There are Android phones and then there are Samsung Galaxy phones. Since the early days of Android, Samsung has done more to improve and improve its phones than any other phone maker, all in the unabashed pursuit of being the best-selling phone in the world. If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone you’re in good company, right from the first Galaxy S23 Ultra at the convenient Galaxy A54and you have a phone that can do a lot of things no other phone can.
Unfortunately, you probably don’t know many of these great features, so I’m here to update you on some of my favorite Samsung Galaxy shortcuts. These will work on a wide range of Galaxy devices, not just the more expensive oi best samsung phones. Most importantly, these are just a starting point. Once I point you in the right direction, if you keep exploring you’ll find more shortcuts and great features.
1. Open any app with the side key, not just the camera
- Open Settings: Advanced Features: Side Key
- Open the camera with a double press or choose any app
- Press and hold to talk to Bixby or open the power menu
One of my favorite shortcuts on Samsung phones that you won’t find on the best iPhone is the double tap on the power button. On Android phones that usually opens the camera but on Samsung Galaxy phones you can open any app you want by pressing the power button twice.
Open the Settings: Advanced features menu and look for side key settings. If you choose to open an app, you’ll get a list of all your apps the first time around. Next time, tap the settings gear to choose which app to open.
This is where you can disable Bixby if you like, but I highly recommend you give Samsung’s voice interface a shot. If you’d rather have an easy way to restart or shut down your phone, you can set the power button to give you that menu quickly. Otherwise, you have to hold down the power and volume down key to get the reboot option. Or you can just ask Bixby to restart, which brings me to my next tip.
2. Bixby is the ultimate shortcut, seriously
- Bixby isn’t a voice assistant, it’s a voice interface
- This means it can do almost everything on your phone
- If you don’t know how to do something, tell Bixby
These are shortcuts for Galaxy fans, and if you’re not embracing Bixby, you’re not getting the most out of your phone. Bixby isn’t like that silly Siri on your friend’s iPhone. Unlike Siri, Bixby is actually useful as a shortcut to everything on your phone.
I use Bixby whenever I don’t feel like opening the Settings menu because Bixby is very good with Settings. Do you know how to activate your Wi-Fi hotspot? Can I quickly turn on wireless power sharing? Don’t worry. Just ask Bixby.
You don’t even need to pronounce its name. Just press and hold the side button and say “Turn on my Wi-Fi hotspot” or “Turn on wireless power sharing.” Bixby will take you to the right place. Sure, you can explore the settings menu or search from the top of Settings, but Bixby is always faster.
3. Hidden quick setting buttons are hidden shortcuts
- Swipe down from the home screen to open the Notifications area
- Scroll again to see the full grid of Quick Settings buttons
- Swipe left, then tap the “+” button to find all the hidden buttons
Quick settings have been a mainstay of Android phones, an easy way to turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other settings. The quick settings grid is also a great place to hide shortcuts, and every Android phone manufacturer includes unique features that you can activate using the quick settings buttons.
On Samsung phones, you can add Quick Settings buttons for Kids mode, so you can quickly switch to a kid-friendly screen before handing over the phone. You can activate the secure folder from the quick settings and activate focus modes such as Theater mode.
Best of all, if you want to dig deeper, simply hold your finger on any Quick Settings button and your Galaxy phone will take you to the appropriate menu. Press and hold the Wi-Fi button and you’ll get a complete list of all Wi-Fi networks and settings. Press and hold on the flashlight quick settings and you can change the brightness of the flashlight.
4. Hide apps you never need to see
- Open Settings: Home screen settings: Hide apps on Home and App screens
- Hide apps you need but don’t use, like the Gboard keyboard
- Get rid of the Samsung and carrier apps that can’t be deleted
Sometimes just cleaning up is its own shortcut. If you can remove all the apps you don’t need from the Apps screen, you can find your favorite apps faster. Some apps need to be loaded on your phone, but they don’t need to be visible on your home screen. You can’t delete these apps, but you don’t need their icons lying around and taking up space.
I’m talking about apps like Gboard, the Google keyboard that comes loaded on most Galaxy phones. You probably don’t need to tap the app icon after you start using the keyboard, as you can access the settings directly from the keyboard itself. You can simply hide this app.
Unfortunately, there are also apps from Samsung or your wireless carrier that you don’t want and can’t remove. Samsung or your carrier made them impossible to get rid of. I used to create a Junk Drawer folder to hold all these useless apps but now I hide them from settings instead.
5. Use your voice to take clearer photos
- Open the camera, then camera settings: shooting methods
- Activate voice commands (or change the function of the volume keys in the camera)
- Say “Cheese” or “Shoot” to take a photo
The biggest problem with your smartphone photos is one you didn’t know you had. Your hand shakes the phone. Just tap the shutter button to take the photo, you’ve tapped the phone and moved it a bit. When I need to get the sharpest, most stable shot possible, I don’t touch the screen. I say “cheese” instead.
Or I say “shoot” or “smile” or “capture”. Then my Galaxy phone takes the picture without me touching the screen. I could also set a timer, but the voice commands are very quick and responsive and I can get some shots done in seconds by saying “cheese” over and over.
6. Make your own GIFs using the camera
- Open camera, then camera settings: swipe the camera button to…
- Choose to create a GIF or take a burst photo
- Leave it to GIF, it’s more fun than burst photos
Have you ever searched for the perfect GIF and wondered, “Who does all these awesome things?” The answer is now you. Create GIFs quickly and easily with your Galaxy phone’s camera. Who knows, if you make the hottest GIF of the season, you might see it everywhere!
To create a GIF, point the camera at something GIF-worthy and drag the shutter button instead of tapping it. One tap takes a photo, but dragging and holding the button will record a GIF until you let go.
Once you’ve created your GIF, you can even edit your own animation on your phone. Open the GIF in the Gallery just like any other photo and tap the Edit button, which looks like a pencil. You can trim the length or even remaster the animation to make it smoother. Sure, it’s easy to share GIFs from your phone, just like sharing any photo.
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