging and accessible space. Either way, it’s clear Samsung is pushing for better personalization and it could be useful to anyone in a hurry who wants everything right at their fingertips.
