LATEST ONE UI 7.0 NEWS
Introduction
One UI was first introduced back in 2018 and Samsung has made several significant upgrades to its custom skin since then. In 2024, Samsung has made one of the biggest upgrades to One UI yet, introducing a brand new visual identity and enhancing the feature set with One UI 7.0, which also brings Android 15 to compatible handsets.
Samsung launched the One UI 7 beta program on December 5, 2024 in nearly half a dozen countries. The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra are the first devices to receive the beta which will eventually arrive on other eligible devices as well.
One UI 7.0 design changes
Samsung has made some major design changes to the user interface with this release. It has significantly revamped most of the native app icons with a more colorful appearance that really pops. The Notifications and Quick Panel have been split into two separate screens. Swiping down anywhere on the screen once brings up the Notifications bar while swiping from the top right corner opens the Quick Panel.
The size of each notification has been increased to make them easier to read and they're now pill-shaped. The toggles and controls have been enhanced in the Quick Panel which also includes a new volume control bar.
Increased personalization makes it possible to switch the order of every button and toggle. Tons of new widgets have been added for the stock apps with the ability to label them and change their appearance.
Notifications and Quick Panel are now two different screens. You can access notifications by swiping down anywhere on the home screen or swiping down from the top of the screen. Each notification is now bigger and pill-shaped.
There's also a new UI element called Now Bar. It's a dynamic element that changes based on what you're doing. It displays playback controls when music is playing, displays time and other options during a voice call, workout tracking for Samsung Health and more.
It's a pill-shaped addition to the status bar which expands when you tap on it and is then displayed at the bottom of the screen, where it's also positioned on the lock screen. Finally, Samsung has made it possible to switch the app drawer to vertical scrolling.
One UI 7.0 features
As one of the biggest upgrades yet, One UI 7.0 brings several new features, including Galaxy AI features that utilize the power of artificial intelligence to make life easier for users. Writing Assist Tools is one such feature, which can be accessed whenever text is selected anywhere. Use it for spelling checks, grammar, and tone. It can also help with auto-formatting of notes and summarizing text.
Call Transcripts is another new Galaxy AI feature that this update brings, helping users automatically transcribe recorded calls in up to 20 different languages. This means there's no need to manually take notes when you're on a call, simply record it and use Call Transcripts to transcribe it later.
For enhanced security and privacy, there's a new Knox Matrix Dashboard that provides an overview of the security status for all Samsung devices you use. This includes smartphones, tablets, TVs, and even home appliances. The dashboard provides actionable recommendations when a security risk is detected.
A great new security feature is the ability to block USB connections when the phone's screen is locked. It won't interfere with charging, but won't allow device access to connected cables. A smart security feature has been added whereby if the device is in an unfamiliar location, it will require biometric authentication to make any changes to the security settings.
One UI 7.0 compatible devices
Given Samsung's focus on providing up to seven years of OS upgrade support, flagships and many mid-range devices launched in or after 2021 will get One UI 7.0. Almost every device that came with Android 13 out of the box will be eligible for an upgrade to One UI 7.0 (Android 15).
To see if your device is eligible, check our list of One UI 7.0 compatible devices.
One UI 7.0 release
Samsung launched the One UI 7.0 beta program on December 5, 2024 in nearly half a dozen markets across the globe, including the United States, South Korea, and Germany. The beta has been released for the Galaxy S24 series initially but would later expand to other recent devices. Here's how you can join the One UI 7.0 beta program.
The company is yet to confirm an official release date for the stable builds but given how late the beta program has started, it goes without saying that One UI 7.0 won't be released for the general public before 2025.
