Galaxy S7 Guides

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

… Read the rest

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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

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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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Volume key is not just for volume control

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to disable/enable volume key for taking photos

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

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

Step 1:  Start Camera app

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

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

Step 2: Enter camera settings

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

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

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

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.

Why Galaxy S7 buyer guide?

The problem of getting a new smartphone today is not lack of choices.

There are so many choices! Android, iOS, Windows.. Samsung, Huawei, LG, Motorola…..

Samsung Galaxy S7 is only one of the options. You need know whether Galaxy S7 is the right phone for you.

Galaxy S7 buyer guide is here to help you to make the decisions wisely.

We will compare Samsung Galaxy S7 against  Samsung ‘s previous generation phones, for example, Galaxy S6, Galaxy Note 5, and against many other popular 2016 smartphones (LG G5, HTC One M10. iPhone 7….) in this Galaxy S7 buyer guide.

These comparisons and reviews of Galaxy S7 will give you better idea whether you should get Galaxy S7 or other smartphones.

Another common problems for many smartphone owners is getting quality and affordable accessories.

Galaxy S7 buyer guide will introduce you some high quality and yet affordable Galaxy S7 accessories to match your expectations.

You will find out that you can get decent and affordable Galaxy S7 accessories (e.g., Galaxy S7 case, Galaxy S7 screen protector, Galaxy S7 wireless charger, Galaxy S7 fast charger, OTG devices for Galaxy S7, fast wireless charger for Galaxy S7,….)

You should always understand your budget and your needs when buying a phone or buying accessories for Galaxy S7. This Galaxy S7 buyer guide will try to cover as broad range of products as possible so that you can find the a solution suitable for you.

Galaxy S7 accessories guide

1. Galaxy S7 case guide

   Do you need a case for Galaxy S7? How to find the right Galaxy S7 case to meet your needs?

2. Galaxy S7 screen protector guide

   Is Galaxy S7 screen protector a necessity? Does screen protector affect screen performance? Is tempered glass screen protector  always better for your Galaxy S7?

3. Galaxy S7 Wireless charger guide

   How does Galaxy S7 wireless charger work? What are the differences between wireless charging and fast wireless charging for Galaxy S7? How to get a correct backup Galaxy S7 charger?

4. USB OTG storage guide for Galaxy S7

   How to expand Galaxy S7 storage  with USB OTG drive?

5. …

Galaxy S7 buyer guide: is Samsung Galaxy S7 the “right”  phone for you in 2016?

1. Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: what are the new features and improvements?

2. Galaxy S7 vs LG G5

3. Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 6S

4. Galaxy S7 vs HTC M10

5. Galaxy S7 vs Moto X 2015 Pure edition (Moto X 3nd Gen)

This Galaxy S7 buyer guide page is a live page.… Read the rest

The post Galaxy S7 buyer guide appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

What are Galaxy S7 wallpapers?

Galaxy S7 wallpapers are just background images in Galaxy S7 home screen, apps screen and lock screen.

And it is the easiest part when you want to customize your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.  You can simply use your photo or your dog’s photo to make the phone “yours”.

But you should not overdo it.

Because app icons are overlaid on Galaxy S7 wallpapers, you may try to choose wallpapers so that it should not be difficult to see the app icons.

Some Galaxy S7 owners may prefer dark wallpapers to save battery because of the Super AMOLED display in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. But do not expect too much.

Anyway, choose Galaxy S7 wallpapers you like so that you can enjoy your phone. Don’t think too much on battery consumption: the difference is very marginal.

However, some poor designed live wallpapers may drain battery in Galaxy S7 or S7 edge noticeably.

So, you need to check battery usage by live wallpapers only.

How to set Galaxy S7 wallpapers for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

You can set Galaxy S7 wallpapers for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by following these steps.

Step 1: Enter edit mode of Galaxy S7 home screen.

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

You can also enter home screen edit mode through pinching to zoom in in the home screen.

In the Galaxy S7 home screen edit mode (aka home screen options), tap Wallpapers as shown below to customize Galaxy S7 wallpapers.

Step 2: Select wallpaper for home screen or lock screen or both

By default, the wallpaper setting is for Galaxy S7 home screen.

The preview of home panel of Galaxy S7 home screen is shown (marked in green box in the screenshot above).

Tap Home screen as shown above.

Now you have 3 options:

• Home screen.
• Lock screen.
• Home and lock screen.

These options let you choose which screen(s) you want to apply the wallpaper.

For example, you want to use the same wallpapers for Galaxy S7 home screen and lock screen.

Tap Home and lock screens as shown below.

The preview windows for the home panel of home screen and lock screen will be shown as illustrated in the green box below.… Read the rest

The post Use Galaxy S7 wallpapers to customize Galaxy S7 and S7 edge 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.

Why take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

You may consider to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge (print screen) when:

• you want to  share your achievements in a game/app;
• you need share a location in Google map;
• you want to share the content of a webpage, instead of the URL;
• you want to keep a record of online payments;
• …

Anyway, it is very easy to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. You do not need any apps to print Galaxy S7 screen.

Actually, there are at least 3 different methods to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge without using any apps.

This guide also show you how to use the new screen capture feature in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, scroll capture, which allows you to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 for long webpages or app pages that need more than one screen.

3 different methods to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

You can use any of the 3 methods to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

1. Home button+ Power button method
2. Palm swipe method
3. Assistant menu method

Among the 3 methods for screen capture on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

• Assistant menu method is the simplest. Your grandma can do it with one hand.
• Home button+ Power button method is the quickest.

Method 1: use Home button + Power button

Like in all previous Galaxy S devices, you can take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge by pressing and holding Home button and Power button simultaneously.  You may check this page on the button layout of Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

This actually is the quickest method to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge if you get used to it.

Some Galaxy S7 owners may fail to get the screenshot usually because of one of the following two reasons:

1. they press the two buttons, but not hold the buttons until screenshot is taken.
2. they fail to hold the two buttons simultaneously.

In reality, you always hold one button earlier. But if you hold the button too long without holing the other button, you will get unexpected behavior:

• If you hold home button too early, you will get Google Now on tap.
• If you hold power button too early, you will get power options.

… Read the rest

The post How to take screenshot on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge without using any apps? And how to use Galaxy S7 scroll capture? 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.

What is camera timer in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Galaxy S7 camera timer in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge allows you to capture photos on a delay after the shutter button is tapped.

The delay is most useful when you want to include yourself in the photo and you can put Galaxy S7 or S7 edge in a tripod.

Essentially, the camera timer in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge is similar to self timer in your normal camera.  Photos will be taken after the specified period (delay).

But in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, in addition to tapping the shutter button, Galaxy S7 camera timer supports other shooting methods as well.

This means you can also use voice control  or volume keys together with the timer for the rear and front cameras.  Front camera even supports more methods.

In addition, in stead of taking one photo, you can let Galaxy S7 and S7 edge take 3 photos consecutively after the timer elapses.

How to set camera timer in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

By default, Galaxy S7 camera timer is turned off.

You need turn it on and set it before you can use the timer on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

Please note, camera timer settings for front camera and rear camera are independent. In other words, you need to set timer for front camera and rear camera independently.  But the procedures are identical.

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

You can find the following Galaxy S7 camera timer options:

• Off.  This is the default setting.  Time is off.
• 2 seconds. The delay will be 2 seconds.
• 5 seconds.
• 10 seconds.
• Take 3 shots. This option is available only if timer is NOT off, i.e., if timer setting is 2 or 5 or 10 seconds.  If selected, Galaxy S7 or S7 edge will take 3 photos one by one after the timer elapses.

For example, as shown in the screenshot below, you can set timer to 10 seconds and enable the option to take 3 photos.

How to use camera timer in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Timer in Galaxy S7 camera will start after you tap the shutter button (or other shooting methods are activated).

Once Galaxy S7 camera timer is triggered, countdown will be shown on the camera preview screen as shown in the screenshot below.… Read the rest

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Number badge is part of Samsung TouchWiz launcher.  You can find it in almost all Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. But it is not easy to clear number badge prior to Android Nougat update,

In Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, you can now quickly clear number badge without opening the app.

What is number badge in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge?

Number badge is a small number shown next to app icons in Galaxy S7 home screen and apps screen, as shown below.

The number in the number badge indicates total number of unread messages inside the app.

In Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, only pre-installed apps and Samsung apps may have the number badge.

The number can remind you on any  unread messages. It is a useful feature.

But to clear number badge, it is not easy prior to Android Nougat update.

You have to open the app and read all messages to clear the number.

Sometimes, the number is not cleared properly if the messages is stored in remote locations (servers) due to syncing frequency and caching.

For example, your voicemail messages are stored in your carrier’s server. You may find the number is not cleared even after you read all messages. It may have a few hours delay in updating.

This can be annoying.

Now, in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, you can easily clear number badge from Galaxy S7 home screen without opening the app, and without reading the messages.

Read on……

How to clear number badge in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge with Android Nougat update?

As mentioned, the “old” method to clear the number badge is to read the messages!

Once you finish reading all unread messages, the number will disappear.

In Android Nougat udpate, Samsung allows you to clear number badge from Galaxy S7 home screen directly without reading them.

Step 1: Tap and hold the app icon

In this example, you want to clear the badge for Facebook, which has 25 notifications.

But you do not want to read them.

You can tap and hold (aka long tap) Facebook app icon as shown below.

You now should get the context menu as shown below.

Of course, you can remove this app from home screen or move it to other home screen panels as explained in the linked guides.

Step 2: Tap Clear badge as shown below.

… Read the rest

The post How to clear number badge in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge with Android Nougat update? appeared first on 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.

Update: it is official that Samsung will announce Galaxy S7 on February 21, 2016, through the event before MWC 2016.

The Galaxy S7  release date will very likely be in the second week of March.

The important dates before Galaxy S7 release date

We all know Samsung Galaxy S7 release date is near. Galaxy S7 will be one of the flagship Android phones in 2016, not only for Samsung but also for Android.

But when can you buy a Samsung Galaxy S7? When can you put your hands on Samsung Galaxy S7?

This is still a top secret of Samsung.

But before Galaxy S7 release date, Samsung must announce it first.

This is due to legal and logistic reasons.

All smartphones to be sold in a country must get the approval from the authority.  For example, in the US, FCC will approve all phones to be sold in the US.  Government agencies, unlike suppliers and distributors, are not bound by the non-disclosure requirements set by Samsung.

So, Samsung will surely announce (unveil) the details of Galaxy S7 before they send the device for regulatory approval.

This means it is NOT expected that Galaxy S7 will be suddenly available in all stores. For flagship phones, all vendors want to build hype before making it available in the market.

Due to logistic reasons, Galaxy S7 release date will be a few weeks after Galaxy S7 is announced.

So, before thinking about Galaxy S7 release date, you have to guess the possible Galaxy S7 announcement date.

What’s the difference between the announcement date and Galaxy S7 release date?

As mentioned, most flagship smartphones are announced before you can buy them.

In other words, you can buy Samsung Galaxy S7 on or after Galaxy S7 release date, which is later than the time when Galaxy S7 is announced (unveiled).

Let’s look back Samsung’s track record of Galaxy S series announced date and release date.

As a tradition, Galaxy S phones are always announced in the first half  (usually in Q1 except S3), and Galaxy Note series are announced in the second half (usually Q3). Keeping this release schedule makes it possible to release two flagship models each year.

Most other smartphone vendors can only release one flagship model each year normally. This contributes to Samsung’s success in crowded smartphone market significantly.

Due to lower-than-expected sales of Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5, Samsung made some radical changes in Galaxy S6.… Read the rest

The post When can you buy Samsung Galaxy S7? What’s Galaxy S7 release date? 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

The post Use Galaxy S7 Settings appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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

Mission

To help Galaxy S7 owners use the device effectively.

Logo

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

Community

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

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

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

Content organization (navigation)

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

• Official Galaxy S7 User Guide (PDF)

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

• Galaxy S7 How-to guides

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

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

• Galaxy S7 online manual

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

• Galaxy S7 camera guide

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

• Galaxy S7 buyer guide

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

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

• Galaxy S7 reviews and update

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

Reach Us

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

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

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

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

When you may consider to set Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size?

Most Galaxy S7 owners and Galaxy S7 edge owners may just use the default settings for picture size (resolution) and video size.

But you may consider to set Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size:

• when the storage is a consideration.
• when you need specific aspect ratio for the photo or videos.

Both Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge support micro SD card up to 200GB.  It seems this gives you “enough” storage for your photos and videos.

But for dual SIM versions of Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, if you use two SIM cards, there will be no slot for micro SD card as explained in this page.  This means you only have 32GB storage (actually less than 25GB are usable) if you use the dual SIM feature. You probably have to be mindful on the storage and consider to reduce Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size whenever possible.

In some cases, you may want photo or video with 16:9 or 1:1 aspect ratio, not the default 4:3.

So, in these scenarios,  the default settings can not meed your needs and you have to set Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size.

But before we jump to set Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size, we should know what are the “good enough” size for photos and videos based on your needs.

What are the “good enough” Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size?

For Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size, you need consider two parameters:

• Aspect ratio. Galaxy S7 camera offers 3 aspect ratio: 4:3 (default), 16:9 and 1:1 for both photos and videos.
• Resolution. The resolution depends on whether front camera or rear camera is used.

For aspect ratio, you may consider:

• 16:9 if the photo or video are mainly viewed in PCs and TVs, or shared through online services like YouTube.
• 4:3 if you may print photos on standardized photo papers.
• 4:3 if the video will be mainly viewed in very old TVs, or shared through MMS or email.
• 1:1 if you will use it for design.

For the resolution of photo, you may consider

• 12M (4032*3024, 4:3) if you plan to print the photo in 8R or larger photo papers,
• 6.2M (2880*2160, 4:3) if you plan to print the photo in a 4R or smaller photo paper
• 9.1M (4032*2268, 16:9) if you mainly view photos on PC or TV or share them on social networks.

… Read the rest

The post How to set Galaxy S7 camera picture size and video size on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

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

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

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

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

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

How to access edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge?

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

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

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is off

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

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

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

When the screen of Galaxy S7 edge is on

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

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

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

The post How to use edge screen on Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

Android Nougat udpate for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge allows you to adjust the screen zoom levels so that you can adjust size of both icons and text.

What is screen zoom in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

In Android Nougat, Google introduced a feature named display size (aka display scaling).

Prior to Android Nougat, you can only set font size to adjust the size of text. You cannot adjust the size of icons.

Also the size of some texts, for example, lock screen keypad/keyboard, notification messages, and menu items in some apps, is fixed.

In other words, changing font size will not change these text.

This is the reason why Android Nougat brought this new setting so that you can further customize the interface of Android.

Luckily, Samsung did not remove this feature in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

But Samsung, as usual, wants to confuse other non-Samsung users with a new name: screen zoom.

So, screen zoom in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge equals to display size (or display scaling) in other Android Nougat devices.

The difference between font size and screen zoom in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

As mentioned above, screen zoom is different from font size. Actually, it solves the problem that font size cannot handle.

Font size only can affect the size of “adjustable” text.

But unfortunately, size of some texts in Android is not adjustable through font size, including, notifications, lock screen text.

For example, a lot of users complained about the size of the keypad in the lock screen, or the size of notification text.

In addition, some apps may also do not allow you to use font size settings to overwrite its default settings.

Screen zoom works with all text and icons. It works just like you zoom in  to the screen.

So, the major different between screen zoom and font sizer in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge include:

• Screen zoom works with all text. You can adjust the size of notification text and lock screen keypad.
• Screen zoom can adjust the icon size of the quick setting buttons.
• Screen zoom works with all apps.

You can use screen zoom together to get desired display.

If you need further customization, in addition to font size and screen zoom, you may try Galaxy S7 themes.… Read the rest

The post How to use screen zoom to adjust the size of icons, notifications, and lock screen keypads in Android Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.

As shown in the post of Galaxy S7 specs and Galaxy S7 edge specs, Galaxy S7 is not a revolutionary product. Rather, it offers incremental updates for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5.

But this doesn’t mean Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are not exciting smartphones in 2016. Actually, they are.

There are no perfect phone, but there are several exciting new features in Galaxy S7 you may enjoy.

This post tries to explain the top 7 new features in Galaxy S7 to help you have a better understanding of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

1. Micro SD card support

For Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 owners, micro SD card support is one of the most exciting new features in Galaxy S7, although some users do not care about it at all.

As explained in this post, SD card support still matters:

• It is a psychological demand for many users. They actually do not need extra storage.  Some may never put SD card inside. But “the feature” can be an important factor when choosing phones.
• Some on-the-move users may need some media files to enjoy. 32 GB may be too limited for them. 64GB model usually is overpriced (to promote 32GB model). In many regions, only 32GB model of Galaxy S7 will be available.
• Some advanced users may like to backup and damp app data to SD card.
• Android Marshmallow has better SD card support. But please note adoptable storage option is not available in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. In other words, Samsung disabled the option to use SD card to expand internal storage in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

Even for owners who do not care about storage, this new feature in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge does not hurt.  It does not affect your other features.

For buyers who want a Galaxy S7 dual SIM model,  SD card support will use one SIM card slot. This means  if you use two SIM cards, there will be no space for micro SD card.

2. Water and dust resistant

From Galaxy S to Galaxy S6, only Galaxy S5 offered dust and water resistant (IP67). When Galaxy S6 was released, Samsung cited new design as the cause of removing that feature.

Now, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge offer even better water protection. Both phones are rated as IP68.… Read the rest

The post Top 7 new features in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge appeared first on Galaxy S7 Guides.