- Now Bar on Samsung Galaxy phones could be set to get new activity pills in One UI 8.
- The pills include information about the ongoing call and Do Not Disturb.
- Google is working with major manufacturers on Live Activities, which could bring support for more apps.
Ever since Apple introduced Live Activities on iPhones, Android manufacturers have left no stone unturned in cloning and making the feature their own. From OnePlus’ Live Alerts to the upcoming Live Updates on Pixels, each has a unique approach. However, the unique thing of all is Samsung’s Now Bar, which was introduced in One UI 7. Amidst issues with One UI 7 roll out, Now Bar’s functionality feels limited, but that might change in One UI 8.
According to an X user, Samsung is working on bringing more features to Now Bar in the upcoming One UI 8 update. This included a new Do Not Disturb pill and ongoing call. It’s unclear as to if the DND pill will always show up in the Now Bar or when enabled, probably the latter.
However, like Live alerts on Pixels and OnePlus devices, the ongoing call pill in Now Bar should help you keep track of the total time spent on the call. Google also seems to be taking Live activities and its derivatives seriously. It’s also working with OnePlus to bring the Sports from Google live notifications to supported OnePlus devices. The feature was first added to One UI 7 via the Google app.
The Now Bar in One UI 7 has quite a bit of functionality, but it’s still nowhere near to where Samsung and the users intend it to be. The same goes for other Live Notification services on different Android devices. Hopefully, Google’s new Live Activities API should help more apps support and serve live notifications, making these features provide a richer experience.
What are your thoughts on Now Bar improvements coming with upcoming One UI 8 update? What are some features you want to see added? Let us know in the comments.
