The Samsung Galaxy S25 series comes with a new skin—One UI 7 (based on Android 15) out of the box. One notable feature that packs with the One UI 7 is Now Bar.
In case you are unfamiliar, Now Bar is a “defining element” of One UI 7. It’s a pill-shaped UI element that displays information such as live notifications, music, or modes and routines on the lock screen. It looks like Apple’s Dynamic Island, but the South Korean giant has placed the Now Bar feature at the bottom center of the lock screen.
Samsung said via a press release that the stable version of One UI 7 will be rolled out to other eligible Galaxy S series phones in the first quarter of 2025. While you await the update, one question might arise whether the Now Bar feature will also be supported on your Galaxy phone.
As of now, there is no official information on whether all One UI 7 features will be available on all eligible Galaxy phones. Some Galaxy phones eligible for One UI 7 may include the Galaxy S24/ S23/ S22/ S21 series (including FE), Galaxy Z Fold 6/5/4/3, Galaxy Z Flip 6/5/4/3, and Galaxy A models such as A73, A55, A54, A53, A35, A34, A33, A25, A24, A23, A16, A15, and A14.
Speaking of the usability (via Sammyguru) of the Now Bar feature, the placement of the fingerprint sensor has a big impact. On flagship devices, Samsung placed the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor higher on the screen. So, the bottom part remains reserved for the Now Bar.
On the other hand, mid-range phones often use optical fingerprint sensors. These are positioned lower on the display, which might cause issues for Now Bar. For instance, users might accidentally click on the Now Bar while trying to unlock their phone.
All things considered, all mid-range Galaxy phones running One UI 7 may not support the Now Bar feature. Well, this has not been confirmed officially; just a theory for now. Samsung could introduce dynamic positioning for the Now Bar. If Now Bar also supports mid-range phones, it will be interesting to see how Samsung implements the feature.