Throughout the Samsung fan community, the most polarizing One UI element this year might be the quick panel. Samsung redesigned it with the release of One UI 6.0, and while I don't have a gripe with the new layout, I can see why some people dislike it, as it makes it a bit harder to reach quick toggles using one hand.
While I don't mind the look of the quick panel in 2024, I do have a big issue with one of its functions. It might be the most chaotic and unpredictable aspect of One UI, and I hope Samsung will address it with the release of the upcoming One UI 7.0 update. Here is what I mean.
Pressing and holding quick toggles is a gamble
Quick toggles in One UI have this hidden function that lets you press and hold a toggle to access more options. At least, ideally. But it doesn't always work the same, and it's the most unpredictable UX element I ever encountered in any OS — as far as I can recall.
Here's the issue. Across the entire array of quick toggles, the press-and-hold gesture can trigger one of three functions, and you never know which function a quick toggle hides unless you try all of them and memorize each one. Here are some examples.
- Pressing and holding some quick toggles (like Flashlight and Rotate) opens a dedicated pop-up menu with a blurred home screen in the background. You can go back from this menu to the quick toggle area by pressing the back nav key or swiping back if you use gestures.
- Pressing and holding other quick toggles opens up their Settings app menus instead of the blurred pop-up. If you press back (or use the back gesture) from these Settings menus, you will be taken to the home screen instead of the quick toggle area where you last were.
- Pressing and holding some toggles won't open a dedicated pop-up or Settings app menu but will launch the app associated with the toggle. Examples are Secure Folder and Shazam.
- In some cases, you get the same function whether you're tapping or holding a quick toggle. One example is Scan QR Code. Whether you tap or hold this toggle, it launches the QR code scanner.
In other words, you never know what you get from pressing and holding quick toggles, so I rarely even try using this feature nowadays. I can't be bothered memorizing what's behind every toggle like I'm playing a memory game.
On a positive note, I must underline that I do love One UI, generally speaking. I think it's the best UI for Android, and aside from a few occasional issues, the Samsung UI improved with each update. And in my opinion, the best changes in the history of One UI came after One UI 5.0.
It's probably why this quick toggle behavior sticks out like a sore thumb. It is unlike the rest of One UI in 2024 and almost feels like a bug. I have to wonder if Samsung planned out this UI behavior or if it's a mistake and Samsung has any plans to change how it works.
I, for one, am hoping the company will fix this problem with One UI 7.0. I'd go as far as to say that even removing the press-and-hold function for quick toggles altogether might be preferable to the chaos. What we have now doesn't cut it as top-tier UX design.
Samsung said One UI 7 will debut early next year, which means the company is taking a longer time to develop the update this time around. Expectations are high.
