Galaxy S7 Guides

We all hate app pushing pop up ads

As most of Galaxy S7 owners use a lot of free apps. We understand many app developers rely on ad revenue to pay their bills.

So, normally we can tolerate ads in apps without installing the ad blocker apps. Just FYI, some app blockers may replace original ads with their own ads. So these guys are using other developers’ work to earn money.

Anyway, the majority of Galaxy S7 owners may get angry when some apps push pop up ads which affect your phone usage unless you tap the ad or close the app.

Even worse, some nasty apps may push pop up ads when the app is NOT in use.  They deliberately to hide the app pushing pop up ads.

For example, as shown below, when I browsed my own website with Chrome browser, and suddenly, a pop up ads blocked my view as shown below.

I have no way to close this pop up ad. The X in the pop up ad actually direct me to Google Play store to install the poor app, or to some suspicious sites.

This is an example of malicious pop up ad. I believe most of us hate them.

I know I do not use such pop up ads in the website because this is our own website. I know the ad types and sources.

I know Chrome never push pop up ads.

I know my ISP does not have such a shabby business.

Then where does this pop ads come?

So I decided to dig it further to find out the app pushing pop up ads.

How to find out the app pushing pop up ads in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

Such ads do not show all times.  Sometimes, it shows once a day or twice a day or every the other day.

I know such nasty pop up ads are pushed by some apps installed on my Galaxy S7 edge.  But you do not know which one because the app developer deliberately tried to hide app.

Initially, I thought, it is through notification. So, I disabled notification for most suspicious apps.

But this does not solve the issue. A developer told me it is from a running service, not through notification system.

And my friend shared his method to find out the app pushing pop up ads in Galaxy S7 .… Read the rest

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Why you need Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut in home screen?

As discussed in this page, the selection of Galaxy S7 camera mode is not persistent.

When you start Galaxy S7 camera app after you close the app, the camera mode will be default to Auto mode (for rear camera) or selfie mode (for front camera).

This can be very annoying if you want to use some Galaxy S7 camera modes very often. You may want Galaxy S7 or S7 edge to “remember” your selection.

Currently, there is no option for Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge to remember the last camera mode used.

But Samsung does provide a new feature in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to solve your problem: you can add Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut to Home screen.

This means for any of the camera modes (including the pre-installed camera modes, and Galaxy S7 camera modes downloaded and installed by you), you can add a shortcut in Galaxy S7 Home screen.  If you tap the shortcut icon in Galaxy S7 home screen, it will start camera app, and at the same time switch to the corresponding mode.

For example, if you use Pro mode very often, you can add it to Home screen. You can then use this shortcut to directly launch camera app in Pro mode.

Of course, you can still use the default camera app icon and other methods to launch Galaxy S7 camera in Auto mode.

Isn’t a good solution?

Even better:

You can even use Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut in home screen to launch front camera directly

Although Galaxy S7 camera does not save the camera mode used, it does remember which camera was used last time.

When you start camera app, it always use the camera you used before closing the app (until you reboot the phone).

This is convenient for some Galaxy S7 owners.

But this can also be a problem.

Sometimes, when you want to take a selfie, you may find rear camera is active. You have to fiddle around and manually switch to front-facing camera.

Now, the Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut can solve this problem.

You can add a shortcut for Selfie mode or Wide selfie mode to Galaxy S7 home screen.

You can then use this  Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut to launch front-facing camera in selfie mode or wide-selfie mode directly.… Read the rest

The post How to add Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut to home screen? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Volume key is not just for volume control

You may not know you can use volume key to take photos in Galaxy S7 camera app.

This can be very useful in occasions when you are using one hand to take photos.

And you can use volume key to take photos for both front and rear cameras in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

So, for front camera, in addition to the 5 shooting methods discussed in this guide, you can use volume key as the 6th shooting method.

For rear camera, you already know that  you can use shutter button, or use voice control to take photos. Volume key is the 3rd shooting method for the rear camera in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

In Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, in addition to controlling volume, volume key have many other functions in various apps, for example,

• Messages app: you can adjust text size using volume up and volume down keys.
• Camera app: you can use volume key to take photos or zoom in/out or recording videos.

Anyway, volume key is not just for volume controls in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Many apps may use volume keys for special functions.

This guide shows you how to use volume key to take photos in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

How to disable/enable volume key for taking photos

By default, in Galaxy S7 camera app, you can press volume key to take photos without any settings. Volume down and volume up keys work identically for taking photos.

However, if you do not want to use volume key to take photos, or if you want to configure volume key for other functions in Galaxy S7 camera app, you may follow these steps.

Step 1:  Start Camera app

You can use one of the following ways to start Camera app in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge:

• use Galaxy S7 camera quick launch (double tap Home button);
• tap camera app icon in Galaxy S7 home screen;
• tap camera app icon in apps screen;
• use Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcuts;
• use apps edge or tasks edge from edge screen (for Galaxy S7 edge only).

Step 2: Enter camera settings

In Galaxy S7 camera app preview screen, tap Settings button (gear icon) as shown below to enter camera settings.

In Camera settings page, as shown below, tap Volume keys function.… Read the rest

The post How to use volume key to take photos in Galaxy S7 camera app? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What is Galaxy S7 screen grid in Galaxy S7 home screen and apps screen?

In Galaxy S7 and S7 edge home screen (actually, all Android devices), all app icons are arranged in rows and columns.  You are not allowed to put your app icon in arbitrary locations.

In other words, Galaxy S7 screen grid keeps your app icons aligned in both Galaxy S7 home screen and Galaxy S7 apps screen.

When you change the size of Galaxy S7 screen grid, the size of app icons in all grids (cells) will also be resized to match the change. In this way,  it is possible to slightly resize app icon size in Galaxy S7 home screen and apps screen.

Of course, there are many other ways to customize Galaxy S7 home screen for Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, for example, using Galaxy S7 themes.

Please note, the Galaxy S7 screen grid settings apply to both Galaxy S7 home screen and apps screen.  So, there are no separate screen grid settings for home screen and apps screen.

In Galaxy S7 home screen, there is a favorite tray (as shown below)in the bottom of all home screen panels except the Flipboard Briefing panel. This tray is NOT counted in the screen grid.

In other words, Galaxy S7 screen grid applies to the space above the favorite tray excluding the tray itself.  But the number of available (maximum) slots in the favorite tray is determined by number of columns in Galaxy S7 screen grid settings.

How to change Galaxy S7 screen grid to customize app icon size in home screen and apps screen?

To change  Galaxy S7 screen grid settings, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode (home screen options)

In Galaxy S7 home screen as shown below, tap and hold (aka “long tap”)any empty area to enter edit mode of Galaxy S7 home screen (aka, access Galaxy S7 home screen options) as shown below.

The other way to enter home screen mode is to pinch in the home screen.

Please note, you can enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode in any home screen panels. It is not necessary to be from the home of home screen panels.

Step 2: Set and preview Galaxy S7 screen grid settings

In the edit mode of Galaxy S7 home screen as shown above, you can tap the Screen grid as shown above.… Read the rest

The post How to use Galaxy S7 screen grid to customize app icon size in home screen and apps screen? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What is factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

When you got the new phone before you do anything on it, you can call it in factory state.

Factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge means you wipe all your data, settings and apps from the phone. All your traces on the phone will be removed (with a few exceptions, read on).

After factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you have to setup the phone just like a new phone before you can use it.

In all Android devices, there is an option for you to perform factory reset. Sometimes, factory reset is named as factory data reset because only user data are actually removed.

When you need factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

You need factory reset Galaxy S7 or S7 edge:

• if you want to give the phone to your friends or relatives.
• if you want to sell your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.
• if you get the phone from others.
• if your mess up phone settings and you cannot find a way to undo the wrong settings. You should try Settings— backup and reset — reset settings first.
• if the phone is too slow after a major update.  You should try to clear cache partition first.
• if the phone have so many problems.  You should try to clear cache partition first.
• if you want to refresh Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.
• if your phone is infected with virus or malware.
• if your phone cannot even boot into Galaxy S7 safe mode.

How to turn off factory data reset protection before factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Since Android Lollipop 5.1, an anti-theft feature of factory data reset (FDR) protection has been introduced. After a factory reset, to re-activate the device, you have to provide a Google account that existed on the phone before it is reset.

Samsung fully implemented this device protection feature in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

This means that unless you turn off factory data reset protection before you factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you will have to use the Google account that existed before you reset it to re-activate the phone.

This can be problematic if Galaxy S7 will change hands after factory reset.

So, in such cases, you should turn off factory data reset protection by:

• set the Galaxy S7 lock screen security as none; or
• remove all Google accounts on the phone.

… Read the rest

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Android Nougat udpate for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge allows you to further customize Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons, including, adjusting button layout and ordering these quick setting buttons.

If your phone is still running Marshmallow, please check this guide.

What are the changes for Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons in Android Nougat update?

After applying Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, you may noticed the quick setting buttons (icons) were changed.

It seems it is part of Samsung’s design overhaul for material design.

In addition to the aesthetic update, there are four major changes:

1. The swipe (left or right) gesture in notification panel is no longer working for the top row of quick setting buttons. There are  now up to 6 buttons only (instead of 10 in two panels in previous versions).
2. You can customize the layout of the quick settings buttons: 3×3, 4×3 or 5×3.
3. New buttons were added, including, performance mode, data saver, private mode, phone visibility, blue light filter and smart view.
4. Brightness control can be placed above notifications, or below the 3-row quick setting buttons. You decide!
5. You can add buttons of third-party apps to quick setting buttons.

Please note, the size of quick setting buttons is a bit smaller. If you want to make it bigger, you can change screen zoom level.

How to customize Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons after Android Nougat update?

In the notification panel, only first 6 quick setting buttons will be shown after Android Nougat update.

As in previous versions of Android, you can swipe down again from notification panel to access Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons with Android Nougat update.

You can also swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to access Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons.

In the quick settings button, you can tap the menu key (3 vertical dots) as shown below.

You will then have two options for customizing Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons after Android Nougat update:

• Button layout (marked as 2 in the screenshot below). This is a new option for customizing quick setting buttons in Android Nougat udpate.
• Edit (marked as 1). This option allows you to order the buttons.

As shown above, you can use one of the three button layout: 3×3, 4×3 or 5×3, to customize Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons after Android Nougat update.

After you choose the desired button layout, you need tap OK button as shown above to apply the change.… Read the rest

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What is Galaxy S7 application manager?

Galaxy S7 application manager is a special app that allows you to manage all apps installed on the phone. This includes both pre-installed apps and apps installed by you.

In all Android devices, application manager is an essential part. Some vendors may name it differently. For example, in stock Android, it is simply named as Apps under Settings.

Within Galaxy S7 application manager, you can:

• Check storage usage of all apps.
• Check data usage by all apps.
• Check and manage app permissions.
• Check and manage app notifications.
• Check battery usage of all apps.
• Check memory usage of all apps.
• Uninstall apps installed by you.
• Disable some pre-installed apps.
• Force stop most apps.
• Clear cache for apps.
• Clear data for apps (reset app).

As the name suggests, Galaxy S7 application manager allows you to manage all aspects of apps installed in your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

How to access Galaxy S7 application manager?

You can access Galaxy S7 application manager from Galaxy S7 Settings.

As shown below, in Settings page for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, tap Applications

Then tap Application manager to access Galaxy S7 application manager as shown below.

How to list apps in Galaxy S7 application manager?

Now, in Galaxy S7 application manager page, you can see a list of apps installed on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge as shown below.

By default, all apps, including enabled and disabled, are listed.

You can tap All apps as shown below.

Then tap Disabled to list apps that are disabled as shown below.

This will list apps that were installed, but were disabled. Of course, you can also just list enabled apps similarly.

The list include bother pre-installed apps and apps installed by you. For pre-installed apps, as mentioned in Galaxy S7 Apps screen page,  you cannot uninstall them.

But you can disable them if you do not want to use these apps. Some of the pre-installed apps are actually bloatware.

How to use additional options in Galaxy S7 application manager?

You can tap MORE button in top right to find more options in Galaxy S7 application manager, as shown above.

The More button appears on all pages of Application manager.

These additional options typically include (as shown above):

• Show system apps. By default, the system apps are not listed. Tap this button to include system apps in the list.

… Read the rest

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Update: Samsung moved the Google settings back to the standard location in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in a May update. You can access Google settings in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge as in other Android devices at Settings–– Google.

What is Google Settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Google settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is a centralized app for you to set almost everything related to your Google account and Google services on the phone. These include:

• Your Google account: Account sign-in, and security, personal info and privacy, and account preferences;
• Google services: Ads, connected apps, data management, Google Fit, Google Photos backup, location, Nearby, Play Games, Search & Now, Security, setup nearby device, and smart lock for passwords.

Some Google settings can also be accessed from individual apps.

For example, Google Photos backup settings can be done in Google Photos app.

Search and Now settings can be set in Google app (Google Now app, or Google Search app).

But a centralized location for most Google settings is convenient for most Android users.

In previous versions (since Android Jelly Bean), Google tried to put more and more settings into this centralized Google Settings.

Prior to Android Marshmallow, you can find the Google Settings app icon (shown above) in the apps screen (app drawer)

Where is Google Settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

But when you get your Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you may immediately find you cannot find the Google Settings icon for as shown in the beginning of this page.

It is not in Galaxy S7 Apps screen.

It is not in Galaxy S7 Home screen.

It is not in any app folders.

Then, where is Google Settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? 

Yes, some nerds may tell you Google Settings has a dedicated entry in the Settings in Android Marshmallow.

But when you check Galaxy S7 Settings, you still cannot find Google Settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

If you try to Search Galaxy S7 settings, it will not return Google Settings either.

Did Samsung remove Google Settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Of course, not.

Samsung put Google Settings entry under Settings–Applications on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

You can find Google settings after Samsung apps settings.… Read the rest

The post How to access Google Settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Galaxy S7 home screen is an essential part for using Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge. Nobody can skip home screen to use an Android phone.

But different Android vendors may customize the Android home screen in own ways. Samsung is not an exception: it is TouchWiz skin and launcher actually give you quite unique experience,

In this guide, you will get to know Galaxy S7 home screen, how to use app folders on Galaxy S7 home screen, how to remove apps/widgets/app folders from Galaxy S7 home screen, and how to customize Galaxy S7 home screen.

The home screen for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is identical except the edge screen handle (see below). So, this guide applies to both Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge home screen although Galaxy S7 is used in  the text.

Get to know Galaxy S7 home screen

A typical layout of Galaxy S7 home screen is shown below.

There are 8 fundamental components on Galaxy S7 home screen:

• apps

You can put any apps installed on the phone to Galaxy S7 home screen.  You can tap the icon to start the corresponding app.

Android allows you to add one app multiple times in Galaxy S7 home screen.

By default, all installed apps are listed in Galaxy S7 apps screen.

• app folders

It is impractical to keep 200 apps in the home screen individually. Galaxy S7 allows you to organize these apps in folders.

You can put similar apps into one app folder in Galaxy S7 home screen.

So, app folders give you a cleaner galaxy S7 home screen.

You can also add app folders from Galaxy S7 apps screen directly to home screen, just like adding an app to home screen.

• widget

Widget allows you to check specific info through the app without opening the app. For example, nobody wants to open weather app to check weather. You want weather info, not app icon, to be displayed.

Some widgets allow you to re-size them. So, you can easy fit them in Galaxy S7 home screen. Of course, it is up to individual app developer to decide whether the widget is realizable..

Please refer to this guide on how to add, use and manage widgets in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

• screen indicator

When your Galaxy S7 have multiple home screen panels (aka home screen pages),  home screen indicators (corresponding to each Galaxy S7  home screen page/panel) are very helpful for you to know where you are.… Read the rest

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What are the 6 Galaxy S7 buttons?

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 have only 4 hardware buttons (hardware keys) as shown in Galaxy S7 layout and Galaxy S7 edge layout page:

1. Home button
2. Power button
3. Volume up button
4. Volume down button

In addition, Galaxy S7 has 2 capacitive buttons:

1. Back button
2. Recent button

So, in total, there are 6 Galaxy S7 buttons for you to use to control Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

This guide will explain to you the functions of these 6  Galaxy S7 buttons and Galaxy S7 edge buttons. In addition, functions of combination of Galaxy S7 buttons are also explained so that you can use Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge effectively.

Galaxy S7 buttons are identical to Galaxy S7 edge buttons. The functions are also identical.

So, in this page, although only Galaxy S7 buttons are mentioned most of the time, this guide applies equally to Galaxy S7 edge buttons.

Galaxy S7 Home button

Galaxy S7 Home button  is below the screen as shown in the Galaxy S7 layout page.

Galaxy Home button is a combination of hardware button and fingerprint sensor.  Please check this guide (coming soon) on how to use fingerprint on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

The Galaxy S7 Home button has different functions depending on the state of Galaxy S7, and the way you press the button.

• When the screen (display) is off, you can press Galaxy S7 Home button to turn on the display.
• When you are using an app, you can press Galaxy S7 Home button to push the app to background and navigate to home screen.
• When you are in apps screen (app drawer), you can press Galaxy S7 Home button to return to Galaxy S7 home screen.
• When you are in Galaxy S7 home screen, but you are not in the Home panel, tapping Galaxy S7 Home button will bring you to the home panel of Galaxy S7 home screen.
• In any screen except lock screen, you can press and hold Galaxy S7 Home button to launch Now on tap, by default. Now on tap is essentially a tailored Google Now card for your specific screen. You can turn off Now on tap feature if you want.
• In any screen including lock screen, or even when the screen is off,  you can press Galaxy S7 Home button twice to launch camera app, by default.

… Read the rest

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As mentioned in this guide, you can launch Galaxy S7 camera app in different ways, including quick launch.  But the Galaxy S7 camera preview screen you get is identical.

Understanding Galaxy S7 camera app interface (preview screen) can help you use the camera properly and effectively.

As shown in the screenshot below, in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen, there are several items.

Updated: Galaxy S7 camera app was updated in Android Nougat for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The camera preview screen is different from the screenshot below. Please check Use Galaxy S7 camera app with Android Nougat update in S7 and S7 edge if your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge is running Android Nougat.

1. Camera settings icon

Tap this icon in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen to enter camera settings page.

Please note, Galaxy S7 camera settings page for front camera and for rear camera are different.

If you need change settings for front camera, you need switch to front camera first, then tap camera settings icon.

2. Photo size

You can set photo size in the preview screen without entering  Galaxy S7 camera settings page.

Actually, this is the only place to set photo size in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Samsung removed photo seize settings from Galaxy S7 camera settings page.

Tap the icon to set picture size.

3. Flash on/off

You can tap the icon to turn on or off the LED flash for the rear camera.

For front camera on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you can also turn on flash. If the flash is turned on for Galaxy S7 front camera, the screen will light up when tapping shutter button.

4. Timer

You can turn on/off timer for Galaxy S7 camera (both rear and front).

You can set the timer as 2 or 5 or 10 seconds.

If the timer is on, you then have the option to take 3 photos instead of 1.

5. HDR

Tap this icon to turn on or turn off HDR (high-dynamic-range) for Galaxy S7 camera.

6. Camera effects (filter)

You can apply camera effects while taking photos.

The photos shown in the Galaxy S7 camera preview screen will be the final photo (with camera effects applied).

You can tap this icon to select, download and manage Galaxy S7 camera effects.

Please check this guide on using Galaxy S7 camera effects.

7. Hide or show icons from Galaxy S7 camera preview screen

Tap this icon to hide ions in left side as shown below.… Read the rest

The post Use Galaxy S7 camera preview screen appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Like most other smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge do not have a dedicated hardware button for camera.

This means before you can take photos with Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galxy S7 edge, you must launch the camera app.

The good news is that there are several different ways to launch Galaxy S7 camera app (access camera in Samsung Galaxy S7):

• Use Galaxy S7 camera quick launch (read on);
• Launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 lock screen;
• Launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 Home screen;
• Launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 Apps screen;
• Launch Galaxy S7 camera app from other apps;
• Launch  Galaxy S7 camera app from camera mode shortcuts.

How to use Galaxy S7 camera quick launch to launch Galaxy S7 camera app?

Since Galaxy S6, Samsung introduced quick launch for camera app. And Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge fully support quick launch for Galaxy S7 camera.

You can press Home button twice to launch camera app instantly.  This is referred as Galaxy S7 camera quick launch,

Galaxy S7 camera quick launch works even when the screen is off or locked.

So, Galaxy S7 camera quick launch is the fastest method to launch Galaxy S7 camera app in S7 and S7 edge.

By default, Galaxy S7 camera quick launch is enabled.

If you find Galaxy S7 camera quick launch does not work on your Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you may check the settings.

Go to Galaxy S7 settings, tap Applications.

In Settings–Applications, tap Camera as shown below.

In Camera Setting page, you can enable or disable Galaxy S7 camera quick launch as shown below.

Launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 lock screen

As explained in Galaxy S7 lock screen guide, you can put two app shortcuts in Galaxy S7 lock screen.

By default, camera app shortcuts is on the bottom right in Galaxy S7 lock screen.

You can tap the icon to launch Galaxy S7 camera app without unlocking the screen.

Because lock screen is not unlocked, you cannot edit the photos after you take them. You cannot share them before you unlock the phone.

Launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 Home screen

By default, camera app icon is in the favorite tray in Galaxy S7 Home screen.

You can tap the icon to launch camera app from Galaxy S7 Home screen, just like using other apps.… Read the rest

The post How to launch Galaxy S7 camera app? How to use Galaxy S7 camera quick launch? 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

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Touch button light in Galaxy S7 can be a problem sometimes

Galaxy S7 and S7 edge still use two capacitive buttons for Recent app and Back respectively.

As explained in Galaxy S7 layout, Recent button is in the lefty side of Home button and Back button is in the right side of Home button.

When you touch either of the two buttons, both button will light up. This is useful when you are using Galaxy S7 or S7 edge in a dark environment.

But this can also be the problem. In some situations, you may simply not want to see the light because it can be too bright.

For experienced owners, you may know the location of the buttons well without the light.

Unfortunately, there are no options for you to disable of adjust touch button light in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

So, in this guide, I will show you how to use a simple app to disable touch button light in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and how to adjust the lighting duration.

How to disable and adjust touch button light duration in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

As mentioned, Samsung removed the options for configuring touch button light from Galaxy S7 settings.

But the touch key light and its duration are still fully adjustable and controllable. The settings are simply hidden without a corresponding user interface.

What you need is a simple app named Galaxy Button Lights 2.

Step 1:  Install Galaxy Button lights 2

You can search for “Galaxy Button lights 2” in Play store as shown below.

The app is free without ads and any bloatware.

Once you find the app, tap Install to install the app to Galaxy S7 as shown below.

You will get normal waning messages on app permissions.

But this app is very clean. As shown above, it does not require any special permissions.

So, you can tap Accept as shown above to proceed the installation.

Step 2: Configure Galaxy S7 touch key light

Once the app is installed, you can find it in apps screen (app drawer) or Home screen if you chose to hide apps screen in Galaxy S7.

You can start the app to configure Galaxy S7 touch button light as you want.

As shown above, the app is simple to use.

There are 4 options:

1. Time to remain on. This is for you to set the duration of the button light.

… Read the rest

The post How to disable and adjust touch button light in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What is notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

Notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge reminds you until you check or read the notifications. This is important if you tend to ignore important notifications.

Samsung introduced this feature long time ago in their TouchWiz skin.

But in older versions of Galaxy phones prior to Galaxy S6, you can only turn on or turn off notification reminder for all apps.  In the refreshed TouchWiz since Galaxy S6, you now can select important apps to be used in notification reminder.

So, you may find notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge is very useful now.

Please note, notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge is not a standard Android feature.  It is a  feature added by Samsung. Other Android vendors may  or may not have similar features.

How to enable and configure notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

By default, Galaxy S7 notification reminder is disabled.

To use this feature, you have to manually turn on/enable it.

You may follow these steps to enable and configure notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

Step 1: Enter Galaxy S7 settings

You can enter Galaxy S7 settings in many different ways:

1. From Galaxy S7 notification panel, tap the gear icon.
2. From Galaxy S7 apps screen, tap Settings app icon.
3. From Galaxy S7 home screen, tap Settings app icon, if you added the app into home screen already.

The result is identical.

Step 2. Naviagte to Accessibility  settings

In Setting page, tap Accessibility.

I am not sure why Samsung branded notification reminder as an accessibility feature in the new TouchWiz.

Step 3: Enable notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

In Accessibility page, as shown below, you can find Notification reminder.

By default, this feature is turned off in Galaxy S7 ans S7 edge.

Tap Notification reminder as shown below.

Step 4: Configure notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

Now, in the Notification reminder page, you can enable or disable it.

To enable it, tap the switch (marked as 1 in the screenshot) as shown above.

You can also drag the switch to right side to enable it. In Galaxy S7 and S7 edge settings, dragging and tapping are identical for these switches.

After you enable notification reminder, you will have 4 more options to configure.

Vibrate (marked as 2 in the screenshot)

If enabled, in addition to normal notification tone, Galaxy S7 or S7 will also vibrate when the phone bugs you for unread notifications.… Read the rest

The post How to use notification reminder in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have the best camera you can find in smartphones in 2016 according to DxOMark. Period.

Although using Galaxy S7 camera is not complicated for most Galaxy S7 owners, some owners who do not use smartphone camera frequently may get confused on the camera features offered in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

To help all owners of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge use the camera effectively, a series of Galaxy S7 camera guides are prepared.

This is a live page. New Samsung Galaxy S7 camera guides will be released once they are tested.

So, do check this page periodically if you want to read more Samsung Galaxy S7 camera guides.

If you have any questions on using Samsung Galaxy S7 camera, you can post your questions in comment section in this page or other relevant pages.

Here is the list of Samsung Galaxy S7 camera guides

1. How to launch Galaxy S7 camera app? How to use Galaxy S7 camera quick launch?

   You can launch Galaxy S7 camera app in several different ways. This Galaxy S7 camera guide shows you the following 5 methods: use Galaxy S7 camera quick launch; launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 lock screen; launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 Home screen; launch Galaxy S7 camera app from Galaxy S7 Apps screen and launch Galaxy S7 camera app from other apps. This Galaxy S7 camera guide also shows you hot to enable or disable Galaxy S7 camera quick launch.  Read on.…

2. Use Galaxy S7 camera preview screen

   This Galaxy S7 camera guide explains the functions of all buttons and icons in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen (Galaxy S7 camera app interface), and touch screen gestures that can be used in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen. Read on…

3. Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings

   If the default settings for Galaxy S7 camera are not sufficient for you, you can change and tweak some Galaxy S7 camera settings on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. This Galaxy S7 camera guide gives you detailed explanations of all entries of Samsung Galaxy S7 camera settings for both rear (main) camera and front-facing camera. Read on.….

4. How to set Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

   Do you know how to decide what are the “good enough” Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size for your needs?

… Read the rest

The post Samsung Galaxy S7 camera guide appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Why you may want to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Multi Window is actually one of the most useful features that Samsung introduced into Galaxy phones.

Initially, Multi Window was designed for Galaxy Note devices since Galaxy Note II with large screen so that owners can use two apps side by side.

You can also let one app (window is re-sizable) floating around and over another app. This is often referred as pop-up view.

So, Multi Window is a cool feature that Samsung phone users have enjoyed for years.  We have a detailed guide on how to use Multi Window on Galaxy devices.

FYI, Android will only start to offer similar multi window feature in the coming Android N (which is currently in Preview 2).

But for some owners, they may not use this feature. They want to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Because it is so easy to enter Multi Window mode inadvertently.

It is a bit annoying when you enter Multi Window mode accidentally.

And to make it worse, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is very responsive: it responds so fast that you have no time to stop.

Sometimes,  Galaxy S7 responds to several accidental taps when you realized the error.

Tapping and holding left Recent button to enter Multi Window button is not the a good choice. Due to the tiny bezel, most Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 owners probably have entered Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge inadvertently at least a few times.

It is hard to avoid it.

Another way to enter Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is dragging down diagonally from either end of the top edge inside supported apps. This will convert the app to pop-up view (floating).

Some Galaxy S7 and S7 owners may also enter Multi Window mode accidentally through this method when they actually just want to scroll the page.

So, at least some Galaxy S7 and Galxy S7 edge owners are looking for settings to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Unfortunately, since Galaxy S6, Samsung removed the settings entry to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge (and S6 as well).

Does it mean you cannot disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

No, you can still still disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge with an app.… Read the rest

The post How to disable Multi Window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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

The post Galaxy S7 lock screen appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What is tasks edge in edge screen of  Galaxy S7 edge?

Tasks edge in Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+ is similar to apps edge in the edge screen.

The major difference is that tasks edge is for shortcuts of individual tasks, not individual apps.

These tasks are similar to widgets: they are both special functions of some apps.  But tasks are only from apps developed by Samsung currently. In other words, you cannot simply add a widget to tasks edge currently.

Since Android Nougat 7.1, app shortcut was introduced in stock Android. Samsung supports app shortcuts on the home screen in their Android Oreo firmware. But the tasks edge does not support app shortcuts of third-party apps.

Tasks edge also supports file shortcuts. You can add a file to the home screen (pin a file to the home screen) as explained in this guide. Such file shortcuts will be available for tasks edge.

Please note, tasks edge in edge screen is identical among Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 and S9+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+. So, this guide applies to all of these devices.  In this guide, we use the screenshots from the Galaxy S7 edge for the illustration.

Two ways to access settings for tasks edge in edge screen of Galaxy S7 edge

You can access tasks edge settings in Galaxy S7 edge in two ways:

• from the edge panel.
• from edge screen settings page.

As shown below, you can launch edge panels, then navigate to tasks edge, which, by default, is the second panel, next to the apps edge.

In tasks edge panel, you can tap the + button to add more tasks to this edge panel. Tap settings icon to go to edge panel settings page.

You can also access edge panels settings in Settings — edge screen –edge panel.

As shown below, you can tap the check icon (marked as 1) to turn on or turn off tasks edge.

Tap pencil icon (marked as 2 in the screenshot below) to edit (manage) tasks edge.

So, these two ways to access tasks edge settings are interlinked.

To enable/disable tasks edge, you must go to edge screen settings (edge panels settings) as mentioned above.

How to add and remove tasks for tasks edge in edge screen of Galaxy S7 edge?

… Read the rest

The post How to use tasks edge in Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+ 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

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