Galaxy S7 Guides

Galaxy S7  camera (and Galaxy S7 edge camera) is good for taking selfies. And Samsung allows you to use your voice, gesture, or heart rate monitor to take selfie in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

This Galaxy S7 camera guide will show you how to use 5 different shooting methods to take selfie.

How to switch to front camera to take selfie in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

When you start camera app, by default, the rear camera is active.

Although you can take selfie with rear camera, most Galaxy S7 owners prefer front camera for selfies because you can preview the selfie when using front camera.

To switch to front camera, as explained in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen page, you can tap the switch button as shown below (marked as 1).

If front camera is active, you can use the same button to switch to rear camera.

By default, selfie mode is active after switching to front camera. You can find the selfie mode icon as shown in the screenshot below (marked as 2). You can change the settings for selfie mode by tapping this icon.

To take selfie, you can just tap the camera shutter button.

But it is usually inconvenient to tap the camera button when taking selfies. So, you may want to use other shooting methods to take selfie.

To manage different shooting methods to take selfie in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, tap the settings button as shown below (marked as 3).

How to enable and manage different shooting methods to  take selfie on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

In camera settings page as shown above, tap Shooting methods (front) to manage shooting methods for the front camera.

If you have the option of Shooting methods (rear), it means the rear camera is active. You need to switch to front camera.

As shown in the screenshot below,  in addition to tapping the shutter button, there are 4 additional shooting methods to take selfie on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

You can turn on or turn off them individually by tapping the corresponding switch as shown below.

How to use 5 different shooting methods to take selfie on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

In total, there are 5 shooting methods for the front camera in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

1. Tap the shutter button to take selfie

Shutter button (camera icon) is always visible in the Galaxy S7 camera preview screen.… Read the rest

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Purpose of Galaxy S7 Guides community

It is time to talk about Samsung Galaxy S7, which will be announced just in a few weeks in early 2016.

Will Galaxy S7 be the best Android phone in 2016?

Will Galaxy S7 save Samsung in 2016?

Is Galaxy S7 the right smartphone for you?

How to use the new features in Galaxy S7?

All these will be answered in this Galaxy S7 Guides community. At least, we will try to answer all of them.

If you are familiar with us, you probably already know that we have created many high-quality guides for Samsung smartphone and tablet in following sites already:

• Galaxy S4 (for Samsung Galaxy S4 owners)
• Galaxy S5 (for Samsung Galaxy S5 owners)
• Galaxy S6 (for Samsung Galaxy S6 owners)
• Galaxy Note series devices (for Samsung Galaxy  Note devices owners, including Galaxy note, Note II, Note 3, Note 4, Note 5, Note 10.1, Note 8.0, Note Pro)

So, this Galaxy S7 Guides community  is a natural expansion of our efforts of offering best quality guides for Galaxy S7 owners.

It is a community for Galaxy S7 owners to help Galaxy S7 owners.

Please note, this site/blog/community is NOT affiliated to Samsung. Please contact Samsung for any warranty issues or for requesting official technical support of Galaxy S7.

What will be offered in Galaxy S7 Guides community

As a blog dedicated offering detailed Galaxy S7 guides for all Galaxy S7 owners, the following contents are offered in  Galaxy S7 Guides community:

• Official Samsung Galaxy S7 User Guide (PDF)

You can find the official Galaxy S7 user guide (user manual) in your own languages. All these official Galaxy S7 user manuals are in PDF format and are free to download and print.

• Galaxy S7 How-to guides

High-quality Galaxy S7 how-to guides are the core of the community.

The detailed step-by-step Galaxy S7 guides will show you how to use some important features of Galaxy S7, or to change/customize certain settings on your Galaxy S7.

• Galaxy S7 online manual

You can find the HTML (and extended) version of Galaxy S7 user manual (Galaxy S7 user guide) for all Galaxy S7 owners. Most commonly used Galaxy S7 features are explained, and the usage are shown in detail.

• Galaxy S7 camera guide

Galaxy S7 has the best smartphone camera you can get in 2016.  Samsung Galaxy S7 camera guide will show you how to use the Galaxy S7 camera.… Read the rest

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Why you should back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge regularly?

Samsung Galaxy S7 (or S7 edge) is an electronic device. This means it may fail at any time!

Even if your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge is still under warranty, or if you bought extended warranty for your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, only the “phone” is insured.

Your data are NOT protected. You can get a replacement of Galaxy S7 (or S7 edge). But your data may be not recovered/restored.

Actually, there are no warranty plans for your data on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge currently.

This is why you should back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge regularly.

It is your responsibility to back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge so that you can restore them in case the phone is lost, or is reset, or replaced.

Anyway, backup is about your data.

Luckily, most of your data in Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge) can be automatically backed up to the cloud.

Of course, you should always keep a local copy of your Galaxy S7 backup data.

What cannot be backed up in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Before I show you how to back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge manually or automatically, you should know some items generally cannot be backed up including:

• Account password. When you back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, account (e.g., Google account, Samsung account, Facebook account…) passwords cannot be backed up.
• Lock screen security and smart lock settings. When you restore a phone from a backup, it should NOT modify your lock screen security settings. And in Galaxy S7 backup, lock screen security and smart lock settings are NOT included.
• Some app data. Not all app data can be backed up. This is app-dependent. Some apps can be fully backed up, a few may not.

How to manually back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

The best way to manually back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is using Samsung’s Smart Switch on your PC.

As discussed in this guide, you can use Smart Switch to transfer data from old phone to Galaxy S7 or S7 with or without a PC.

But to manually back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge with Smart Switch, you need a PC.

Actually, if the data in your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge are important for you, you should regularly back up Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge and keep at one copy locally.… Read the rest

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The screen resolution of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 is WQHD (2560*1440). But this does not mean the phone always works on this resolution after you applied the Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

The new default screen resolution in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is FHD 1080p

After you got the long-awaited Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you may not notice the default screen resolution is actually Full HD 1080p (1920*1080).

Does it mean Android Nougat cannot handle WQHD?

Of course, not. Samsung scaled down the screen resolution of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in Android Nougat update to full HD because most users do not need WQHD for most apps and tasks.

In Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you can actually set the screen resolution to HD 720p, or 1080p (full HD), or 1440p (WQHD).

Some performance modes can also adjust screen resolution of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge automatically.

But the default screen resolution of 1080p probably is a good start point for most users.

Why Samsung scaled down the screen resolution in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

The purpose of scaling down the screen resolution to full HD 1080p in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is to save battery.

When you have more pixels (i.e., higher resolution) to light up, you need to use more power.

For full HD, it requires about 2 million pixels. For WQHD (1440*2560), it requires about 3.7 million pixels.

So a rough estimation shows scaling back to full HD can save about 45% battery from the screen.

Is full HD resolution enough for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

You may wonder whether this affects the “performance” of the screen.

The short answer is that for most owners, they cannot see any difference when the screen resolution was scaled down to full HD.

Human eyes always have a hard limit. Usually, when you hold your device 5 to 10 inches away from your eyes, human eyes cannot differentiate pixel density difference if the pixel density is higher than 300-400 ppi.

For Galaxy S7, the pixel density based on hardware specs, is about 577ppi. Galaxy S7 edge has a pixel density of about 534ppi.

If the screen resolution is scaled down to 1080p,  even Galaxy S7 edge still has a pixel density of about 400ppi.… Read the rest

The post How to change screen resolution of Galaxy S7 and S7 after Android Nougat update? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

With the release of Samsung Galaxy S7 Android Nougat update, new features and improvements were introduced in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge running Android Nougat 7.0.

Hence, you need these updated official user manual for Galaxy S7 with Android Nougat update.

The updated official user manuals in this page cover both Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge with Android Nougat update.

If your Galaxy S7 is still running Marshmallow, you should check these Galaxy S7 user manuals in your own languages.

If your Galaxy S7  edge is still running Marshmallow, you should check these Galaxy S7 edge user manuals in your own languages.

For detailed how to guides for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge with Android Nougat update, please check  Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update guides.

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 User Manual with Android Nougat update in English language for International versions (Android Nougat 7.0, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia, SM-G930)

This English version of Galaxy S7 User Manual is for Samsung Galaxy S7 sold in Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia with Android Nougat 7.0. The model number of the corresponding  Galaxy S7 includes SM-G930, SM-G930F, SM-G930FD, SM-G930X.

If you cannot find the Galaxy S7 User Manual with Android Nougat udpate for your Galaxy S7, you can try  this user guide.

Download link (in PDF): Samsung Galaxy S7 User Manual  with Android Nougat update in English for International versions (Android Nougat 7.0, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia)

2. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge User Manual with Android Nougat update in English language for International versions (Android Nougat 7.0, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia, SM-G935)

This English version of Galaxy S7 edge User Manual is for Samsung Galaxy S7 edge sold in Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia with Android Nougat 7.0.  The model number of the corresponding  Galaxy S7 includes SM-G935, SM-G935F, SM-G935FD, SM-G935X, SM-G935C.

If you cannot find the Galaxy S7  edge user manual with Android Nougat udpate for your Galaxy S7 edge, you can try  this user guide.

Download link (in PDF): Samsung Galaxy S7 edge User Manual with Android Nougat update in English language for International versions (Android Nougat 7.0, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia, SM-G935)

3. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge User Manual with Android Nougat update in Brazilian Portuguese (Português do Brasil) (Android Nougat 7.0, Brazil)

This Brazilian Portuguese (Português do Brasil) version of Galaxy S7 edge user manual is for Samsung Galaxy S7 edge sold in Brazil with Android Nougat 7.0.… Read the rest

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What is Samsung Galaxy S7 recovery mode?

Like all other Android phones, Galaxy S7 also has its own Galaxy S7 recovery mode. When you boot your Galaxy S7, there are at least 3 possible boot up options:

• boot into normal Android system.
• boot into bootloader. For Samsung Galaxy S7, it is download mode. For most other Android phones or tablets, it is fastboot mode.
• boot into Galaxy S7 recovery.

By default, Galaxy S7 boots into Android system and you can use the device. Other modes require special button combinations when booting up.

Recovery mode is for Android device owners to reset the device, to apply updates from zip file or through ADB, to wipe cache partitions, to reboot into boot loader, or to mount file systems.

Each Android vendor may put slightly different features in recovery mode. There are also some third-party recoveries for Galaxy S7, for example, TWRP.

This guide is written for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. But it also applies to other Samsung devices with Android Lollipop or later.

How to reboot into Galaxy S7 recovery mode?

By default, after you hold power button for a few seconds, Galaxy S7 should reboot normally into lock screen.

To reboot into Galaxy S7 recovery mode, you may follow these steps:

Step 1: Power off Galaxy S7

You need power off Galaxy S7 if you want to enter Samsung Galaxy S7 recovery mode.

To power off Galaxy S7, you can use power button options.

As shown below, when Galaxy S7 is on, hold power button for 1-3 seconds to get power button options.

Tap Power off, then confirm the action by tapping Power off again to power off Galaxy S7.

Step 2: Hold volume up button, Home button, then power button together

When Galaxy S7 is powered off

1. hold volume up button;
2. without releasing volume up button, hold Home button. Now you should hold two buttons.
3. without releasing the two buttons, hold Power button. Now you should hold three buttons.

It should take less than 3 seconds for the screen to light up.

Step 3: Release all buttons

After the screen lights up, you may hold the three buttons for another 2-3 seconds. Then release all three buttons.

Before you reach the Galaxy S7 recovery menu, the phone screen may shows “applying updates….” and a splash of a dead Android.

You just wait a few seconds, and eventually, the phone will reboot into Galaxy S7 recovery mode with the following recovery menu screen.… Read the rest

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Galaxy S7 Guides community@GadgetGuideOnline (GGO) likes to hear from you! You cam share your thoughts, questions, recommendations on Galaxy S7 in comments page of corresponding Galaxy S7 guides.

You can also reach us with the contact us form below.

Please note, this Galaxy S7  Guides community is NOT affiliated to Samsung in any way.

If you have any warranty issues on your Samsung Galaxy S7, please contact local Samsung service center.  You can also find the Samsung  service center information in the warranty card in your Galaxy S7 box.

If you have any specific problems with Galaxy S7, please check our Galaxy S7 how-to guides and Galaxy S7 online manual.

Very likely, the problem has been addressed in the guides or in the comments. If not, posting your questions in the comments usually let you get faster reply from other members or from us.

You can also read and download official Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual in your languages (in PDF format) and Galaxy S7 edge user manual in your own language.

You can also post any Galaxy S7 problems in our Facebook page.

We will try to answer your email as early as we can. But the reply usually is slower than answering questions in comments or in our Facebook page.

In addition, many other Galaxy S7 owners may help you find a solution if you post questions in comments section or Facebook page. So, we encourage you to post specific questions in comments section of relevant guide pages.

Please note, our reply cannot reach following email providers: Microsoft (Outlook, Hotmail) and AOL. Please try to use Google Mail (GMail).

Again, you may get faster reply through comments box in relevant pages.

Want to learn how to use Samsung Galaxy S7? Check our Galaxy S7 how-to guides page.

Want to download official Galaxy S7 user manual (Galaxy S7 user guide) in your own languages? Check Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual page.… Read the rest

The post Contact Us appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge is the unique feature that differs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge from normal Samsung Galaxy S7. It allows you to access your favourite apps, tasks, contacts, and more from various edge panels.

Compared to Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S7 edge offers a polished edge screen.  It can be very useful even for ordinary users.

Please note, Edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge is a software feature. The curved screen is not a requirement for such a feature. Technically, any Android vendors can implement similar features on any Android phones.

But Samsung only implemented edge screen feature in edge variants of the phones.

Please note, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, and Galaxy Note 9 all have similar edge screen features. So this guide applies to all Galaxy S phones and Galaxy Note phones newer than Galaxy S7.  For Galaxy S9 and S9+, you may check this guide.

How to access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge?

You can access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge no matter the screen is on or off.

But the edge screen features you can access when the screen is off are different from those when the screen is on.

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is off

When the screen is off, you can only view edge feeds including notifications in the edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge.

When the screen is off (no matter Galaxy S7 always-on display is on or off), you can quickly swipe your finger along the edge screen in one direction, and then back in the opposite direction.

In other words, you can swipe  “V” or “^” in the edge of the screen to wake up edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge as shown below.

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is on

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is on, you can find the edge handle as shown in Galaxy S7 home screen.

If the edge panel handle is not visible, you can go to  Settings — Edge screen — Edge panels, and then tap the switch to activate edge panel handle.

To access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge when the screen is on, you can drag the edge panel handle towards the centre of the screen. Then, swipe to the left or right to switch between the Edge panels as shown below.… Read the rest

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What is Galaxy S7 lock screen?

Galaxy S7 lock screen is the door between the phone and outside world.

To avoid unauthorized access to your private data saved on Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you should consider to lock the door (set lock screen security).

Essentially, Galaxy S7 lock screen is a security feature that:

• blocks unauthorized access to the phone.
• avoids inadvertent tapping the phone.

Together with Galaxy S7 Home screen, Apps screen, Galaxy S7 lock screen is one of the most essential components of using Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.

As shown below,  in Galaxy S7 lock screen, by default, there are at least 5 components:

1. Clock.
2. Notifications. You can choose whether notifications are shown on the lock screen, and how they are shown.  Please read on for how to customize notifications in Galaxy S7 lock screen.
3. App shortcut in bottom left. The app shortcut can be customized: you can turn it off or choose your own apps instead of the default phone app. Please read on for how to customize app shortcuts in Galaxy S7 lock screen.
4. App shortcut in bottom right. You can also fully customize this app shortcut.
5. Help message telling you how to unlock the lock screen. If you swipe in any direction, you can then unlock Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge (if lock screen security is set as swipe) or enter password/PIN/pattern depending on your lock screen security settings (read on).

How to lock and unlock Galaxy S7 lock screen

You can lock the screen in different ways:

• When screen is on, press power button once. This will turn off the Galaxy S7 screen and lock it.
• When screen is off (for example, display timeouts because of inactivity), screen will be locked automatically.

To unlock Galaxy S7 lock screen, you need:

1. Turn on the Galaxy S7  screen.  You can press Power button or Home button to turn on Galaxy S7 screen.
2. Swipe your finger across the Galaxy S7 lock screen to unlock it.
3. If you have set up a Galaxy S7 screen lock, you will be prompted to draw the pattern, enter the password or PIN, or scan your fingerprint

Some apps can also turn on the screen.

You can also use smart lock to keep phone unlocked when Galaxy S7 or S7 edge is connected to certain accessories, or in certain locations.

How to set Galaxy S7 lock screen security?

… Read the rest

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Galaxy S7 SIM card slot is identical to that of Galaxy S7 edge. This guide applies to both Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, although Galaxy S7 is mentioned most of the time.

What is Galaxy S7 SIM card size?

Galaxy S7 SIM card allows you to connect to carrier’s and its partner’s mobile network to use voice service and mobile data services.

So, although you can use most features of Galaxy S7 through WiFi without installing SIM card for Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you cannot use any mobile network related features before you install Galaxy S7 SIM card.

SIM card are always issued by your carrier, NOT Samsung. You should get SIM card for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge from your carrier (your phone company)

There are 4 different sizes for SIM card for smartphones from big to small:

1. Full-size SIM. it is hard to find one unless you have a phone that is more than 15 years old.
2. Mini-SIM. Mini-SIM usually is referred as “big” or “normal” SIM card in some countries. Again, it is seldom used for today’s smartphones.
3. Micro-SIM. Micro SIM is still the most popular size of SIM card for smartphones. Most middle range and budget smartphones are using micro SIM card.
4. Nano-SIM. This is the smallest SIM card for smartphone today. It is usually used in most flagship smartphones.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge use nano SIM card. In other words, Galaxy S7 SIM card size is nano SIM (4FF).

Here is a list of some popular phones using nano SIM card: Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S+, iPhone 6, iPhone 6+, iPhone 5, Moto X (including  all generations) and many more. If you have any of these phones, the SIM card is interchangeable with Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

If you own a Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Note 4 or earlier Samsung devices, micro SIM card is normally used, and therefore, you cannot use the existing SIM card for Galaxy S7.

You should get official nano SIM card from your carrier. Do NOT try to trim the SIM card by yourself.

Galaxy S7 SIM card tray and Galaxy S7 edge SIM card tray

Galaxy S7 SIM card tray has 2 slots as shown below. Slot 2 is bigger than  slot 1.

Slot 1 is always for a nano SIM card.… Read the rest

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What is Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings page?

Samsung tried hard to make sure that Galaxy S7 camera is simple to use.  You can launch the camera app quickly thorough quick launch.  You also get a very clean Galaxy S7 camera app interface (preview screen).

For most Galaxy S7 or S7 edge owners, what you need do is to point and tap the shutter button.

But some times, some settings cannot be done in the Galaxy S7 camera preview screen. It is simply impossible to squeeze all settings into the preview screen.

So, for some settings, you have to set them in Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings page.

Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings for rear camera  are slightly different from those for front camera. This guide will try to cover both rear (main) camera settings and front (front-facing, secondary) camera settings.

Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings for rear camera

You can access Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings for rear camera by:

1. Launch camera app in Galaxy S7 or S7 edge. You have at least 4 different ways (including quick launch) to launch Galaxy S7 camera app as shown in this page.
2. In Galaxy S7 camera preview screen, make sure rear camera is using. If front camera is active, tap the switch button to switch to rear camera.
3. Tap Settings icon in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen.

You will get Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings for rear camera as shown below.

Among these settings, if there is a switch in the right side, you can turn on or turn off the feature. For those without a switch, you can tap it to set it accordingly in a pop out window.

As shown above, you can find the following entries in Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings for rear camera.

1. Video size (rear)

You set the resolution and frame rate of the videos to be taken. High resolution or high frame rate will make your video look better, but they require more storage.

You need set this before recording the video.

Please read this guide on recommendations to set video size and photo size for Galaxy S7 camera in different scenarios

2. Motion photo

Motion photo is a new feature in Galaxy S7. Before pressing shutter button, Galaxy S7 camera can record a short (a few seconds) video clip thanks to the fast focus in Galaxy S7 camera sensor.… Read the rest

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What is Galaxy S7 power button options?

As explained in Samsung Galaxy S7 buttons page, you can use power button to wake up the phone when the screen is off.  When screen is on, you can use power button to turn off the display and lock the screen instantly.

In addition to waking up the screen, or locking Galaxy S7 screen, Galaxy S7 power button options offers additional functions for you to:

• Power off Galaxy S7 (and Galaxy S7 edge)
• Restart (reboot) Galaxy S7
• Turn on/off emergency mode on Galaxy S7.

Please note, in different Android phones, the power button options are usually different.  The power button options discussed in this page apply to:

• Samsung Galaxy S7
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
• Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge and S6 edge+ with Android Marshmallow update
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with Android Marshmallow update

How to access Galaxy S7 power button options?

To access  Galaxy S7 power button options, you need press and hold power button for more than 2 seconds.

If you hold power button more than 7 seconds, Galaxy S7 will reboot.

If you want to exit from Galaxy S7 power button options, you can tap Back button.

How to use Galaxy S7 power button options?

As shown below, once you get Galaxy S7 power button options, you tap on one of the three buttons:

To power off Galaxy S7, tap Power off.

To reboot Galaxy S7, tap Restart.  This will shutdown the Android operating system, then restart it automatically.

To enable (if currently disabled) or disable (if currently enabled) emergency mode, tap emergency mode.

If you access Galaxy S7 power button options by accident,  you can tap Home button or back button to exit this screen.

Do you understand and use Galaxy S7 power button options now?

If you have any questions or problems with Galaxy S7 power button options, please let us know in the comment box below.

The community will try to help you.

You can get the official Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual (user guide) in your local language here, and Galaxy S7 edge user manual (user guide) in your local language here.

For other guides on using Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, please check Galaxy S7 online manual page.

For detailed Galaxy S7 how-to guides, please check Galaxy S7 how-to guides page.… Read the rest

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What is Galaxy S7 S View cover?

Galaxy S7 S View cover (and Galaxy S7 edge S View cover) , as shown left is a special folio-type flip cover with a special plastic window, S View window. It is one of the official accessories for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Samsung first introduced S View cover for Galaxy S4 in 2013. Initially the S view window was a small rectangle. Since Galaxy Note 3, the S View window became larger (close to a square) as shown in this guide.

Different from other brands of flip covers, S view cover offers additional features through the plastic S View window. The features offered in S View window changed with time and phone models.

Prior to Galaxy S6, you have to remove the back cover to use S View cover.  Because Galaxy S6 (and S6 edge), Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge) have non-removable back panel, Galaxy S7 S View cover have to snap on the phone.

Galaxy S7 S view cover (and Galaxy S7 edge S view cover) offers the following special features:

• Auto sleep and auto wake. When you close the front lid of S view cover, Galaxy S7 or S7 edge will automatically sleep. The screen will wake up once you open the front lid. If you lock screen security is set as swipe or none, opening the front lid will direct you to Galaxy S7 home screen.
• Answering and rejecting calls from S View window. You can answer or reject calls by swiping on the S View window as instructed.
• Take photos or record videos from S View window.
• Check notifications from S View window. This follows your lock screen notification settings.
• Share same app shortcuts in S View window as Galaxy S7 lock screen.
• Control music playing in S View window.
• Check time, weather and status icons from S view window.
• Use quick setting buttons (first 10) in S view window. You can use the first 10 quick setting buttons from S View window to change phone settings and features.
• Set separate wallpaper for S View window.

So, in addition to protecting the phone (and the screen), Galaxy S7 S view cover offers these exclusive features.  These features can be very useful for some Galaxy S7 or S7 owners.

Please note, in the market, only Samsung’s Galaxy S7 S view cover offers such features.… Read the rest

The post How to use Galaxy S7 S View cover (for S7 and S7 edge)? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What are direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Normally, when you want to call someone from your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you have to start the phone app or contacts app, find the contact, then dial.

Similarly, when you want to text someone, you have to start the messaging app, find the contact, compose the message, then send it from your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

But you may not know, you can use direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to speed up the process.

Direct dial allows you to dial someone by tapping one icon on the Galaxy S7 home screen. It is not necessary to start the dialer app, or to find the contact.

Direct message allows you to direct text someone without fiddling around the messaging apps or finding the contact.

Contact shortcuts allow you to open the contact from Galaxy S7 home screen. You can then choose to text, dial, or other actions from the home screen.

Anyway,  direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts  can save you tremendous time if you need call some contacts or text some contacts frequently.

Please note,  although this guide shows you how to use direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, these features are available in all Android devices. It is a native feature of Android (of all versions).

The only difference among different Android vendors, and different versions of Android,  is the way to add widgets for direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts  to home screen.

How to add direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts to Galaxy S7 home screen?

As mentioned, direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts are all widgets of the Contacts app in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

So,  to add direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts to Galaxy S7 home screen, you can just add them as normal widgets as explained in this guide.

Step 1: Switch to edit mode of Galxy S7 home screen

You can switch to edit mode of Galaxy S7 home screen with one of the following two methods:

1. Pinch (to zoom in) in Galaxy S7 home screen (any home screen panels).
2. Tap and hold (aka long tap) any blank area in Galaxy S7 home screen (any panels).

Once in edit mode as shown below, tap Widgets.… Read the rest

The post How to use direct dial, direct message and contact shortcuts in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Galaxy S7 Guides Community is a dedicated community for owners of Samsung Galaxy S7, which was  announced and released in 2016.

Mission

To help Galaxy S7 owners use the device effectively.

Logo

S7 indicates the community is for Galaxy S7. GGO indicates that we are part of the GadgetGuideOnline network.

Community

Galaxy S7 Guides community is totally free and open.  No registration is required. No personal information is required.

All contents (Galaxy S7 how-to guides, Galaxy S7 user manual, Galaxy S7 online manual)  are publicly accessible.

As Galaxy S7 Guides community is for Galaxy S7 owners to help Galaxy S7 owners, you are free to post your comments in relevant pages to ask questions, to answer questions, and to share your thoughts.

Content organization (navigation)

To make the navigation easier, contents in this site are organized in following sections:

• Official Galaxy S7 User Guide (PDF)

This section offers the official Galaxy S7 user guide (user manual) in different languages. All Galaxy S7 user manuals are in PDF format and are free to download and print.

• Galaxy S7 How-to guides

This section hosts many detailed how-to guides for Galaxy S7. These guides are suitable for all Galaxy S7 owners.

The detailed step-by-step Galaxy S7 guides will show you how to use certain features of Galaxy S7, or change/customize  certain configurations on your Galaxy S7.

• Galaxy S7 online manual

Galaxy S7 online manual section hosts Galaxy S7 guides for new Galaxy S7 owners. These section covers commonly used Galaxy S7 features and show you how to use them

• Galaxy S7 camera guide

Galaxy S7 has the best smartphone camera you can get in 2016.  Samsung Galaxy S7 camera guide will show you how to use the Galaxy S7 camera. Some tips and tricks of Galaxy S7 camera are also covered.

• Galaxy S7 buyer guide

Is Samsung Galaxy S7 a right phone for you? Which sizeof Galaxy S7 is for you?  Do you need a Galaxy S7 case?

Galaxy S7 buyer guide will help you decide whether Galaxy S7 is a right phone for you. We also introduce you some affordable Samsung Galaxy S7 accessories in Galaxy S7 buyer guide.

• Galaxy S7 reviews and update

The reviews and update of Galaxy S7 will be posted on the website regularly to hep you better understand the pros and cons of Galaxy S7.

Reach Us

If you want to contact us for any Galaxy S7 questions, or want to advertise on this site, you can reach us through:

• Facebook page
• Google+ community
• Email (contact us form)
• follow Simon (the main contributor) on Google+

Enjoy yourself in  Galaxy S7 Guides Community.… Read the rest

The post About Galaxy S7 Guides Community appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Flipboard is a good app for reading news and feeds.  But you may want to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Why you may want to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Flipboard Briefing is a special version of Flipboard app for Samsung devices. Samsung wants to make flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge a personalized magazine so that you can get news from around the web based on your interest.

To be honest, Galaxy S7 Flipboard briefing has decent visual design for your stories.

The problem is that Samsung put the Flipboard briefing on the Galaxy S7 home screen with one dedicated panel.  It always occupies the leftmost Galaxy S7 home screen panel.

This is similar to Google Now page in Google Now launcher.  But Google Now is more useful and more intelligent.

You may want to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

• if you are not a fan of the app;
• if you prefer a widget style of the app so that you can put it on any home screen pages and re-size it;
• if you are happy with the standard Flipboard app;
• when you want to scroll through all home screen panels. When Flipboard briefing is enabled, you cannot scroll through it.
• if you want to save battery and data. Some pre-installed apps like this may suck battery and data very quickly in the background. The doze mode in Android Marshmallow usually excludes such apps.
• if you have privacy concerns on the app.

The good news is that it is very easy to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

How to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

To disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Return to home screen.

If you are using any apps, you can return to Galaxy S7 home screen by:

• tap Home button
• or tap Back button (may be a few times depends on the app you are using).

If you are not sure about the buttons on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, please check Galaxy S7 layout page.

Step 2: Enter Galaxy S7 home screen Edit mode

In Galaxy S7 home screen (or Galaxy S7 home screen), tap and hold any blank area as shown below.

Your Galaxy S7 home screen now enters Edit mode as shown below.… Read the rest

The post How to disable Flipboard briefing on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge were officially announced on February 21 during MWC2016. Both phones will be available on brick and mortar shops from March 11 in many regions as expected. If you want to get it a few days earlier, you can pre-order it in most regions. Traditionally, the carriers and distributors may ship the order a few days earlier.

Before we examine the top features of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, let’s check Galaxy S7 specs and Galaxy S7 edge specs.

This post tries to summarize the hardware and software specifications of Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to help you decide whether you should get Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, or other Android phones.

Please don’t solely rely on Galaxy S7 specs or Galaxy S7 edge specs to make decisions. You should try them physically in the shop to help you make a better decision.

Galaxy S7 specs vs Galaxy S7 edge specs: what are the differences?

As in Galaxy S6, Samsung introduced two variants of Galaxy S7:  Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. But very likely there will be no Galaxy S7 edge+ model.

The differences between Galaxy S7 specs and Galaxy S7 edge specs include:

• Bigger screen size for Galaxy S7 edge, but identical screen resolution. Galaxy S7 has a  5.1″ screen with QHD super AMOLED display. This is identical to Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. Galaxy S7 edge has a larger screen of 5.5″. But the resolution is identical to Galaxy S7.  The 5.5″ screen of Galaxy S7 edge lies somewhere between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 edge+ (or Galaxy Note 5, both have a 5.7″ QHD screen).
• Bigger battery for Galaxy S7 edge. Galaxy S7 edge has a 3600mAh battery, which is 20% larger than Galaxy S7’s battey (3000mAh). Due to bigger screen size of Galaxy S7 edge, the battery life of S7 and S7 edge should be similar.
• Galaxy S7 edge is slightly heavier. Galaxy S7 edge is 157g (5.54oz), which is only 5g heavier than Galaxy S7.
• Curved edge screen for Galaxy S7 edge. Of course, only Galaxy S7 edge has edge screen features. The edge screen in Galaxy S7 edge is significantly improved compared to edge screen on Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge+.
• Galaxy S7 edge will be $50-$100 more expensive in most regions for the same storage (32GB or 64GB) configuration.

… Read the rest

The post Galaxy S7 specs and Galaxy S7 edge specs appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Difference between Samsung Galaxy S7 apps screen and home screen

Galaxy S7 apps screen, aka Galaxy S7 app drawer, is a special page that displays icons of all apps installed on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.

Galaxy S7 home screen is the entrance for all phone features. Normally, selected apps and widgets are placed in home screen for quick access.

You can imagine the role of Galaxy S7 home screen and Galaxy S7 apps screen in this way: Galaxy S7 home screen is the storefront for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and Samsung Galaxy S7 apps screen is the warehouse of apps you have on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

For new Android users, especially, iPhone users (because iPhone does not have apps screen), it can be very confusing: why do you need two places to hold apps?

If there is no Galaxy S7 apps screen, then you have to put all apps on the home screen. This may be inconvenient fro some owners:

• most users you actually want to put frequently used apps and widgets in the home screen.
• if all apps are placed in the home screen, you cannot remove it. Otherwise, it is hard to track all apps installed although you can manage them in the application manager.
• if all apps are placed in the home screen, you cannot have more than one copy of the app icons in the home screen. For example, you may want to put Gmail app in two or more different app folders.

Anyway, up to know, no Android vendors try to remove apps screen, simply because it exists for its reasons. It is also a symbolic feature of Android OS.

How to use Galaxy S7 apps screen?

You can access Galaxy S7 apps screen by tapping the apps icon (9 dots) in favorite tray in Galaxy S7 home screen.

Once in Galaxy S7 apps screen, you can find these items (as shown below) in the apps screen:

• icons for apps. These corresponds to individual apps installed. You can launch the app by tapping it just like in home screen. Tap and hold the app icon to add the app to the home screen.
• app folders.  You can group apps into app folders in Galaxy S7 app screen.
• search button (1). Tap Search button to search apps.
• sort button (2).  You can tap sort (A-Z) button to re-arrange apps in alphabetical order in the apps screen.  

… Read the rest

The post Samsung Galaxy S7 apps screen appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Why is it important to know Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout?

When you get your new Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, you may want to try the new and cool features as much as you can. You may forget to check Galaxy S7 layout or Galaxy S7 edge layout

This is nothing wrong.

But after initial testing, it is important to spend some time to familiarize yourself with the layout of Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge. This is extremely important if you are a new owner of a Samsung smartphone.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are both designed elegantly with high build quality. The location of ports, buttons and components are arranged with careful consideration based on Samsung’s knowledge of smartphone usage habits of their customers.

Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout page will explain to you the functions of all buttons, ports and some components.

Please note, as explained in this post, the major difference between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is the screen size (5.1″ vs 5.5″), battery capacity (3000mAh vs 3600mAh) and the curved screen.

The difference in Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout is only on edge screen. All other parts in layout are similar.

Front view of Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout

The front view of Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout is shown below.

in the front of Galaxy S7, you can find

• LED indicator. When you charge your phone, the LED will turns red. When there are any notifications, the LED will flash in green.
• Proximity/light sensor. You should never block the proximity/light sensor if you use a screen protector.  The light sensor provides info to the system to adjust brightness and other display settings.  When you are in a call, and when you move the phone close to your ear, the proximity sensor can detect it and turns off the screen to avoid inadvertent touch.
• Receiver.
• Front camera. It is NOT recommended to use screen protector for the camera. If the screen protector has no cutout for front camera, you probably should not buy it.
• Touch screen.
• Home key with fingerprint sensor. Tap home key (button) to wake up the screen if the screen is currently off. If you are using any apps, tapping home key once will bring you to the home screen.

… Read the rest

The post Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What are Galaxy S7 themes?

Galaxy S7 themes allow you to change the look and feel of the phone (mainly Galaxy S7 home screen and apps screen) in a systematic and consistent way.

Actually, this is not a new feature because Samsung introduced themes to Galaxy phones since Galaxy S6.

Although the implementation is similar, Galaxy S7 themes are NOT compatible with Galaxy S6 or Galaxy Note 7.

The compatibility is maintained only in the same generation of Galaxy S or Galaxy Note series. In other words, Galaxy S7 themes are compatible with Galaxy S7 edge only. And Galaxy S6 themes are compatible with Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+ only.  It is unclear why Samsung fails to maintain a “universal” theme for all Galaxy devices..

You can use Galaxy S7 themes to customize Galaxy S7 home screen in following aspects:

• Wallpapers for home screen and lock screen.
• App icons for native (and pre-installed) Samsung apps.
• Modifications to app icons of all other apps.
• Font size and color in Galaxy S7 home screen.
• Customization for the default (native Samsung) phone app, contacts app and message app.
• Always-on display (for some Galaxy S7 themes).

How to download and apply new Galaxy S7 themes?

You can download and apply new Galaxy S7 themes in your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge by following these steps.

Step 1: Enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode

If you want to customize Galaxy S7 home screen, you need to enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode (aka, access Galaxy S7 home screen options).

You can tap and hold (aka, log tap) any empty area in Galaxy S7 home screen (in any home screen panels), or pinch in any home screen panels, to enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode (or to access Galaxy S7 home screen options) as shown below.

Step 2: Enter Galaxy Theme store

In Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode, tap Themes as shown below.

In My themes page, all themes under your account are listed here.

Before you install any Galaxy S7 themes, only default theme is listed as shown below.

Step 3: Select and download new Galaxy S7 themes

Tap the More themes button in My themes page as shown above to enter the theme store.

In the Theme store, you can search and browse available themes for your Galaxy S7.

You can also search Galaxy S7 themes with always-on display (AOD) customization as shown below.… Read the rest

The post How to use Galaxy S7 themes to customize Galaxy S7 home screen? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.