Samsung makes some of the best Android phones around, but it has been a bit stubborn when it comes to offering certain basic customization options in its One UI software. For the longest time, scrolling through apps in the app drawer could only be done horizontally, and there was no way to change this other than using a third-party launcher or Good Lock. Vertical scrolling feels more natural in my opinion, and is the layout most other manufacturers choose to go with.
Finally, after years of wanting this feature, Samsung has given users a choice in One UI 7. If you’ve bought one of the latest Galaxy S25 phones or have updated your older phone to One UI 7, here’s how you can change to a vertical scrolling app drawer.
1. Unlock your phone and open the app drawer.
2. Tap the three vertical dots in the Search box at the bottom, and choose Sort.
3. Tap Alphabetical order.
4. That’s it! Your app drawer has been switched to vertical scrolling. When doing it the first time, you’ll see an overlay message alerting you to the change in swiping style.
Do more with One UI 7 on your Samsung phone
One UI 7 is the latest smartphone software from Samsung, and it comes pre-installed on the Galaxy 25 series. The interface gets a tweaked design, and there are more Galaxy AI features to play with, some exclusive to the S25 series. The official rollout of One UI 7 for older devices has hit a bit of a snag and didn’t make it as promised in the first quarter of 2025. Samsung is still issuing new beta versions of One UI 7 for Galaxy S24 owners as we wait for the final build in early April.
There’s not much anyone can do about it, but wait for it. Releasing software updates is hard, especially when you’re Samsung and have more than a hundred models, each with its own variants based on where it’s sold in the world. Plenty of due diligence is needed to make sure everything works across its entire portfolio, and rushing a half-baked update will only make things worse.
New features in One UI 7 that you can expect to arrive on older flagship Samsung phones include Now Bar and Now Brief. Now Bar sits at the bottom of your lockscreen and shows you updates on ongoing activities like music that’s playing, live notifications, timers, and more. Now Brief on the other hand offers more detailed personalized briefings based on relevant information. Other features that will cross over include cross-app action, Audio Eraser, Auto Trim, and AI Drawing Assist.
The absolute best
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is currently the hero offering from Samsung for 2025. Compared to the previous model, it has a larger display, better ultrawide camera, and is lighter.