It has taken a while for the Android 15-based One UI 7 update to arrive. In fact, there are still several Galaxy devices waiting to receive it. Samsung took unexpected extra development time in a context where most major Android brands had already updated all their eligible phones months ago. That said, those who received the OTA are in for some pleasant surprises. One of the best One UI 7 improvements is the media playback controls available in AOD mode.

AOD (Always On Display) is a mode designed to allow our smartphone screens to display bits of useful information without turning on the screen, saving battery and extending the panel’s lifespan. The unique properties of OLED displays, which can individually turn off their pixels, make this feature possible. Over time, some manufacturers transformed the AOD into an interactive experience. That is, users could now access functions from this mode without unlocking the device.

One of the interactive AOD features that some manufacturers have adopted is media controls. For example, Google Pixels allow you to play, pause, or skip media while in AOD mode. Until now, One UI hadn’t adopted this option. Samsung only offered a non-interactive “show music information” feature for its Android custom skin. Fortunately, One UI 7 has resolved the issue by allowing you to control media playback while on AOD.

Samsung takes advantage of One UI 7’s Now Bar to enable this feature. You can now double-tap the playback controls in this widget to skip, play, or pause songs. Double-tapping the Now Bar media controls while on AOD won’t turn on the screen.

The best part is that the feature appears to be available for all devices running One UI 7. Samsung hasn’t reserved it for select models, as it does with some features. SamMobile tested the new option on a “humble” Galaxy A36, and it worked perfectly.