Alongside One UI 8 for smartphones and tablets, Samsung is developing its next wearable software update, One UI 8 Watch, for its Galaxy Watches. Thanks to developers and enthusiasts, we already know a few details about what Samsung will introduce with the One UI 8 Watch. And now a fresh report reveals the Korean firm may bring One UI 7’s Now Bar and Now Brief to its wearables with the upcoming update.
One UI 8 Watch leak hints at smartwatch-friendly Now Bar widget
While digging into a leaked version of the SecClockWorkSysUI (version 4.0.57) APK, folks over at Android Authority discovered several strings related to the Galaxy Watch’s new features. More importantly, one of those strings points to Now Bar, suggesting it could be part of the upcoming One UI 8 Watch update.
Samsung introduced a pill-shaped UI element called Now Bar in One UI 7. It allows users to access information such as live notifications, music, and more on the lock screen, status bar, and Always On Display (AOD). Now, with the One UI 8 Watch, Samsung may bring this functionality to the Galaxy Watch lineup, which many users will likely appreciate.
The publication says that Samsung will optimize this feature for the smartwatch interface with several customization options. It will have two options: “Icon only” and “Icon with text while screen is on”, suggesting a minimal visual or a more detailed view that shows both the Now Bar icon and text when the screen is active.
Additionally, the publication managed to extract an image from the APK file, showcasing how the placement of the Now Bar would look on Galaxy Watches. You can see the image below.
Galaxy Watch’s Now Bar will display different types of content
There is also a mention of “double pinch to open the Now bar shown on your watch face.” It points to a gesture-based action that should enable additional actions when the bar has no current content. The types of content available on Now Bar for Galaxy Watch include Contextual Suggestions, Maps, Media Controls, Now Brief, Tips on how to use the Now Bar, live sports scores, and health metrics.
It is worth noting that these features are currently hidden within an APK file, so you can’t access them right now. You will probably have to wait for the One UI 8 Watch update, which may launch in early July 2025 alongside the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic.
