Samsung’s One UI 7 update brings “Live Notifications” and the “Now Bar,” a feature designed to mimic the “Live Activities” function that Apple has integrated into iPhone over time. With the announcement of the Galaxy S25, Samsung is also unveiling support for additional applications, including Google Maps.
Apple launched Live Activities on iPhone a few years back to provide notifications for ongoing tasks on the lock screen and via the iPhone’s “Dynamic Island.” Though it took some time for apps to implement this feature, it is now widely regarded as a valuable tool, an offering that Android has lacked until now.
With the introduction of One UI 7 and the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung is bringing forth “Live Notifications” and the “Now Bar,” which effectively replicate Apple’s functionalities.
The Now Bar is accessible on Samsung’s lock screen, displaying information from supported apps even when the phone isn’t fully unlocked. Certain functions, like media playback, offer an enhanced interface with controls available before unlocking. Other features may show basic data while requiring the device to be unlocked for additional interaction.
Currently, Samsung is supporting eight applications.
- Sports from Google
- Google Maps
- Samsung Health
- Interpreter
- Clock
- Voice Recorder
- Samsung Notes
- Emergency Sharing
During our hands-on session this week, we could only test Google Maps, and it performed excellently. When navigation is active, directions are displayed on the Now Bar on the lock screen and as a Live Notification in the notification tray.
Interestingly, despite having worked on this feature for some time, Google Maps still hasn’t introduced support for Live Activities on iPhone.
This interface will also be seen for ongoing media playback, which closely resembles Apple’s layout.
A final function utilizing the Now Bar, though not tied to Live Notifications, is Samsung’s “Now Brief” feature.
There’s speculation that Google may introduce a similar feature for Android 16, indicating that this functionality could soon be available on Pixel and other Android devices. In the meantime, it will be accessible on Samsung devices running One UI 7.
The Galaxy S25 series is now open for pre-order on Samsung.com, offering savings of up to $1,200, with an extra $50 discount available for orders placed within 30 minutes through our links.
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