New update is AWFUL. How to get rid of the Now bar??

[MistyMae19]

This new update required me to completely redo all of my settings. Many things are harder to use and to read such as the battery percentage because it is now a black spot with white text... the now bar is frustrating. Instead of having my media (Spotify) at the top of the notifications area, it is much smaller on the bottom with less options. Only certain widgets can be put on the lock screen with notifications and it is not one of them. They added another row of apps once again making things smaller and more compact. Does anyone at least know a way to get rid of the now bar?

EDIT: here is the link to give feedback!

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/contact/email-the-ceo/

[Stoptheupdates]

I came here looking for a resolution. I thought it was just me. This update ruined EVERYTHING!!

[Robin621k]

Go to settings, Now Bar, turn it off. When doing this you will only see the media player on the Quick Panel.
Media player is easily expanded by tapping on the left-hand side.

Screen grid size you can adjust by downloading the Goodlock app from the Galaxy Store, then installing the HomeUp module. There you can pick from 4×4 to 7x7 and anything in between.

[Fmaismylove]

The issue is, you didn't need to go extra steps before to do what you wanted to do. I don't want my media player minimized at the very BOTTOM of my screen and have to tap multiple times to access what I want to do. It was fine before, and the fact I can't, by choice, relocate it back to the middle of the screen and have my full controls available is annoying beyond all reason.

Glad I at least figured out how to move screen brightness back to the top now..

[MistyMae19]

If I disable now bar, then none of my "live notifications " show up anywhere on the lock screen like it used to. Confined to the access panel is stupid, and I have to do more steps to do what I could do just by turning on my screen before. It is a ridiculous addition, and I can't turn it off to go back to how it used to work PROPERLY before.

[Anonymous]

I think if you tap on the player in the now bar it will enlarge it. I know Samsung Music would do this when I had the media player on the now bar. I hated the fact that when I was on the home screen a medial shaped pill showed up at the top by the clock and only way to turn it off was turning off media player in Now bar settings. 

[Rogue1864]

I'm right there with you. The now bar was a total fail. I showed some family and friends how frustrating it is and they laughed, they're all iphone users. This just feels like an android miss and I'm looking forward to changing it back to something like it was in the past. 

[JoeDaAlien]

The new update changed so many settings 😡 I just want to go back @ It even changed my whole layout @ Im not happy with it at all!

[Takamano]

Yes. Now bar notification at the top is truly awful. Also please bring back the original media player info in Always on Display (at the center, just beneath the clock.)

[Robin621k]

Then use LockStar and put a widget on your lockscreen. It's quite simple actually. You will be able to control your music on your lockscreen, next song, previous song, play, pause. If you have extended unlock turned on, tap on the player, swipe up, and it will expand. If you don't have extended unlock on, you will have to use your finger print to open the music player of choice. It is one extra step that takes a millisecond. Horrors!