Forget Galaxy phones, the Galaxy Watch is the perfect home for One UI 7’s Now Bar

Early indications suggest that One UI 8 Watch could be a significant update for Samsung Galaxy Watch owners. We’ve discovered several potential features, including a new health metric, a watch face randomizer, and tools to enhance battery life. While all these features interest me to some extent, one in particular caught my attention: evidence that Samsung plans to introduce the Now Bar to its smartwatches.

The Now Bar was a major addition to Galaxy smartphones with the recent One UI 7 update. Its functionality is straightforward. The “bar” appears on the lock and Always On Display (AOD) screens, providing glanceable, context-relevant information. When the phone is unlocked, this information can also be displayed in a chip alongside other status icons at the top of the notifications panel. This design ensures that real-time information is always visible to the user.

Currently, the feature serves content from Samsung and Google apps and services, including live sports scores, navigation details from Google Maps, current track details from your media player, timers from the Clock app, and exercise info from Samsung Health. Granted, that isn’t an exhaustive list, and the lack of utility has led several users to call the feature overhyped and underdeveloped.

Despite these criticisms, I quite like the idea of the Now Bar. Our phones bombard us with information constantly, so any tool that highlights contextually relevant details is helpful. However, when I’m on the move, my smartphone is often inaccessible, stored in my pocket or a bag. Watches are designed for immediacy, accessibility, and convenience, making them the perfect platform for live updates.

Those who don’t see the potential of the feature might argue that Galaxy Watches don’t need it, but I believe it would be a step in the right direction for Wear OS at large. The current state of the smartwatch OS Samsung smartwatches are based on makes accessing pertinent information challenging. It often takes many taps, swipes, and screens to find what I need hidden in the app drawer or the clunky tile carousel. The Now Bar would solve this problem by highlighting exactly how well my run is going, how far I have to walk to reach my destination in a foreign town, how long my roast needs in the oven, or whether Man United is (once again) trailing at halftime.

There are indications that Samsung will offer users plenty of options to customize the Now Bar overlay on watches, too. We’ve found hints at two distinct display styles: a detailed Now Bar or a minimalist icon resembling a complication. This gives users the option to prioritize their clock face if they prefer. Samsung appears to be adding a pinch gesture to control either on the watch, but I would also love support for rotating bezels. Nevertheless, it all sounds promising so far.

Notably, Samsung’s desire to bring the Now Bar to its devices should give Pixel Watch series and other Wear OS watch users hope for a similar feature. We’ve previously detailed Google’s upcoming live updates feature for Android 16, which functions similarly to One UI 7’s status bar chip and live notifications. There’s no reason these features couldn’t become part of Wear OS builds in the future, and I’d appreciate the option to use a complication slot for a live update chip.

Before I get well ahead of myself, let me say that the feature does still need plenty of work. The Now Bar is still in its early stages, so it has issues that haven’t yet been addressed. Such a feature relies heavily on third-party support, which it currently lacks. I expect its list of supported apps and services to grow as the feature matures. Once time-critical services like ridesharing, public transport, and delivery apps are supported, the experience should improve significantly. For now, we’re limited to what Samsung and Google offer.

It’s also important to consider the battery life implications of the Now Bar on a watch. Aside from the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, Galaxy Watches are not known for their endurance. The Now Bar, likely running in the background, could exacerbate this issue. If this prompts Samsung to consider using silicon-carbon batteries, it might be a blessing in disguise. However, a the feature could be a terrible prospect for my aging Galaxy Watch 4 that struggles through a day on a single charge.

Nevertheless, the Now Bar’s potential value to smartwatches excites me about One UI 8 Watch. I appreciate any feature that quickens my access to relevant information, especially on my wrist, and I’m thrilled that Samsung’s making a genuine effort to transform its Wear OS experience. Whether the company ports the feature and leaves it as is or actively improves it over time remains to be seen. For now, I’m optimistic, and all Galaxy Watch users should be, too.