For years, Samsung’s native Reminders app was a solid yet often overlooked productivity tool — a simple utility that got the job done without much fanfare.
However, Samsung has changed the conversation with the latest Android 16-based One UI 8 update.
If you, like me, have long dismissed the native app in favor of third-party alternatives, get ready to be surprised. The new Samsung Reminders app is the hidden MVP of One UI 8, and I can’t stop talking about how much better it is.
A massive UI overhaul
When I first launched the updated Samsung Reminders app in One UI 8, the visual difference immediately blew me away. It’s a total overhaul.
The first, and most satisfying, change I noticed was the ditching of the old, clunky hamburger menu on the left. That thing always felt like a dead-end, hiding important options.
Instead, Samsung has put everything important right in my line of sight with a new, streamlined design. My core categories, like Today, Scheduled, and Important, are now immediately accessible as small, glanceable cards at the top of the homepage.
I can see exactly what needs my attention at a single glance, eliminating the need to dig into a hidden menu to see if I missed something. It feels like a single, cohesive dashboard now.
Here’s a beautiful piece of thoughtful design: If I ever feel like those category cards are taking up too much screen space at the top, I can tap the arrow button and they shrink instantly. It cleans up the view and gives me more room for my actual task list.
I want Samsung to implement such thoughtful design changes across all the core One UI apps.
Reminder suggestions
This is where the new Reminders app starts to feel like a modern, intelligent assistant, not just a static app.
In One UI 8, when I scroll down, I see a section called “Try these out.” Right now, it offers handy, pre-built templates, like a Workout schedule or a Pickup reminder.
These presets are brilliant. I can tap one, see that it’s already filled with smart details like a location or a basic time, and save it instantly or customize it further.
It’s a quick shortcut to creating complex reminders without any friction.
However, I see this feature as the perfect launching pad for Galaxy AI. This is where Samsung can take the app from being merely “smart” to truly proactive.
I imagine a future where the app quietly learns my patterns from the location, fitness activity, and more.
I’m just speculating, but I hope Samsung implements AI-based prompts and templates in the future One UI updates.
One of the biggest frustrations with the older Reminders app was the sheer number of taps it took just to log a simple task.
That headache is completely gone in the One UI 8 update. For me, this is the core of the frictionless entry design.
Now, when I want to create a new reminder, I tap the input field at the bottom, and the entire task-creation toolkit appears right there, instantly accessible on my screen.
I love that all my options are quick buttons, where I can add a checklist instantly for a quick grocery run, attach a screenshot or photo with one tap (perfect for remembering a specific item I saw online), and even set a date and time, and other details.
Overall, filling out the task is no longer a chore. Everything I need to turn an idea into a fully detailed, categorized, and scheduled task is available right at my fingertips.
It’s a huge time-saver and makes using the native app feel intuitive and fast — exactly what a productivity tool should be.
Suppose I’m on the bus home when I remember I need to pick up three specific items for dinner, but I also need to coordinate with my partner.
I can open Reminders, start typing “Dinner prep for Pizza,” and add a checklist button to add Cheese, Tomatoes, Coke, and more. I tap the Location button, set it to remind me when I arrive at the grocery store, and assign the Home & Errands category to the same.
In the old app, that was a minimum of five screen navigations. In One UI 8, it’s all done in one fluid sequence at the bottom of the screen.
Fly through your tasks
Featuring a completely redesigned interface with accessible category cards, seamless integration with the Calendar app, and a streamlined process for adding reminders, this update is one of the biggest and quality-of-life improvements in the Reminders app.
It seamlessly vanishes into the background of my daily routine, yet is always there when I need it. This level of polished, first-party integration with the core Galaxy experience, from the Calendar to the Lock Screen, is unmatched by third-party apps.
If Samsung Reminders doesn’t work for you or if you have a non-Galaxy device, check out TickTick. It is a robust third-party solution that goes beyond task management and works on every device.
