Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR A new One UI 8 update for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 brings new features to Samsung DeX and the Now Bar.
DeX now supports home screen widgets, a dedicated full-screen button, pinning any app to the taskbar, and new keyboard settings.
The update also adds Google Finance stock alerts to the Now Bar and new “next” and “previous” media controls to Now Brief.
As the stable release of One UI 8 reaches more devices, Samsung DeX users are discovering major changes to the desktop experience. Samsung completely rebuilt DeX on top of Google’s Desktop Mode, and while this new version will be better in the long run, it’s currently a bit of a downgrade. Fortunately, Samsung is quickly addressing the most common complaints and is even adding features that weren’t available in the classic version of DeX.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. Find out more here.
A software update that rolled out for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 in South Korea last week is now available in the U.S. The update brings new features to Now Bar and Samsung DeX, most notably Google Finance integration and home screen widget support, respectively. With Google Finance in the Now Bar, you can receive stock alerts for major price changes at the end of the trading day.
Widget button in app context menu Widget picker Widgets on Samsung DeX home screen in One UI 8
But there’s more to the update than what the official changelog (reproduced below) says: Check stock prices without unlocking Stocks you follow on Google Finance with big price changes will appear on your Now bar at the end of the trading day
Do more in DeX on connected displays You can now add widgets to your Home screen when using DeX on a connected display as well as control settings for the mouse and on-screen keyboard.
Security The device is protected with improved security.
In addition to these changes, the latest One UI 8 update adds the following features to DeX on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7: The ability to add any app to the taskbar.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
New keyboard settings under Settings > Connected devices > Samsung DeX, which let you control where and when the on-screen keyboard appears.
Samsung DeX settings in One UI 8 Keyboard settings for Samsung DeX in One UI 8 On-screen keyboard location options in Samsung DeX in One UI 8
A dedicated full-screen button in the app header, offering a quick way to maximize a window.
Full screen button in app header Full screened window in Samsung DeX in One UI 8 Exit full screen button in app header
Samsung previously hid the full-screen option in a menu. While this button was added to the Galaxy S25 series in a beta update, it is only now arriving on the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7.
While the new DeX still needs a few features to reach parity with the classic version, we’re confident the gap will close soon. This is because Samsung is no longer alone in improving the experience; any improvements Google makes to Android’s native Desktop Mode should carry over to DeX, as Samsung rebuilt its platform on top of it. For example, DeX currently lacks the ability to disable mouse continuity between displays, but that should change in a future One UI release now that Google is adding this capability to Android.
Lastly, the update adds new media controls to Now Brief. Alongside the existing play/pause and close buttons, new “next” and “previous” buttons allow you to skip tracks during read-aloud playback. This doesn’t currently seem to work with controls from a Bluetooth headset, but hopefully that’s a feature Samsung adds in a future update.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
What do you think of Now Brief and Samsung DeX following this update? Let us know in the comments below!
Follow