Galaxy S7 Guides

Update 2, added section: new features for Galaxy S7 always-on display. Recently updated Galaxy S7 always-on display now allows you to enable always on display on S View Window when a S View cover is snapped on Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.  Clock face now is renamed as layout with more clock faces.

Update 1, added section:  Limitations of Galaxy S7 always-on display.

One of the best features in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is the always-on display.

This post tries to explain to you what Galaxy S7 always-on display (AOD) is  and how to configure and use Galaxy S7 always-on display in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Please note Galaxy S7  always-on display is available in both Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.  In the post, I will just refer them as Galaxy S7.

What is Galaxy S7 always-on display (AOD)?

Very often, we check our smartphones just for time or for notifications. In this situations, we may have no intention to unlock the phone and use it.

But to check time or notification on Galaxy S7 lock screen, we must wake up (turn on) the display by pressing power button or home button (see this page for Galaxy Sy7 layout of buttons).

Now, Galaxy S7 always-on display, if enabled, can display clock, notifications and a image all the time except when Galaxy S7 is in your pocket.

It is a cool feature for some Galaxy S7 owners.

The super AMOLED display in Galaxy S7 does not drain battery significantly if you choose black background.

The Galaxy S7 always-on display is different from Galaxy S7 lock screen.  Galaxy S7 always-on display will disappear automatically when you wake up the screen.

In other words, you get the lock screen when you wake up the phone.  Galaxy S7 always-on display is activated only after screen is timed out and phone is locked.

When will you need Galaxy S7 always-on display?

In many situations, you may find Galaxy S7 always-on display is useful, for example,

• During a meeting,  you can just glimpse on Galaxy S7 screen to know the time, the missed calls, the incoming messages…
• In your office or cubicle, you can easily check time and notifications when your hands are not free.
• In kitchen, your hands are busy with other things.
• In the bed, when you want to check time.

Anyway, although Galaxy S7 always-on display looks like another gimmick, it actually is very useful for some Galaxy S7  and Galaxy S7 edge owners.… Read the rest

The post How to use Galaxy S7 always-on display? 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

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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

The post Galaxy S7 home 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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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.

When you need install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes?

As explained in Galaxy S7 camera modes guide page, there are 10 pre-installed camera modes for the rear camera, and 5 for the front camera.

Although these 15 pre-installed camera modes probably are sufficient for most owners of Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, some owners may still want to install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes to take some special photos.

Currently, Samsung released the following 6 additional Galaxy S7 camera modes free of charge:

• Beauty face.
• Sports shot.
• Animated GIF.
• Dual camera.
• Rear-cam selfie.
• Surround shot.

You can download and install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes from camera app in Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

Please note, the APK files for these additional Galaxy S7 camera modes are different from those for the same camera mode in Galaxy S6 or Note 5.

You should download the correct APK files through your Galaxy S7 camera app, and not to use the old APK files.

How to download and install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes?

To download and install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Launch Camera app on Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge

To launch camera app on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, you can use any of the 4 methods, including quick launch detailed in this guide.

Step 2: Enter Galaxy S7 camera mode page

In Galaxy S7 camera preview screen, tap MODE as shown below.

In Galaxy S7 camera mode page, tap Download as shown below.

Step 3:  Download and install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes

Now, you are directed to a hidden page in Galaxy Apps.

In different regions, this page may be slightly duifferent.

The list of available additional Galaxy S7 camera modes can be found.

Currently, all (6 in total) these additional Galaxy S7 camera modes are from Samsung. And all are free.

For example, you want to install Beauty face mode for your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.

Tap Beauty face as shown below.

In the Beauty face details page, you can find the screenshots and short description of this camera mode.

Tap INSTALL as shown below.

After accepting the permissions, the beauty face mode are installed to your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.

A progress bar as shown below flashes before the installing is finished.

Step 4: Check the additional Galaxy S7 camera modes

Once the installation is finished, you can install other additional camera modes if you want

In Galaxy S7 camera modes page, as shown above, now you can find the newly installed camera modes.… Read the rest

The post How to download and install additional Galaxy S7 camera modes? 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.

Galaxy S7 Settings is a special app for you to adjust system settings for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. This is similar to other Android phones.

So, it is almost certain tghat you will access and use Galaxy S7 Settings sooner or later.

This page shows you how to access Galaxy S7 Settings, how to use search feature in Galaxy S7 Settings and how to customize quick settings in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

This guide applies to both Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, although in the  text, only Galaxy S7 Settings (not Galaxy S7 edge Settings) is used.

How to access Galaxy S7 Settings?

You can access Galaxy S7 Settings in two different methods.  The outcome is identical.

Method 1: access Galaxy S7 Settings from notification panel

You can access Galaxy S7 notification panel by swiping downwards from top of the screen (status bar)  with one finger.

In the Galaxy S7 notification panel, you can then tap the Gear icon as shown below to access Galaxy S7 Settings.

This method is usually faster than the second method mentioned below.

Method 2: access Galaxy S7 Settings from Apps screen

You can also access Galaxy S7 Settings from Galaxy S7 Apps screen.

In Galaxy S7 apps screen, tap the Settings icon as shown below to access Galaxy S7 settings.

If you hide Galaxy S7 Apps screen, all apps will be placed in Galaxy S7 Home screen. You can then find the Settings icon in Galaxy S7 home screen.

Tap the icon similarly as shown below to launch the Settings app.

How to use Galaxy S7 Settings?

All user-accessible system settings can be accessed from Galaxy S7 Settings as shown below.

On the top right of Galaxy S7 Settings page, you can find Search button as shown below.

You can tap the Search button to search items among Galaxy S7 Settings. The search is limited to settings entries.

The first part in the page is quick settings section. You can put frequently used settings items  (up to 9) here so that you can access them without scrolling down. Please refer to next section on how to customize quick settings section.

Below quick settings, you can find all Settings entries for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Samsung tried to categorize the settings entries into 5 groups:

• Connections related settings.  All icons in this group are in light blue.

… Read the rest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Tap the shutter button to take selfie

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

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Why micro SD card support is still relevant and important?

Most flagship smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S7 has quite large internal storage. Most 2015 flagship Android phones started with 32GB internal storage.  This trend will continue in 2016.

Android system and the essential apps take about 4-5GB storage. Vendors may pre-install their own apps and some bloatware. These apps usually consume about 1-4 GB storage.

So, among the 32GB storage, owners can use about 23-27 GB depending on your region and your carrier. This is actually sufficient for at least 80% smartphone users.

But consumers always want more.

This doe not necessarily means consumers actually need more internal storage.

It is more or less a psychological demand, not a real (physical) demand.

But do not overlook such a psychological need. This can be one of the decisive factors when purchasing smartphones.

Apple successfully exploits such psychological demands with iPhone 6 and 6s storage configurations. They managed to sell more 64GB iPhones to buyers who initially may only budget for a 16GB iPhone.

But for Samsung Galaxy S6, the 32GB model is still the most popular model. Actually, some distributors even do not renew the 64GB inventory at all because of the weak demands.

Samsung is not Apple.

If you are a iPhone user, you have no choice: get it or forget it.

However, for Samsung smrtphone users, if you want a SD card slot (although you may never use it), you have many other alternatives: LG, Motorola, Huaiwei and may other vendors are waving their Android phones with a micro SD card slot.

Why did Samsung remove micro SD card support in Galaxy S6?

Samsung does have a valid reason for removing micro SD card support in Galaxy S6 (and Galaxy Note 5):  performance.

When you transfer files or update Google apps, you will find out that Galaxy S6 is significantly faster than any other Android phones if your network connection is good.

For file transfer, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5  are both significantly faster than any iPhones.

In addition, you may notice many new phones were fast when you bought them. But it becomes slower and slower gradually. This did NOT happen to Galaxy S6 or Galaxy Note 5.

Why?

Samsung is the first smartphone vendor  who adopted Universal Flash Storage (UFS 2.0) memory and ditched the old eMMC storage since Galaxy S6.

UFS 2.0 in Galaxy S6 is about 3 times faster than the latest eMMC 5.1 storage.  … Read the rest

The post Will Samsung Galaxy S7 support micro SD card? why micro SD card support matters? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Why you may want to review photos before saving to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

Sometimes, what you see on the preview screen may be different from what you taken with Galaxy S7 camera.

This is not uncommon.

For example, you may move your hands when press the shutter button (or using voice control, or using volume button, or using other methods to take photos). At the end of the day, you may find you saved a blurry photo.  The OIS in Galaxy S7 camera and Galaxy S7 edge camera may help you avoid some of such photos, but it may not avoid such photos in many cases.

Also, when your hand moves, the auto focus may change the focus unintentionally.

Anyway, if the photo is important, you should review it immediately.

There are two ways to review photos immediately after they are taken:

• After saving the photo, you can check the photo by tapping the Gallery thumbnail in Galaxy S7 camera preview screen. Of course, you can review photos in any Gallery apps or photo editing apps.
• Before saving the photo, you can review it before saving.

This Galaxy S7 camera guide will show you how to review photos taken with Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge before they are saved.

How to review photos before saving to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

By default, in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, after photo is taken, it is saved to the phone storage or SD card immediately.

If you want to review photos before saving to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, you need to enable this feature.

You need to start Galaxy S7 Camera app.

In Galaxy S7 camera preview screen, tap Settings icon as shown below.

Now in Camera settings page, as shown in the screenshot below, you can enable “review pictures“.

Please note, Review pictures setting is shared by front and rear camera. In other words, it does not matter which camera is active when you change the setting.

After enabling Review pictures, you now will be prompt with the photo after  taken it and you have the option to save it or discard it.

You can enable/disable review photos before saving in Galaxy S7 Settings as well

In addition to enabling/disabling photo review in the camera app, you can also do it in Galaxy S7 settings.… Read the rest

The post How to review photos before saving to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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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About Samsung Galaxy S7 How-to guides

Samsung Galaxy S7 How-to Guides will help you to explore and better use some important Galaxy S7 features.

All these Galaxy S7 guides include very detailed step-by-step instructions. All Galaxy S7 owners can easily follow these Galaxy S7 how-to guides.

We release new Galaxy S7 how-to guides regularly. So, bookmark this page because this Galaxy S7 guides page will be updated regularly.

All Galaxy S7 how-to guides are tested vigorously before they are released. This makes sure these guides should work on most Galaxy S7 devices (Galaxy S7  and Galaxy S7 edge) in all regions .

You may also check Galaxy S7 online user manual page for using some common  features in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

If you want to download the official Galaxy S7 user guide (in PDF) in your own language, you may check this Galaxy S7 user manual page and Galaxy S7 edge user manual page.

If you cannot find the Galaxy S7 how-to guides you are looking for, please feel free to leave you questions or problems in the comment box below. The community will try to find a solution or an answer for you.

List of Samsung Galaxy S7 How-to guides

1. Meaning of Galaxy S7 notification icons and status icons?

2. Switch to Galaxy S7: how to transfer data from your previous device to Samsung Galaxy S7 with Smart Switch?

   It is very easy to switch to Galaxy S7 thanks to Smart Switch.  You can even migrate old phone data to Galaxy S7 without installing any apps. This Galaxy S7 how-to guide shows you how to use USB cable to connect your old phone (Android, iPhone or BlackBerry) to Galaxy S7, and migrate all your data and apps to Galaxy S7.  This is the easily one to migrate phone data to Galaxy S7. Read on….

3. How to use Galaxy S7 always-on display (AOD)?

   Galaxy S7 always on display (AOD) allows you to choose an image or a clock or other information to display instead of turning off the screen for your Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Without waking up the phone, you can check time, notifications and calendar. This Galaxy S7 how-t0 guide shows you how to enable and customize Galaxy S7 always-on display (AOD). Read on.…

4. How to hide apps screen on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge and show all apps on Galaxy S7 home screen?

… Read the rest

The post Samsung Galaxy S7 How-to guides appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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

What is Galaxy S7 SIM card size?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Galaxy S7 SIM card guide appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Official Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual is for all Galaxy S7 owners: new or experienced.

Samsung Galaxy S7 is the 7th generation of Samsung’s flagship smartphone.

Following the drastic changes in Galaxy S6, Samsung again made more dramatic changes and update in Galaxy S7. So, even for long-time Galaxy S phone owners, some sorts of learning and experimenting are needed to use the new and modified features effectively.

The official Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual shows you how to use some features in Samsung Galaxy S7.  It can save your time to visit the service center if you can follow this official Galaxy S7 user guide.

This page is dedicated to  official Samsung Galaxy S7 User Manual in all languages!  You can find the official Samsung Galaxy S7 user guide in your own language easily in this page.

All of the Galaxy S7 user manuals in this page are in PDF format (You can get Adobe PDF Reader here). You can download it (just choose save as) to your devices (PC, smartphone, tablet) to read it later or read it online in your browser now. It is up to you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.

… Read the rest

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

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

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

Does it mean Android Nougat cannot handle WQHD?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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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

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… Read the rest

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Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge introduced some changes in icons and buttons. This page explains to you two of the most confusing new Galaxy S7 status icons you may find in the status bar: data saver status icon and performance mode notification icon.

Some Galaxy S7 status icons are carrier specific, for example, voLTE, WiFi calling. For these icons, they may be different in different phones.

But for data saver and performance mode status icons, they are identical in  all Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices.

New Galaxy S7 status icons: Data saver icon

By default, after you apply the Android Nougat udpate for Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, data saver will be automatically turned on.

And therefore, you may notice the following icon in the right side of the status bar.

Data saver is a new feature in Android Nougat.

Prior to Android Nougat, there is an option called restrict background data in stock Android. Data saver in Android Nougat is a replacement for this option.

Compared to simply restricting background data, data saver uses some algorithms to decide how to save data usage without comprising the phone functions.

Data saver can prevent some apps from sending and receiving data in background.

For apps you are actively using, it may also reduce the frequency of data usage to save data.

You can turn off  or turn on data saver in Settings —Connections-–Data usage–-Data saver in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

After data saver is turned off, the data saver status icon will then disappear from the status bar.

New Galaxy S7 status icons: Performance mode icon

After applying Android Nougat udpate, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is in optimized mode. You can manually adjust some settings to meet your needs.

For example, the default screen resolution was scaled down to 1080p in optimized mode. You can adjust the screen resolution to WQHD 1440p or HD 720p as explained in this guide.

To make your life easier, Samsung also introduced three pre-defined performance modes for gaming, entertainment and high performance.

So, you can switch to any of these 3 modes with one tap to get the optimized settings for each mode without fiddling around various settings.

When any of the 3 performance modes is activated, you will find the performance mode icon as shown below.… Read the rest

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