Samsung Tipped to Bring Phone Calls, Do Not Disturb and More Features to Now Bar With One UI 8

With One UI 7 being widely rolled out, Samsung is already said to be working on its next iteration dubbed One UI 8. As per a tipster, the update may bring a noticeable improvement to Now Bar, a feature which the company introduced with its Android 15-based OS. While it currently provides a lock screen quick view of insights generated by the Galaxy AI-powered Now Brief, Samsung is tipped to equip it with more capabilities, such as phone calls and a Do Not Disturb option.

Now Bar Updates in One UI 8

Tipster @opraks9plus shared a video of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra running One UI 8 in a post on X (formerly Twitter). It allegedly shows a new Do Not Disturb button in the Now Bar on the phone's lock screen. However, it remains unclear if this will be a permanent option in the deck that can toggle the DND feature or just a notification of its activation.

A subsequent X post also allegedly shows a new option for phone calls in One UI 8's Now Bar. Accompanying image suggests users may be able to check in on active phone calls via the pill-shaped button. Further, it displays the call time and is also speculated to show the recipient's details.

There isn't much more apart from the shared visuals. However, it is to be noted that the Now Bar feature was discovered in an early build version of One UI 8 and may still be subject to changes.

Notably, the Now Bar feature is an artificial intelligence (AI) feature, part of the Galaxy AI suite and introduced with One UI 7. It appears as a rectangular bar featuring multiple cards near the bottom of the lock screen. Users can vertically scroll through them with a card deck-like animation. It is said to be an extension of Now Brief, another AI feature which delivers a personalised briefing with suggested content such as health and wellness metrics, event reminders, news, travel updates, and traffic conditions in a card-style interface.