1
Good Lock Expansion
If you have used a Samsung phone, you know how Good Lock and its modules add so many powerful customization options to play around with.
Despite its usefulness, Good Lock does not come pre-installed on Galaxy phones. Instead, you must download it from the Galaxy Store.
With One UI 7, Samsung has announced that it will make Good Lock available for download through the Play Store and expand its availability to all regions. It’s also revamping almost all the modules, including the main Good Lock app, to give them a fresh look.
The modules are also gaining more customization options, like the ability to tweak the Home screen gestures, a more flexible Edge panel, and more.
2
Vertical App Drawer
A small but nice usability change in One UI 7 is the introduction of a vertical app drawer. Samsung was the only major manufacturer to stick to a vertical, paginated app drawer on its phones.
Previously, you could use a Good Lock module to switch to a vertical app drawer, but it eventually removed the functionality.
One UI 7 officially adds a vertical app drawer to Samsung’s stock launcher. You can even switch between horizontal and vertical styles, though the implementation is weird.
To use the vertical app drawer, you’ll need to sort the apps alphabetically. And if you use the custom order option, the launcher will switch to a vertical layout.
3
Revamped Camera App
Samsung has reorganized its Camera app with One UI 7, making it simpler and easier to use. All the main camera controls are now at the bottom, tucked into an expandable menu. You will see Portrait, Photo, and Video modes by default, with other modes accessible from the More tab.
To access other camera controls like Settings, flash, timer, ratio, resolution, etc., you can tap a menu button next to the zoom toggles. This menu consolidates nearly all the options previously in the top bar in One UI 6. Now, the top bar only includes toggles for flash, resolution, and motion photos.
Lastly, the Pro photo and video modes get simpler controls for better usability. Samsung has also added a new zoom control in Pro video mode to allow you to zoom seamlessly while recording videos.
While there are no notable new features in the One UI 7 Camera app, the changes improve one-handed usability, which is always a welcome enhancement.
4
Smoother System Animations
With One UI 7, Samsung is finally catching up to the competition by delivering smoother system animations than previous One UI releases. The new animations feel more streamlined and cohesive, adding a touch of polish to the overall UI.
The revamped animations might not seem like a big deal at first. However, once you start using One UI 7, you’ll realize the impact it creates.
This change is in keeping with the new system icons, which add an extra layer of polish to the interface and give it a fresh, modern look.
5
Call Recording
Call recording has been available on Galaxy devices in Europe, parts of Asia, and other regions for a long time. However, Samsung never offered call recording on its Galaxy devices in the US due to regional laws. One UI 7 changes this, bringing call recording to Samsung phones in the US with call transcripts.
The feature records a voice call and generates a transcript for it. When using call transcript, your Galaxy phone will play a warning audio message saying, “This call is being recorded,” which will be audible to all parties. This is similar to how iOS 18 brings call recordings to the iPhone.
Call transcript in One UI 7 will be available as part of Galaxy AI. It will support over 20 languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Korean, and Spanish.
6
Now Bar
One of the most notable improvements in One UI 7 is Now Bar. Think of it as Samsung’s take on the iPhone’s Live Activities but with more functionality baked in.
Besides live notifications like sports scores, Now Bar can display music and routines and provide personalized content updates, like navigation directions from Google Maps, Samsung Health notifications, and more.
The Now Bar is located at the bottom of the One UI 7 lock screen for easy access and is visible in Always On Display mode, too. You can switch between multiple Now Bar activities with a swipe up. Tapping on an ongoing Now Bar activity expands it further with more details and controls.
There’s also Now Brief, which provides an AI-powered summary of important information, like reminders for upcoming flights and events. By default, Now Brief will show a notification when you wake up and at your bedtime, though this is fully customizable.
7
More Customizable Quick Settings panel
One UI 7 enhances the Quick Settings panel on Galaxy devices with even more customization options. As with many Chinese Android skins, you now have the option to split the notification and Quick Settings panels into two.
Otherwise, you can swipe down on the home screen to access the notification panel, while swiping down from the top-right will open the Quick Settings panel.
The Quick Settings panel now features a volume control bar below the tiles for easy one-hand access. Thanks to the added flexibility in One UI 7, you can move every button and toggle in the Quick Settings panel around as you like.
8
Deeper AI Integration
One UI 7 brings deeper Gemini and AI integration to the Galaxy S25 series. You can use Gemini on Samsung’s newest flagship to execute multiple commands at once that work across multiple apps.
Even better, One UI 7 introduces Gemini extensions for many stock Samsung apps, such as Samsung Calendar, Reminder, Notes, and Clock.
Gemini is more easily accessible in One UI with a long press of the power button on your Galaxy phone. The deeper Gemini integration is a part of One UI 7, with most features coming to Samsung’s 2024 flagship phones and foldables.
Many existing Galaxy AI features have been improved, too. Writing tools are now natively integrated into the OS, so you can trigger them easily in almost all apps.
Many of the One UI 7 changes might seem superficial at first. But they will have a big impact on how you use your Galaxy phone. The best part is that you won’t have to buy the Galaxy S25 to enjoy them, as most will make their way to older Samsung flagships.
