Samsung is poised to elevate its One UI 8 experience by integrating a significant enhancement to its Live Notifications feature, thanks to the adoption of Android 16’s innovative “Live Updates” API. This advancement promises to broaden the horizons of third-party app support, allowing a wider array of applications to create live, ongoing notifications—a notable upgrade from the previous iteration, which was largely confined to Samsung’s own apps.
Expanding Notification Capabilities
Initially introduced with One UI 7, Live Notifications aimed to provide users with real-time updates on their lock screens and notification panels. However, the feature’s utility was somewhat limited due to its reliance on a select few applications. With the upcoming One UI 8 update, this limitation is set to change dramatically.
As One UI 8 builds on the foundation of Android 16, it can leverage the new Live Updates feature, which mirrors the functionality of Live Notifications but extends it to any compatible third-party app. Early glimpses of this feature have emerged from the One UI 8 beta, revealing its potential in action.
During Google I/O, it was confirmed that Samsung would incorporate Live Updates into its Now Bar, alongside existing Live Notifications. A brief animation showcased how an Uber Eats notification would appear when expanded from the Now Bar, providing a tantalizing preview of the enhanced user experience.
Following the release of One UI 8 Beta 3, tech enthusiasts noted the presence of a new developer option labeled “Live notifications for all apps.” Activating this option allowed Live Updates from compatible apps to surface in One UI’s status bar and Now Bar, akin to the existing Live Notifications. However, as of now, there are no publicly available apps that support Live Updates, necessitating the use of Google’s sample app for testing purposes.
While the feature remains in beta and is currently gated behind a developer option, it is anticipated that this will not be the case in the final stable release of One UI 8. Given Google’s confirmation of Samsung’s support for Live Updates, it would be unexpected for users to need to toggle a developer switch for the feature to function seamlessly.
As Samsung continues to refine its One UI offerings, the integration of broader notification capabilities signals a commitment to enhancing user experience and app interoperability, paving the way for a more dynamic interaction with mobile technology.
