The Samsung Galaxy S25 lock screen keeps you in the loop on sports and directions

Comparing the display size on the Samsung Galaxy S25 with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • The Galaxy S25 series arrives with the Now Bar feature, a lock screen feature that keeps all your important updates in one place.
  • The Now Bar is your hub for entertainment, fitness tracking, navigation, and multilingual chats.
  • Parents can stay in control with Google Family Link, managing the Galaxy Watch 7 LTE for kids with features like contact approval, location tracking, and "school time" modes.

Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy S25 series, and it’s bringing something fresh to the table: the Now Bar. This new feature turns your lock screen into a handy hub for all the updates you actually care about.

Back in December, the company gave us a sneak peek at the Now Bar, showing it off as a go-to hub for everything from managing entertainment and tracking fitness to real-time navigation and easy multilingual chats.

The Now Bar seems like a win for sports fans, keeping you in the loop with key match updates from your favorite teams, all right on your lock screen.

"With a single glance at your phone, you'll know when a match is on and be able to follow live with scores and more," Google said in a blog post. "If you want to dive deeper, simply tap the card to get perspectives, stats and news on Google Search."

Now Bar on the Galaxy S25 lock screen

(Image credit: Google)

Google Maps in the Now Bar also makes staying on track super easy. Get quick directions on the fly and heads-up reminders, like when to head out for that appointment, traffic, and all.

Stay in sync with the Galaxy Watch for Kids

Additionally, Google's Family Link now makes it super easy for parents to manage Galaxy Watch 7 LTE smartwatches with the Galaxy Watch for Kids. From approving contacts and tracking the watch’s location to managing apps and setting school time modes, parents are in control without breaking a sweat.

Galaxy Watch for Kids experience

(Image credit: Google)

Starting today, users in the U.S. can get the update, with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon making sure it rolls out smoothly.

More AI goodies coming with the Galaxy S25 series

Along with the new Now Bar, Samsung's latest flagship phones pack new AI capabilities. You’ve got expanded AI Overviews for better visual search and quick one-tap actions in the Circle to Search interface.

Samsung is also rolling out new Gemini Extensions to boost productivity across its key apps. Now, you can easily sync Gemini with Samsung Reminder, Calendar, Notes, and Clock.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.