Samsung’s best productivity app got better with One UI 8 and I can’t shut up about it

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.

A seamless menu for adding a new reminder

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.