Samsung announced One UI 7 — its Android 15-based operating system (OS) — at SDC 2024 in October. Its beta was rolled out in Germany, India and other select regions earlier this month. One of the highlights of the update is a new notification system called Now Bar which is said to enhance personalisation by giving direct access to everyday and most-used actions on the screen. The company has now detailed some of the features it will bring, including a summarisation feature powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and a privacy-focused addition for cross-app personal data protection.
Now Bar in One UI 7
Samsung detailed the Now Bar features in a newsroom post. As per the South Korean technology conglomerate, it will leverage Galaxy AI — the suite of AI features for its devices. It is the company's own take on Apple's Dynamic Island. But while the former appears at the top of the screen, Now Bar will be placed at the bottom.
It will keep Samsung users informed of their sleep cycle, provide weather forecasts, send reminders for tasks such as catching a flight, curate a playlist for travel, and even deliver currency conversions — all provided as a morning brief. It can access data across apps and deliver a summary for easy reading.
The company claims Now Bar can act as an access point for the “most comprehensively insightful experiences ever on Galaxy.” It gives an example of a user travelling from South Korea to California. With Galaxy AI, the handset will offer to create a folder of the essential apps during travel for quick access. Further, it will also provide a reminder of when to leave for the airport, and curate a travel playlist for the long flight.
With One UI 7, Samsung also introduces the Personal Data Engine. It is an on-device privacy measure which is said to deliver cross-app personal data protection. The personalised data is stored in a secure space which is protected by an encryption key managed by Samsung's Knox Vault. The company has also enabled post-quantum cryptography as a safeguard against quantum computing threats.
