Galaxy S7 Guides

What is Galaxy S7 camera voice control?

Galaxy S7 camera voice control allows you to use your voice to take photos, instead of tapping the camera shutter button.

You can speak to your Galaxy S7 (or S7 edge) to take photos when your hands are not free for the on-screen butotn.

As explained in this guide,  for the front camera in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge,  you can have at least 5 different shooting methods, including using your voice.

But some methods, e.g., heart rate sensor, tap to take pic or gesture) do not work for the rear camera in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

So, for the rear (main) camera in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, you can have at least 3 shooting methods:

• using the camera shutter button;
• using Galaxy S7 camera voice control;
• using the volume button.

Please note, although Galaxy S7 camera voice control works identically for the rear and front camera, the settings are independent.

This means you need to set up Galaxy S7 camera voice control for the front and rear cameras individually.

Also, you should not confuse Galaxy S7 camera voice control with Google Now voice control or S Voice.  Galaxy S7 camera voice control only works when camera app is active; while Google Now and S Voice can only open camera app.

How to enable Galaxy S7 camera voice control for the main (rear) camera?

To enable Galaxy S7 camera voice control for the main (rear) camera, you need launch camera app first.

In camera preview screen, you need to switch to rear camera if front camera is currently active. You can tap the camera switch button (illustrated in the green box in the screenshot shown below).

After switching to the rear camera (main camera), tap the settings button (gear icon as shown below).

In Camera settings page, tap Shooting methods (rear) as shown below.

If you can see Shooting methods (front) , it means you need to switch to rear camera.

In shooting methods (rear) page as shown above, you can find voice control option.

By default, voice control is not enabled for cameras in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

You can tap the switch button as shown above to turn it on.

How to use Galaxy S7 camera voice control?

After enabling Galaxy S7 camera voice control, you can use your voice to control Galaxy S7 camera.… Read the rest

The post How to use Galaxy S7 camera voice control? 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.

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.

Why you get mirrored photos from Galaxy S7 front camera?

By default, when you take a selfie with the front camera in Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you will get mirrored photos.

In other words, the photo saved in the phone is different from what you seen in the Galaxy S7 camera preview screen. It is flipped horizontally.

Such an implementation is very common in other smartphone front cameras as well.

Of course, just like other features, some users like it, some don’t.

Luckily, Samsung allows you to configure the camera settings so that you can avoid mirrored photos from Galaxy S7 front camera (if you want).

Even if you get mirrored photos, you can easily flip them in Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.

How to avoid mirrored photos from Galaxy S7 front camera?

As mentioned, by default, Galaxy S7 or S7 edge front camera will save mirrored selfie.

To avoid mirrored photos from Galaxy S7 front camera, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Start Camera appp.

There are many 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: Switch to front camera

After launching camera app, you should be in the Galaxy S7 camera preview screen as shown below.

In the preview screen, tap camera switch button (in green box in the screenshot below) if rear camera is active.

Step 3: Enter camera settings and enable “Save pictures as previewed”.

Once front camera is active (i.e., you can see yourself in the preview screen), tap the settings icon as shown above.

In Camera settings page, you can find one entry “Save pictures as previewed” as shown above.

You can tap the switch to enable it.

If you cannot find this option, very likely, you forget to switch to front camera.

From now on, all your photos taken with front camera will be saved as what you seen in the preview screen, instead of mirrored photos (or flipped photos).

This setting is persistent. You only need to do this once.

How to edit (flip) mirrored photos in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

… Read the rest

The post How to avoid mirrored photos in Galaxy S7 selfie (front camera)? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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.

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

The post How to find out the app pushing pop up ads in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

If you cannot find the brightness control after getting Android Nougat udpate for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, or if you want to show brightness control above notification panel, this guide will give you the answer.

Where is the brightness control in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Many owners of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners find they cannot locate brightness control in the notification panel as shown below.

Of course, you can adjust brightness in Settings— Display — Brightness.

But it would be more convenient to adjust brightness in notification panel.

So, where is the brightness control in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Why did Samsung hide the brightness control?

The answer is that, in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, by default,  brightness control was moved below the quick settings buttons, not above notifications.

This is somewhat similar to phones with stock Android, which requires 2 swipes (or swipe with 2 fingers) to access brightness settings.

So, as shown below, if you swipe down again in the notification panel (or swipe down from status bar with 2 fingers) to show all quick settings buttons.

Below the quick settings buttons, you can find brightness control as shown below.

The good news is you can move the brightness control above notifications. Read on…

How to show brightness control above notification panel in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

As shown above, you can tap the arrow down button right to brightness slider to access all settings for brightness.

You can now find the option to show control in top as shown below.

Tap the switch to enable it.

Then tap Done as shown below.

Now, you can check again in the notification panel.

The brightness control now is moved above notifications. This would save you one swipe to access it.

Of course, it is very annoying that Samsung make such unnecessary changes.

Can you show brightness control above notification panel in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

If you still have any questions on encounter any problems on showing brightness control above notification panel in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, please let us know your questions or problems in the comment box below.

The community will try to help you.… Read the rest

The post How to show brightness control above notification panel in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Update 1: if your Galaxy S7 edge has been updated to Android Nougat, you will not be able to choose the different colours for each contact in People edge. Samsung removed the colour option in People edge in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 edge.

What is People edge in edge screen of Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+?

People edge is a special edge panel in the edge screen. It allows you to assign up to 5 favourite contacts to the edge panel so that you can contact them quickly from the edge screen.

You can also immediately know who is calling or texting you by checking the colour of edge lighting.

So, People edge is somehow similar to contact shortcut widget in the home screen. Both allow you to quickly contact these contacts without starting the phone or messaging apps.

But People edge has more advanced features, for example:

• You can assign different colours to different contacts so that you can know who is contacting you based on edge lighting colours.
• You can quickly check missed calls and notifications from the 5 contacts from edge screen and take quick actions. Of course, you can still check such notifications from the notification panel.
• You can use OnCircle in People edge to share multimedia contents.

In all Galaxy devices that support edge screen feature, namely, 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+,  People edge is almost identical.

So, this guide applies to all of these devices although the screenshots in this guide are mainly taken from Galaxy S7 edge.

How to enable and manage People edge in Galaxy S7 edge?

People edge is one of the Edge panels.

To enable or disable People edge, you need to go to Settings— edge screen — Edge panels. In Galaxy Note 7, the path is Settings– Display– edge screen–edge panels.

In edge panels page as shown below, tap the checkbox in the top (marked as 1) to enable or disable People edge.

Tap the Pencil icon (marked as 2) to edit and configure People edge.

In People edge page, you can enable OnCircle as shown below.

To manage contacts for People edge, tap My people as shown below.… Read the rest

The post How to use People edge in edge screen of Galaxy S7 edge (and Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+) appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

From time to time, you may want to silence Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, for example, when you are in library or during an important meeting.

This guide tries to help you understand how to silence Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in different scenarios and different ways.

Please note, there are 5 types of sound in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge:

• Ringtone;
• Notifications (notification tone);
• Media;
• System (alerts);
• Alarm.

So, when you try to silence Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you need to know which are to be silenced, and which are not.

How to silence ringtone in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

If you do not want the phone to ring, you can silence Galaxy S7 ringtone with any of the following methods:

• Put Galaxy S7 or S7 edge in mute mode (silent mode) or vibrate mode.
• Turn on Do not Disturb.
• Set ringtone as Silent.

Method 1: Use mute mode or vibrate mode to silence Galaxy S7 ringtone.

You can put Galaxy S7 or S7 edge in mute mode (silent mode) or vibrate mode using Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons as shown below.

You can tap the icon to cycle through the 3 sound modes:

• Sound mode.
• Vibrate mode. No ringtones, no notifications tones and no system tones. But the phone may vibrate depending on your settings.
• Mute mode. No sound, and no vibration for ringtone, notification tone and system tones.

You can also set sound mode in Settings—Sounds and vibration—Sound mode.

If you want to quickly enter vibrate mode, you can hold volume down button until phone vibrates.

You can also use on-screen volume settings by tapping volume down (or volume up) button to set volume for ringtones, notification tones, media and system sound individually.

As shown below, when you drag the volume slider to the leftmost side, it will automatically enter vibrate mode for ringtone and notification tones.

You can also access Galaxy S7 volume settings in Settings— Sound and vibration — Volume.

Method 2: use Do not Disturb (DnD) to silence Galaxy S7 ringtone

Do not Disturb is an Android feature since Android Lollipop.  It was further polished in Android Marshmallow.

You may refer to this guide on detailed usages of Do not Disturb in Android Marshmallow.

However, in Galaxy S7, Do not Disturb was implemented in a slightly different way.… Read the rest

The post How to silence Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

This page is specially for official Samsung Galaxy S7 edge user manual in all languages.

If you are looking for user manuals for Galaxy S7, please check this page.

All of the Galaxy S7 edge user manuals in this page are in PDF format (You can get Adobe PDF Reader here). You can download it (choose save as) to your devices (PC, smartphone, tablet) to read it later or read it online in your browser now. You can even print them if you really need a hard copy.

In different regions or countries, or even for different carriers in the same country, Galaxy S7 edge may offer slightly different features. Some carriers may bundle some special apps. So, please try to download and use the Galaxy S7 edge user manual for your region and for your Galaxy S7 edge model.

If you want to read the Galaxy S7 online user manual, please follow this page.

For more detailed guides for Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge,  please check our Galaxy S7 how-to guides page.

If you cannot find the Galaxy S7 edge user manual in your language, please let us know in the comment box below.

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge User Manual in English language for International versions (Android Marshmallow 6.0, 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 Marshmallow 6.0. 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 for your Galaxy S7 edge, you can try  this user guide.

Download link (in PDF): Samsung Galaxy S7 edge User Manual in English language for International versions (Android Marshmallow 6.0, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia, SM-G935)

2. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge User Manual in German language (Deutsch) (Android Marshmallow 6.0, Germany)

This German language (Deutsch) version of Galaxy S7 edge User Manual is for Samsung Galaxy S7 edge sold in Germany with Android Marshmallow 6.0. The model number of the corresponding  Galaxy S7 edge is SM-G935F.

If your Galaxy S7 edge was not bought from Germany, this  German language (Deutsch) version of Galaxy S7 edge user manual  may be not for your phone. You may try the  English version.… Read the rest

The post Samsung Galaxy S7 edge user manual 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

The post Factory reset Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What is “home” of Galaxy S7 home screen panels?

When we talk about Galaxy S7 home screen, actually, we are referring to more than one home screen pages. These pages are usually referred as Galaxy home screen panels.

Among Galaxy home screen panels, one of them is defined as “home” of these home screen panels.

If you tap home button (no matter what you are doing, what apps are running) several times, you should be always redirected to the home of Galaxy S7 home screen panels.

Please note, one, and only one, home screen panel can be defined as “home” of Galaxy S7 home screen.

And there is always one panel is defined as the home of Galaxy S7 home screen panels, even if you do not assign any of them.

By default, in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, the panel next to Flipboard briefing is the home panel of Galaxy S7 home screen.

How to assign home panel of  Galaxy S7 home screen panels?

To assign or to change the home panel for Galaxy S7 home screen panels, you can follow these steps.

Step 1: Enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode

You can enter Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode (aka, access home screen options) in two ways:

• Pinch (to zoom in)in any home screen panels.
• Tap and hold (long tap) on any empty area in any home screen panels.

In edit mode, as mentioned in other guides, you can use Galaxy S7 themes, wallpapers or screen grid to customize Galaxy S7 home screen, or to add widgets to home screen.

Step 2: Navigate to the specific panel

In edit mode, you can navigate to different Galaxy S7 home screen panels with two different methods:

• Tap the screen indicator.
• Swipe (flick) right or left. Please note, Galaxy S7 home screen does not support cycling through panels, i.e.,  you cannot navigate from the leftmost panel to rightmost one. This is true in edit mode as well.

Step 3: Assign home panel for Galaxy S7 home screens

Once you find the desired panel to be the home of Galaxy S7 home screen panels, tap the Home icon (house) as shown above to set this panel as the home.

You can notice the Home indicator now moved to this panel as shown below.

Now, whenever you tap Home button, you will be redirected to this panel.… Read the rest

The post How to remove, add and manage Galaxy S7 home screen panels? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Why (and when) you want to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Cache partition is a special and separated region in the storage where Android saves frequently accessed data and app (including system apps) components in a special format.

The main purpose of cache partition in Android is to make the system “faster” by serving data and files in a special format from a specific location.

But occasionally,  cache partition may becomes a problem in performance or system stability  and you may want to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

For example, you may consider to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

• after a major system update. Although the update agent will wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge during the update and rebuild the partition, some problems may occur when migrating data and apps thereafter.
• when Galaxy S7 and S7 edge suddenly becomes very slow.  If the internal storage is sufficient and reboot the phone does not solve the issue, often, it is time to clear cache partition.
• when random apps crash frequently.  You may try to reboot the phone first to see whether the problem persists because sometimes the problem is caused by non-responsive system services. If this is the case, a reboot should solve the issue. But if the reboot does not solve the issue, you may consider to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.
• when battery life is consistently poor. If you find battery life (usually screen-on time) is consistently poor (less than 3 hours, for example) without obvious abnormalities, you may try to wipe Galaxy S7 cache partition to see whether it helps.

Although it is simple to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you may seek assistance in Samsung service center if you are not comfortable to do it by yourself.

Is it safe to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

As cache partition is separated from your data and files in the storage, it is safe for your data and settings when you wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

In other words, your files, settings, apps will NOT be affected when clearing cache partition.

Will wiping cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge free up my internal storage?

… Read the rest

The post How to wipe cache partition on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Update: if you Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 has been updated to Android Nougat, you may find there are some new features for quick setting buttons. You can even customize the layout of quick setting buttons in Android Nougat. For details, please check this guide.

As shown in Galaxy S7 notifications panel, there are by default 10 visible quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge actually correspond to quick settings panel in most other Android phones.

As Samsung’s TouchWiz modify many default features of the quick settings in stock Android OS, many new Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge owners may get confused on using the quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

This guide will show you how to access, use and manage (rearrange) quick settings buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.  You will also learn how to disable or enable Quick connect on Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

How to access quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

There are two ways to access access quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Method 1: from notification panel

Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons always occupy one row in notification panel.

You can access Galaxy S7 notification panel by swiping down from top of the screen (status bar).

By default, there are 5 quick settings buttons are shown in notification panel.  You can swipe horizontally to access another 5 quick settings buttons as shown below.

So, in total, the notification panel accommodates 10 Galaxy S7 quick settings buttons.

To show all quick settings buttons on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, tap the V icon as shown below.

You can also swipe down again on notification panel to show all Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons.

Method 2: Directly access all quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

You can directly access ALL Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons by swiping down from top of the screen (status bar) with two fingers.

This is a new touch screen gesture in Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, although it is a default gesture for quick settings in stock Android.

Anyway, it is good that Galaxy S7 and S7 edge now accept this gesture to access all Galaxy S7 quick setting buttons.… Read the rest

The post Use and manage quick setting buttons on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Why you may use Galaxy S7 camera modes?

By default, when you use Galaxy S7 main camera, the Auto mode will be used. For front-facing camera, the default Galaxy S7 camera mode is selfie mode.

The Auto mode (or selfie mode for front-facing camera) is usually sufficient for most users in most scenarios.

But sometimes, you may consider to use other Galaxy S7 camera modes. For example:

• if you want to have more control on ISO, exposure and white balance, you may want to use Pro mode.
• if you want to take a picture and modify it later with different focus, you may want to try Selective Focus mode.
• if you want take a panorama photo, of course,  you will try Panorama mode.
• if you want to include more people in selfie, you may want to use wide-selfie mode.

In addition, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge offer a few special camera modes, including hyperlapse, virtual shot, live broadcast, video collage. To use these Galaxy S7 camera modes, you have to manually change to it or create a Galaxy S7 camera mode shortcut in home screen.

We will have individual guides on how to use these Galaxy S7 camera modes.

What are pre-installed Galaxy S7 camera modes?

The number of pre-installed Galaxy S7 camera modes may slightly different in different regions or on different carriers.

In most regions, the following Galaxy S7 camera modes are pre-installed for rear camera as shown below:

• Auto mode. This is the default mode for rear camera.
• Pro mode.
• Selective focus mode.
• Panorama mode.
• Video collage.
• Live broadcast.
• Slow motion.
• Virtual shot mode.
• Food mode.
• Hyperlapse mode.

For front-facing camera, the pre-installed Galaxy S7 camera modes include:

• Selfie mode (default).
• Wide selfie mode.
• Video collage.
• Live broadcast.
• Virtual shot mode.

How to change and use Galaxy S7 camera modes?

To change Galaxy S7 camera modes, you can tap Mode button as shown below in camera preview screen.

In the Galaxy S7 camera modes screen, select the camera mode you want to use as shown below.

Now, you Galaxy S7 camera switches to this new camera mode.

Please note, camera mode selection is not consistent.

When you launch Galaxy S7 camera next time, the default camera mode will be used again. Your previous selection for camera mode is not saved after you exit the camera app.

If you use certain Galaxy S7 camera mode often, you can add a camera mode shortcut to Galaxy S7 home screen.… Read the rest

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

What is Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update?

Android Nougat is the latest version of Android released in August 22, 2016.  There are lots of new features and improvements in Android Nougat (both Android 7.0 and Android 7.1).

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge was released with previous version of Android (Android Marshmallow). Samsung invited beta testers for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update in November 2016 to try the unofficial firmware in selected regions.

The beta program stopped by the end of 2016. Now, Samsung is ready to roll out the Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 globally.

Since January 2017, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will start to receive the Android Nougat (Android 7.0) udpate gradually. It is expected that by the end of Q1 2017, majority of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices will get the Android Nougat update.

List of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update guides

Because Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update is a major software udpate, the change is significant.

New features in Android Nougat (Android 7.0) were introduced in the udpate. At the same time, Samsung also tweaked the UI for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The new UI is similar to that of the recalled Galaxy Note 7.

Many owners of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge may find it is hard to use the phone after applying Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update.

Therefore, a series of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update guides has been prepared and released gradually.

• Official user guide for Galaxy S7 edge with Android Nougat udpate
• Official user guide for Galaxy S7  with Android Nougat udpate
• Top 7 new features in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update
• How to use the new multi window feature in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update?
• How to use the grouped notifications and quick reply in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update?
• How to use the new quick settings panel  and customize quick setting buttons in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update?
• How to use new camera app features in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update?
• How to use new features in Gallery app in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update?

… Read the rest

The post Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Nougat update guide 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

The post Official user manual for Galaxy S7 with Android Nougat update appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What is Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset?

The No. 1 concern for smartphone owners whose phones were stolen or lost is usually private data saved on the phone.  If the data went to hands of bad guys, the loss may be far more significant than monetary value of the phone.

So, a lot of Android security features were introduced since Android Lollipop. For example, you can encrypt the whole phone to protect your data. Of course, factory data reset (FDR) protection may also deter phone thieves.

On top of the standard Android security measures, since Android Marshmallow, Samsung also added Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset to further protect private data for phone owners.

If someone tries to unlock your phone for more than 15 times, your Galaxy S7 can then destroy all data and reset the phone if Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset is enabled.

Please note Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset is a security feature for your private data. If you forget your lock screen PIN/password/pattern, the measure applies to you as well.

If you want to manually factory reset Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, please follow this guide.

How to enable and disable Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset?

By default,  Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset is disabled.

To enable Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset, you can go to Galaxy S7 Settings.

Tap lock screen and security in Galaxy S7 Settings page.

In Lock screen and security page, tap Secure lock  settings as shown below.

Tap (or drag) the switch for Auto factory reset as shown below to enable or disable Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset on your S7 or S7 edge.

What are the waiting time for wrong input on Galaxy S7 lock screen?

If auto factory reset is turned on Galaxy S7 or S7 edge,  Galaxy S7 will wiped the phone automatically after 15 failed attempts.

Since Android Marshmallow, Samsung introduced a new waiting time scheme for wrong input on Galaxy S7 edge lock screen.  In other words, if you offer wrong PIN/password/pattern/fingerprint, you may have to wait up to 60 minutes (1 hour) to try again. This is also a security feature to deter brute force attack in case you lose your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

Please note, the result of Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset is identical to that of factory data reset done manually.… Read the rest

The post Samsung Galaxy S7 auto factory data reset appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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

The post How to use Galaxy S7 application manager? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge introduced Galaxy S7 performance mode optimized for different usage scenarios: gaming, entertaining, and high performance.

What is Galaxy S7 performance mode in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Different owners may use Galaxy S7 or S7 edge very differently.  Even one owner may use the phone differently during different periods.

Such different usages may have different requirements for hardware and software optimization to get the best user experience.

One-size-fits-all type configuration is almost impossible to deliver the best user experience, even Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have top-notch hardware specs.

Samsung tried to address this issue with Galaxy S7 performance mode in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Each Galaxy S7 performance mode is designed for a specific usage scenario: gaming, entertaining, high performance,

By default, after applying Nougat udpate, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S& edge will enter “optimized” mode, which is optimized for normal daily usage.

For example, the optimized mode set the screen resolution to full HD 1080p, instead of the WQHD 1440p. Of course, you can change Galaxy S7 screen resolution and change screen zoom level.

If you need to use Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge for gaming, watching videos, or for maximum performance, you can then change and customize Galaxy S7 performance mode.

What are the 3 Galaxy S7 performance modes in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

In addition to the default optimized mode,  Galaxy S7 and S7 edge offer 3 additional pre-defined performance modes in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Of course, you can further customize any of these 3 Galaxy S7 performance modes.

1. Game mode

Game mode is optimized for gaming experiences.

By default, when you choose game mode for Galaxy S7 performance mode, the screen brightness will increase by 10%  automatically, screen resolution will be adjusted to full HD 1080p, game tools and game launcher will be activated instantly.

As mentioned, you can also customize the default profile. For example, set default screen resolution in game mode as WQHD 1440p.

2. Entertainment mode

Entertainment mode is optimized for watching videos and listening music.

When this Galaxy S7 performance mode is enabled, by default, the screen resolution will be adjusted to WQHD, video enhancer will be turned on. UHQ upscaler for music and video will also be turned on automatically.… Read the rest

The post Galaxy S7 performance mode in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.