TL;DR
- The One UI 8.5 beta introduces a new capability to Now Bar on your Galaxy phone.
- Now Bar can now show missed call notifications.
Now Bar, a widget that gives you quick access to live information and app controls on your lockscreen, was introduced in One UI 7. Since its debut, Samsung has added to its capabilities, like showing win probabilities of sports matches and support for Commute from Google. It appears that One UI 8.5 will make Now Bar even more useful.
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It looks like you caught the latest buzz about One UI 8.5 and the Now Bar!
Since the Now Bar first debuted in One UI 7, it’s been a bit of a “wait and see” feature—helpful for music and timers, but missing some of the most basic, glanceable information. According to the latest leaks from the One UI 8.5 beta (currently being tested on the S25 series), Samsung is finally filling those gaps with Missed Call integration.
Here is the breakdown of that “should’ve been there” function and a few other upgrades coming to the bar:
The Big One: Missed Call Alerts
For a long time, the Now Bar ignored calls once they stopped ringing. In One UI 8.5, it finally earns its keep:
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The Function: If you miss a call, a dedicated pill will appear in the Now Bar at the bottom of your lock screen and Always-On Display.
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The Benefit: You no longer have to squint at the tiny icons in the status bar or swipe down the notification shade to see who you missed. It shows the contact info and, in some versions of the leak, an “Instant Call Back” button you can trigger without fully unlocking.
Alarm & Timer Precision
While we had basic timers before, One UI 8.5 is reportedly adding full Alarm support:
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The Function: When an alarm is about to go off, the Now Bar will surface a “Upcoming Alarm” card.
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The “Finally” Part: You can Snooze or Dismiss an active alarm directly from the Now Bar. It’s a much cleaner interface than the giant full-screen alarm that usually takes over your phone.
Flashlight “Status” Card
We’ve all accidentally left our flashlight on in our pocket. One UI 8.5 adds a Flashlight active card to the Now Bar. It makes it impossible to ignore that the torch is on and gives you a one-tap button to kill it immediately.
When Will You See It?
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Galaxy S26 Series: This will be the “launch” software (One UI 8.5 / Android 16) out of the box when the phones hit shelves in early March 2026.
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Galaxy S25 & S24: The beta is active now for the S25. Stable rollouts for previous flagships are expected to begin around April 2026.
It really feels like Samsung is trying to make the Now Bar a functional rival to Apple’s Dynamic Island—moving away from “Now Brief” weather fluff and toward actual, actionable utility.