Samsung One UI 7 Copycat: Expert Analysis Reveals iOS-Mimicry Features Exposed

Samsung’s Android 15 Update Copies Features from iOS

Samsung has rolled out its latest software update, One UI 7, and it seems like they’ve been quite inspired by Apple’s recent changes. From a Now Bar and Live Notifications feature to a redesigned multitasking page, app icon sizes, and widget names – we’re seeing a plethora of iOS-like features coming to Samsung devices.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the ways in which One UI 7 is "borrowing" from its iOS counterpart, and while some of these changes are definitely familiar, we think they’re for the best.

‘Now Bar’ and ‘Live Notifications’

One of the most obvious iOS-inspired features in One UI 7 is the new "Now Bar" and "Live Notifications" feature. You’ll find these on your lockscreen, where the Now Bar shows ongoing tasks such as stopwatches, timers, music, and more. Meanwhile, Live Notifications inside the Now Bar can also show ongoing tasks in the status bar, with a tap revealing additional controls.

App Icon Sizes, Widget Names

Another area where One UI 7 has seemingly borrowed from iOS is the introduction of app icon sizes and widget names. iOS 18 gave users even more customization options for homescreen icons, and One UI 7 has also followed suit. Users can now show a name on widgets, just like in iOS, as well as turn off app names and change the size of app icons.

Redesigned Multitasking Page

One of the most explicit copies in One UI 7 is the newly designed multitasking page, which is nearly identical to what you’ll find on iOS. The layout and design are so similar it’s hard not to recognize the inspiration.

Separate Notification Tray and Quick Settings

Finally, One UI 7 has a separate notification tray and quick settings tray, a move that’s been adopted by many Android manufacturers, but one that’s also something Apple has been doing for several years.

Changes that Aren’t Coming from Apple

While many of these changes are indeed similar to those found on iOS, Samsung’s update overall has a lot of welcome changes that aren’t simply copying from Apple. The update brings a fresh interface, improved performance, and some genuinely innovative features of its own.

More Top Stories

From Samsung’s Android 15 Preview to Google’s QPR1 update and Pixel phones getting two more years of updates, we’ve had a lot of exciting announcements in the world of mobile technology this week. In our latest 9to5Google Weekender article, we take a deeper dive into the latest highlights and what they mean for Android users.

What do you think of One UI 7? Let us know in the comments.