Samsung's Now Bar is a dynamic lock screen widget, which we introduced at the bottom of the display. By its nature it reminds me of Dynamic Island but in a different, less prominent location. 

Initially promising, AI-driven contextual information has been somewhat limited to showing basic information. It includes battery levels, sports scores, and morning briefs. 

The latest leaks about One UI 8 reveal that Samsung might be opening up the true potential of the Now Bar. That potentially turns it from a subtle widget to a truly useful tool.

One UI 7

It was billed as a smarter layer of interactivity, the Now Bar. And it suggests context aware suggestions and that it lives seamlessly in with other phone functions. 

We first considered a dynamic panel. It might have been able to infer user needs, to suggest travel playlists, for instance, when it tracked movement.

In One UI 7 however, the implementation felt more like a basic info ticker. Many Galaxy users wondered if the promise of its initial release would come to fruition. 

However, another detractor is its placement at the bottom of the screen, where it's less obvious than Apple's Dynamic Island.

One UI 8 Leaks Suggesting Meaningful Upgrades

New exciting leaks from the early builds of the upcoming One UI 8 give rise to a more promising future for Samsung's Now Bar. 

Online screenshots and videos show Samsung is actively investigating ways to load more practical and interactive features into the widget. 

There have been two important additions in these leaks concerning phone calls that are active and Do Not Disturb mode.

Look at Active Call Details

The most potentially useful enhancement is probably that the Now Bar can show details on ongoing phone calls on the lock screen. 

This would allow users to easily keep an eye on their calls quickly and easily. It does not need to unlock their device or even leave the lock screen. This could prove to be a great convenience to those who place or receive calls quite often.

Quick Access to Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is also quite simple. This can also be accessed by tapping on the clock and dragging it away from the center of the device.

You’ll also apparently be able to see a toggle or indication of the device’s Do Not Disturb status from the Now Bar itself in One UI 8. Although we are still unsure of the exact functionality.

Having a way to quickly toggle Do Not Disturb directly from the lock screen would easily streamline dealing with notifications and interruptions.

Consistency Across Foldables

In addition to the new capabilities, reports indicate that Samsung is gunning for more design unity for the Now Bar across its foldable device lineup, including the Galaxy Z Flip family. 

Such an arrangement would make for a unified user experience. The Now Bar would show up and behave the same way on the main and cover screens on these special devices.

A Truly AI-Powered Hub

The leaked additions of active call details and Do Not Disturb are welcome improvements. However, they do not come close to the billed AI-powered contextual hub. But they could also be foundational work for more advanced features in future One UI iterations. 

It seems like Samsung is reconsidering the use case for the Now Bar. These practical additions may be a way to get there toward what many Galaxy users have been hoping for.

Looking Ahead to One UI 8

It's important to note that One UI 8 is still in the pre-beta, with the official beta wave slated to roll out in mid-June. But the fact these practical additions to the Samsung's Now Bar are coming does in the end bring with it the faint gleam of hope. Samsung is starting to realize the Now Bar's potential. The company wants to make the OUI part of the Now Bar experience. 

If Samsung is going to continue on this path, then the Now Bar in One UI 8 could finally grow beyond a static dynamic pill feature into something truly valuable for Galaxy users all around the world.

Related Reading: One UI 8 Rumored to Boost Virtual RAM on Samsung Phones