Your Samsung phone is getting this free update – | Tech News

Samsung is lastly rolling out its Android 15 software program update to telephones different than the latest Galaxy S25 gadgets, which debuted with the newest Android model earlier this 12 months.

Dubbed One UI 7, Samsung’s free improve provides a recent lick of paint to telephones together with the Galaxy S24, S23, and S22 sequence, and a few Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip telephones, which are actually receiving Android 15 globally after the rollout was briefly paused.

I’ve used One UI 7 on the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus, and have additionally downloaded it onto 2024’s Galaxy S24 Ultra to see how the older phone copes with the software program adjustments. Though it’s principally excellent news for Galaxy followers, there are a few tweaks I’m much less fond of.

Here are 4 great new options coming to your Galaxy phone with One UI 7, and two issues I might have most popular stayed on the chopping room flooring.

It is perhaps stating the apparent – and also you may not prefer it in the event you hate change – however One UI 7 appears to be like completely different in locations in comparison with older Samsung software program. The notifications are more rounded, the clock on the at all times-on screen defaults to a new font together with the time within the standing bar, and the battery icon is more rounded.

Samsung’s own apps even have newly tweaked app icons. Though updating your Galaxy phone to the new software program gained’t wipe your homescreen’s format, it’d look a little completely different to you when your phone reboots thanks to those refined adjustments.

I’m all for it.

One of essentially the most infuriating UI choices Samsung has ever made is to insist the app drawer, the place the place all of your apps stay on Android, should scroll horizontally, as if the drawer was like a home screen.

Android telephones often provide the option to show each app on a number of home screen pages or use an app drawer, the latter being my choice and a a lot neater manner of hiding away apps you barely use. Most Android telephones allow you to open the app drawer with a swipe up after which proceed to scroll vertically, which is sensible and allows you to discover issues rapidly.

Samsung has by no means allow you to scroll this manner, till now. One UI 7 fixes this crime in opposition to Android UI, and now all of your apps float by with easy up and down scrolls, reasonably than spreading them out awkwardly throughout a number of pages.

One UI 7 brings Samsung’s new Now Bar to older Galaxy telephones, and for essentially the most half I discover it helpful. If you’re taking part in a track or podcast and your phone is locked, the controls now seem on the backside of the screen in a small tablet-formed bar reasonably than a giant strip above your notifications.

Tapping it brings up a view of your lively apps, or you possibly can scroll by means of a stack of open apps that may be managed or are working, for instance Spotify, timer, Samsung Health and Voice Recorder.

It’s a minor tweak, and also you don’t have to show it on, however I’ve received used to it and fairly just like the change. To activate the Now bar:

Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Now bar > Toggle on the stay notification classes

Small changes to how the viewfinder appears to be like within the auto mode for the digital camera has been improved vastly. Samsung rearranged the buttons and controls that make discovering and tapping completely different choices simpler and far more intuitive. I can simply zoom to a number of focal lengths, change the decision, or rapidly choose a filter.

Changes are mirrored rapidly, and with both facet of your image or video blacked out, you have got a true viewfinder that exhibits you precisely what is being shot.

You may not even discover Samsung has up to date the UI right here, however it’s a refined win.

Android telephones used to all work the identical – drag down from wherever on the high of the screen to carry down the notification shade, and drag additional (or with a second swipe) to see fast settings for issues reminiscent of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, aeroplane mode and brightness slider.

Annoyingly, many Android manufacturers have determined previously couple of years to repeat Apple’s iPhone, the place a swipe down from roughly two thirds of the screen to the left brings down the shade, whereas a swipe down from the suitable third brings up fast settings.

It’s in all probability as a result of I’m so used to the outdated manner, however I don’t get on with the change. I like that Android combines all these controls into one place, however fortunately you possibly can change it back in the event you discover One UI 7 has up to date to the new design. To change it back:

Pull down the short settings shade till you see the pencil icon within the high proper. Tap it, then:

Panel settings > Together

If you take pleasure in all of the new Galaxy AI options that One UI 7 brings, then more energy to you, however I feel they’re a blight on my phone. The Android 15 update has, at the least within the case of the S24 Ultra, stuffed the machine with even more superfluous artificial intelligence that guarantees to do issues that, frankly, our telephones need not do.

Have you at all times needed to sketch a cat along with your forefinger after which get your phone to show that into a horrible 3D image of a sort-of cat? Then now you possibly can!

Perhaps I’m additionally sceptical of the AI writing instruments as a author myself, however I don’t need my phone to change the tone of my messages, thanks very a lot.

Features reminiscent of studying webpages aloud are great for accessibility, however is this actually AI? My challenge lies additionally with how Samsung is trying to make Galaxy AI appear like it’s providing you with a ton of new options for free, when in actuality it is rebranding issues your phone may already do and clogging it up with options you actually don’t need – all within the identify of getting you to stare at your phone longer and provides Samsung more of your information. No thanks.