Samsung has always tried to make its Galaxy phones easier to use. Now with One UI 7 (which runs on Android 15), the company added something really cool called Now Brief. It will tell you what you need to know, right when you need it. No more digging through apps to check the weather or see if you have meetings today. Let’s break down what this feature does, how to use it, and why it’s pretty awesome.

What Exactly Is Now Brief?

You pick up your phone in the morning, and right on the lock screen, you see a quick summary of your day. The weather, your next meeting, how many steps you took yesterday – all the stuff you actually care about. That’s Now Brief. Easy explanation, right?

This smart feature uses AI to collect information from apps you already use, like Samsung Calendar or Samsung Health, and puts it all in one simple view.

Here’s what it shows you:

• Current location weather (“It’s 75°F and sunny today”)
• Upcoming meetings or events from your calendar
• Your fitness stats, like how many steps you have walked
• Travel info or how long your travel will take
• Health insights like sleep patterns and energy levels
• Wallet reminders for expiring tickets, coupons, and important dates
• Missed calls and task reminders

The cool part? The information changes throughout the day. Morning might show the weather and your first meeting. Afternoon could remind you about lunch plans. Evening might show how close you are to your step goal.

Where you will see it: Now Brief appears on your lock screen in the Now Bar (it looks like a small pill-shaped widget). It’s basically like having a personal assistant who actually pays attention to what matters to you.

How to Set Up and Use Now Brief

It is really easy to get started. Here’s what you need to do:

Check if your phone works with it: Right now, you need a Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, or S25 Edge. These phones come with One UI 7 already installed.

Turn on the Now Bar:

1. Go to Settings, then Lock screen and AOD, then Now Bar
2. Switch on the Now Brief option
3. You can also enable other Now Bar features like live notifications and music controls

How to Access Now Brief

You can get to Now Brief in three different ways:

1. From the Lock Screen: Tap the Now Bar (that small pill-shaped widget) when Now Brief notifications appear
2. From the Home Screen: Add the Now Brief widget to your home screen and tap it
3. From the Edge Panel: Swipe left from the top right of your screen to open the Edge panel, then tap the Now Brief icon

How to Personalize Your Now Brief Content

This is where you make Now Brief work for you:

1. Open Settings and tap Galaxy AI
2. Tap Now Brief
3. Tap “Content to include”
4. Choose what you want to see – toggle on or off different types of content like:
   • Health info (sleep patterns, energy levels)
   • Wallet alerts (ticket expiration dates, coupons)
   • Events and tasks (upcoming meetings, missed calls)
   • Weather updates
   • Samsung Health fitness data
   • Calendar events and reminders

Extra Settings You Should Know About

Expand Now Brief without unlocking: Turn this on if you want to see full Now Brief details just by tapping the Now Bar on your lock screen (no PIN or fingerprint needed)

Active hours: Now Brief works between your wake-up time (default 6 AM) and bedtime (default 9 PM)

How It Actually Works

Once you have got it set up, Now Brief does its thing automatically. It watches what you do and shows you relevant info. For example:

• Got a 2 PM meeting? You might see a reminder around noon
• Tracking your steps? It could show “You’ve walked 5,000 steps today!”
• Have tickets expiring soon? You’ll get a wallet reminder
• Just tap the Now Bar on your lock screen to see more details

The best part? Once you set it up, it pretty much runs itself. The AI figures out what you need without you having to do much. Plus, all the AI processing happens right on your phone, so your data stays private and secure.

Which Phones Can Use It (And What’s Coming Next)

As of July 2025, Now Brief only works on the Galaxy S25 series. That means:

• Galaxy S25
• Galaxy S25+
• Galaxy S25 Ultra
• Galaxy S25 Edge

Now Brief is also available on some mid-range devices like the Galaxy A36 5G and A26 5G, but the Now Bar feature (where Now Brief appears on the lock screen) is limited to the S25 series.

Other Galaxy phones like the S24, Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6, and S23 are getting One UI 7 updates, but they don’t get Now Brief yet. Samsung says this is because Now Brief needs really powerful AI chips to work smoothly, and only the S25 phones have them right now.

What’s Coming with One UI 8

There could be some good news: Samsung will release One UI 8 this month, and many people think Now Brief will work on more phones then, including:

• Galaxy S24 series
• Galaxy S23 series
• Galaxy Z Fold and Flip phones
• Some mid-range phones like the Galaxy A56

Samsung hasn’t officially said which phones will get it, though. Some older or cheaper phones might miss out if they can’t handle the AI processing.

Why Only S25 Phones for Now?

Some Galaxy fans are annoyed that only the newest (and most expensive) phones get this feature. While Samsung might be trying to get people to buy new phones, it’s also true that Now Brief probably needs serious processing power to work well. Hopefully, One UI 8 will bring it to more devices soon.

How It Beats the Competition

Now Brief isn’t the first feature like this, but it does some things better than what Google and Apple offer:

Better Integration with Samsung Apps

Vs Google’s “At a Glance”: Google’s version shows similar info, but Now Brief works better with Samsung’s own apps like Samsung Health and Calendar

Why it’s better: Everything feels more connected when you are using Samsung apps

Smarter AI

Vs Apple’s Siri Suggestions: Apple mostly shows app shortcuts, but Now Brief gives you full summaries that change throughout the day

Why it’s better: It actually learns what you need and when you need it

Lock Screen That Actually Helps

Vs Apple’s Live Activities: Apple shows live updates from apps, but Now Brief gives you a broader view of your day

Why it’s better: You get both real-time updates and daily summaries in one place

Less Mess, More Useful

Unlike Google’s widgets or Apple’s lock screen stuff, Now Brief keeps things clean and simple. It doesn’t spam you with notifications – it just shows what matters.

Why it’s better: Perfect if you want helpful info without the chaos

Why Now Brief Actually Matters

Now Brief is genuinely useful because it saves you time. Instead of opening three different apps to check weather, calendar, and fitness stats, you get it all at once. It’s especially great for busy people who want their phone to actually help them instead of just sitting there.

The downside? If you don’t have a Galaxy S25, you are stuck waiting. But Samsung usually brings new features to older phones eventually, so there’s hope.

Samsung’s Now Brief is one of those features that actually makes your phone more helpful. Getting personalized updates about weather, meetings, and fitness right on your lock screen just makes sense. Sure, it’s only on the Galaxy S25 series right now, but One UI 8 will probably bring it to more phones later in 2025.

Compared to what Google and Apple offer, Now Brief stands out because it works really well with Samsung’s apps and the AI is genuinely smart about what you need.

Want to try it? If you have a Galaxy S25, go to Settings > Galaxy AI > Now Brief > Content to include, and customize what you want to see. Everyone else should keep checking Samsung’s website for One UI 8 news. This feature shows Samsung is actually thinking about how to make phones more useful in everyday life.

For the latest Samsung software update news and announcements, follow @SamsungSWUpdate on X.

Google has added a handy new feature, Scheduled Actions, to Gemini that makes it easier to stay organized and get things done on time. This new feature is now available on Android, iOS, and the web.

Scheduled Actions are available to users with Google AI Pro or AI Ultra subscriptions. Some Google Workspace business and education plans also include this feature.

What are Scheduled Actions?

The Scheduled Actions feature lets you set up tasks for Gemini to do at a specific time or on a regular schedule. To use it, just type a prompt like you normally would, and include when and how often you want it to run. Gemini will confirm the action and schedule it for you.

For example, you can ask Gemini to:

• Send you a daily calendar summary every morning,
• Give you weather updates with outfit ideas based on your wardrobe.
• Share a weekly list of new restaurants to try.
• Suggest blog ideas every Monday.
• Summarize a show or event the day after it happens.

Image via 9to5Google

You can have up to 10 active Scheduled Actions at a time. Each task runs within one hour of the time you set.

To view or manage your Scheduled Actions, you just need to follow a few easy steps. On Android or iOS, you just need to tap your profile picture, then go to Scheduled actions.

On the web, you have to click the side panel, then go to Settings & help, or visit gemini.google.com/scheduled. The web version gives you more control, like you can rename tasks, edit the prompt, or set it to run daily, weekly, or monthly. The Scheduled Actions feature is currently rolling out. Try it now!

Google is working on a new feature for its new digital assistant, Gemini, which could let you control smart home devices from your car. This means while driving, you may be able to turn off lights, adjust the thermostat, or check your home devices, all with your voice.

Right now, Google Assistant on Android Auto already lets you do a few smart home tasks. But Gemini is expected to replace Assistant and bring even more features. One of those could be full smart home control while you’re driving a vehicle.

A recent APK teardown of the Google app version 16.24.66 beta has revealed hints of a new feature in the works. It looks like Gemini could get a special extension that connects to Google Home, allowing it to control smart home devices straight from your car.

The code also says Gemini might use your home activity history and share chats with Google Home to improve the experience. This means Gemini will learn how you use your devices to make things easier and faster.

Google hasn’t officially announced this feature yet, but this is the first sign that it’s in the works. It’s expected that Gemini will eventually take over Google Assistant’s role in Android Auto, and this new smart home control is likely just the beginning.

If this feature launches, it could make life easier and safer. You won’t need to pick up your phone or use separate apps while driving, just talk to Gemini to manage things at home. Stay tuned.

Samsung Galaxy phones are getting smarter, thanks to the advanced features of the Galaxy AI. It is like a personal assistant in your pocket, which is designed to make your phone smarter and more helpful. For privacy and protection, Galaxy AI works with Samsung Knox Vault to keep your personal data safe.

As phones get smarter, they also collect more personal data. That’s why privacy is more important than ever. Samsung has built strong protection into every Galaxy device, starting with Samsung Knox Vault.

The Knox Vault is a super-secure safe inside your phone. It’s built into the hardware, not just software, so it can’t easily be broken into. It stores and protects your most sensitive information, like your passwords, PINs, fingerprints, and banking details. Even if someone tries to hack your phone, this data stays locked away and safe.

The best thing is you don’t have to set it up. Knox Vault is always working in the background to keep your info protected without you even noticing.

Samsung also gives you control over how your AI data is used. Some of it stays right on your phone, while other parts can be processed in the cloud with your permission. Also, Samsung Knox Matrix helps protect all your connected Galaxy devices.

As AI becomes an integral part of our everyday lives, it’s natural to worry about privacy. But with Galaxy AI and Samsung Knox Vault, you get the best as a phone that’s both smart enough to help you and secure enough to protect you.

Samsung is currently testing One UI 8 Beta on the Galaxy S25 series. It is expected that this major update will bring more Galaxy AI features to make your device even smarter.

Google has introduced a new feature, Search Live, in the Google app for Android and iOS. This feature lets you talk to Google Search like a conversation. It’s now available to more users in the US as part of Google’s AI Mode experiment in Labs.

With Search Live, you can ask Google questions by speaking out loud and get instant voice replies from its AI. It feels more like having a conversation than doing a regular search.

For example, you can say, “What’s a good phone under $500?” and the AI will give you a clear and helpful answer. You can also ask follow-up questions like “Does it have a good camera?” or “Where can I buy it near me?, without starting over, just keep chatting.

To try it, you just need to open the Google app and tap the new “Live” icon. Once you start talking, the AI responds with spoken answers and also shows links to useful websites so you can learn more if you’d like.

Image via Google

This feature is powered by a special version of Google’s Gemini AI. It’s designed to understand your questions and give helpful answers. Google also uses a technique called “query fan-out,” which means it searches many sources to give you a wide range of useful info.

In Search Live, you don’t lose your place if you switch apps. You can come back later, view a transcript of the conversation, and continue where you left off.

Right now, it doesn’t include the camera feature Google showed at I/O, where you can ask questions about things you’re pointing your camera at. But that’s coming soon. Stay tuned for more information.