Galaxy S9 Guides

a community for owners of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

In Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can use the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ to get the dark (black) theme at any time (not only in the night).

The night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update is the combination of the dark theme and night mode. In the stock Android Pie, the settings of dark theme and night mode are independent of each other.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide explains the details of the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update, and how to use the night mode so that you can enjoy the phone in all situations.

What is the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update?

In Android Nougat update, Samsung introduced the blue light filter to tint the screen so that you can use the screen comfortably for a long time (e.g., for reading), or in a dimmed environment.

Many owners also hate the default white theme, which looks great in the showroom. For day-to-day use, many owners preferred a dark theme.

Of course, you can use third-party themes to customize the Galaxy S9 home screen and Samsung apps. But most of the dark themes in the Galaxy Apps (theme store) are poorly designed.

In Android Pie, Google introduced a dark theme. But it does not apply to Settings or to most Google apps.

Besides, Android Pie also introduced the night mode in developer options. But it is independent of the theme settings if dark them is used already. You may refer to this guide on how to use the dark theme and night mode in stock Android Pie.

In the Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung added the night mode as an alternative to the default light theme.

The night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update lets you:

• Set the display to the dark (black) theme.
• Apply the dark theme to Galaxy S9 Home screen, Apps screen, Settings, quick settings, notifications panel, power button options, Bixby home, most Samsung apps include Phone, Messages, Contacts, Camera, Gallery, Clock, Calendar, Calculator, Samsung Notes, Email, My Files, Internet, Bixby, Finder.
• Instantly turn on/off night mode in quick settings.
• Instantly change the night mode settings in the developer options as “always-on”

… Read the rest

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In this page, you can find the updated official user manuals for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android update in your local language.

Android Pie (Android 9) update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ brought lots of new features. You may check this post for the top 9 new features in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Detailed how-to guides for new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9 plus can be found here.  You can also post your questions on Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9 plus in this page.

If your Galaxy S9 or S9+ is still running Android Oreo (Android 8), you can find the official user manuals here.

If you cannot find the official user manuals for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in your language, please let us know in the comment box below. We will try to add them as early as possible.

#1. Official user manual for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in the English language (UK)  for the international versions of Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ (Android Pie 9, UK English, SM-G960F/DS, and SM-G965F/DS; Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia)

The official user manual for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in English language (UK)  is for Samsung Galaxy S9, and Samsung Galaxy S9+ sold to in international market including Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia with Android Pie (Android  9) update. The corresponding model number is SM-G960F,  SM-G960F/DS, SM-G965F, and SM-G965F/DS.

If you cannot find the Galaxy S9 user guide in your language for your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+, you may try this one.

Download link (in PDF): Official user manuals for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in the English language (UK)  for the international versions of Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ (Android Pie 9, UK English, SM-G960F/DS, and SM-G965F/DS; Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia)

#2.  Official user manual for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in the French language (le français) (Android Pie 9, French language (le français), SM-G960F/DS and SM-G965F/DS, France)

The official user manual for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in the French language (le français) is for Samsung Galaxy S9, and Samsung Galaxy S9+ sold to … Read the rest

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You can customize the look and feel of Galaxy S9 Home screen after entering Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

The default Galaxy S9 Home screen may be OK for most users. But if you want, you can customize almost everything of Galaxy S9 Home screen without leaving the home screen.

You just need to switch to Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide explains to you the features in Galaxy S9 home screen edit mode and how to enter the edit mode from Galaxy S9 Home screen.

What is Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode?

By default, the Galaxy S9 Home screen is in the “presentation” mode.  What you see on the screen, and some behaviours, are the result of home screen settings.

If you want to change anything on the home screen, then you need to leave the normal mode and enter the particular edit mode of Galaxy S9 Home screen.

Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode allows you to customize the home screen of Galaxy S9 and S9+ without leaving the home screen.

Some customization can be done through Galaxy S9 Settings.  But some customization can only be done through Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

In short, Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode allows you:

• To change the wallpapers for Galaxy S9 home screen and Galaxy S9 lock screen.
• To add widgets to Galaxy S9 Home screen. For example, you can show photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen as a full-screen widget.
• To use a new Galaxy S9 theme for Galaxy S9 or S9+.
• To align app icons in the home screen.
• To assign home panel for Galaxy S9 Home screen.
• To add or delete a panel in Galaxy S9 home screen.
• To re-arrange panels in Galaxy S9 Home screen.
• To set grids for Galaxy S9 home screen and apps screen.
• To enable or disable number badge (app icon badges) on the home screen.
• To hide/unhide Bixby Home on Galaxy S9 Home screen.
• To customize other Galaxy S9 Home screen settings.

You will need the edit mode of Galaxy S9 Home screen if you want to customize the home screen of Galaxy S9 or S9+ quickly.

How to enter Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode?

To enter Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode, you can simply tap and hold (aka long tap) any blank area on Galaxy S9 … Read the rest

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Similar to Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9 features software navigation buttons. And Samsung allows you to hide and customize the Galaxy S9 navigation bar and navigation buttons in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

You can also use the software home button even when the screen is off.

This Galaxy S9 guide shows you how to hide and unhide Galaxy S9 navigation bar, customize the background colour of Galaxy S9 navigation bar, customize the Galaxy S9 navigation button layout, and how to use Galaxy S9 Home button when the screen is off.

Update: after updating Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus to Android Pie, you will get the new navigation gestures. You can choose to use the navigation bar with navigation buttons (Home, Back, and  Recents) or use the new navigation gesture.  But you will not be able to hide the navigation bar if you choose to use the navigation bar/buttons.  If you want to use these features and other navigation button customizations, you can use the NavStar app to customize the Galaxy S9 navigation bar and navigation buttons.

Please check this guide for the details about the navigation gestures on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update.

How to lock Galaxy S9 navigation bar?

By default, when you get the new Galaxy S9 or S9+, the navigation bar is shown, but not locked.

The dot (official name: show and hide button) on the left side of the Galaxy S9  navigation bar indicates you can hide the status bar if you want.

Sometimes, you may not want to use the feature of hiding and unhiding the navigation bar, i.e., you may want to lock Galaxy S9 navigation bar.

Please note, when using an app in the split screen view, the Recents button changes to the multiwindow button. You may refer to this guide on how to use apps in Multi Window mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

To lock the Galaxy S9 navigation bar, you may go to Galaxy S9 Setting, tap Display as shown below.

Then in the Display settings page,  tap the Navigation bar as shown above.

In the Navigation bar settings page, tap the Show and hide button (marked as 1 in the screenshot below).

After you hide the button, then you lock the navigation bar in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

If you want to hide Galaxy S9 navigation bar, then you need to enable … Read the rest

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Understanding the meaning of Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons in Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will help you to use the phone efficiently.

You can get quick system info and new notifications by checking Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons in the status bar.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains the differences between Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons, and the meaning of these icons in the status bar in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

What is the difference between Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons?

Android uses the top of the screen as the status bar, where Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons are shown.  It applies to Galaxy S9 Home screen, lock screen and all apps.

The following screenshot is an example of the Galaxy S9 status bar with notification icons on the left and status icons on the right.  When you use Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode or any apps in landscape mode, the status bar is also in the top of the screen.

Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons give you quick info about the system status (e.g., mobile network signal strength) and notifications from apps or the system.

When an app is in the immersive full-screen mode, the status bar will be hidden temporally. In this case, you can swipe down from the top of the screen to bring up Galaxy S9 status bar (and Galaxy S9 navigation bar as well)

The differences between Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons include:

• Galaxy S9 status icons are always related to the system; while Galaxy S9 notification icons are always linked to specific apps (including a few system apps and third-party apps).
• Galaxy S9 status icons are normally shown on the right side of the status bar; while Galaxy S9 notification icons always appear on the left side of the status bar.
• Galaxy S9 status icons are more or less universal in all regions; while Galaxy S9 notification icons depend on individual apps, whose developers can use whatever they want.

Typically, when you see an icon on the left side of the status bar in Galaxy S9 or S9+, there are usually at least one or more corresponding notifications in Galaxy S9 notification panel.

But if you see a Galaxy S9 status icon, there is seldom a corresponding notification.

Meaning of Galaxy S9 status icons

… Read the rest

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Samsung DeX Station works with all Samsung DeX-enabled devices: Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 8 and Note 9. You can instantly convert your phone as an Android PC (or a Linux PC if you enable Linux on DeX beta) with a DeX Station.

Although Samsung DeX Pad, Dex Station and DeX cable (for Note 9 and Tab S4) share identical DeX features, the design of these DeX accessories is substantially different. You may check this guide on using Samsung DeX Pad, and this guide (coming soon) on using Samsung DeX cable on Galaxy Note 9.  For the comparison of Samsung DeX Station vs Samsung DeX Pad vs Samsung DeX cable, please check this guide.

This Galaxy S9 accessories guide explains everything you need to know about Samsung DeX Station: contents in the package (box), the layout of the DeX Station, step-by-step guide on using the DeX Station. Frequently asked questions on Ethernet port, display resolution, charging and covers are also covered.

What is Samsung DeX Station?

Samsung DeX Station, as shown above,  is the first DeX accessory required by Samsung DeX. It was announced together with Galaxy S8 and S8+ in 2017.

Although it was announced as a companion to Galaxy S8/S8+, Samsung DeX Station works with all DeX-enabled devices: Galaxy S8, S8+, S9, S9+, Note 8, Note 9 and Tab S4.

The design of the Samsung DeX Pad is similar to Samsung’s fast wireless charging stand.  You need to push the top part so that it stands up to support the phone.

You may check this guide on the differences among three Samsung DeX accessories: Samsung DeX Station vs Samsung DeX Pad vs Samsung DeX Cable.

What is included in the Samsung DeX Station package?

In the Samsung DeX Station package, there are only two (maybe one if you find the quick start guide is useless) useful items:

• Samsung DeX Station (aka multimedia dock).
• Quick start guide in multiple languages.

Nothing else. No cables. No power adapters.

So, you need to prepare the following items to use Samsung DeX Station:

• A Samsung fast wall charger (adaptive wall charger). The wall charger included in your Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 8 and Note 9 is sufficient.
• An HDMI cable.
• (optional) A USB (or wireless)  mouse/keyboard. You can use the phone screen as the trackpad. But unlike Samsung DeX Pad, 

… Read the rest

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App pair on Galaxy S9 and S9+ allows you to launch and use two apps as a pair in the split-screen view of the Multi Window mode.

Samsung first introduced app pair on Galaxy Note 8 on 2017. It was then available for all newer Galaxy phones including Galaxy S9, S9+ and Note 9. App pair was also backported to Galaxy S8 and S8+ in the Android Oreo update.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains how app pair works on Galaxy S9 and shows you the two methods of creating app pairs. The guide also shows you how to manage app pairs and how to use app pair together with dual messengers.

As mentioned, the app pair is not an exclusive feature of Galaxy S9 or S9+. Instead, it is a standard Multi Window feature on Samsung phones with Android Oreo. So, this guide applies to other Samsung Galaxy phones including Galaxy Note 8, S8, S8+ and Note 9 as well.

What is app pair on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

As explained in the Galaxy S9 Multi Window guide, you can use two apps in the split screen view simultaneously.

You may need to use a certain pair of apps often. App pair is to address this demand: you create a pair so that the two apps are launched in the split screen view directly.

Of course, this is faster than the old workflow: entering Multi Window mode,  then selecting apps.

Even better, you can use app pair in Galaxy S9 edge screen to launch the two apps without navigating to the home screen.

Essentially, app pair on Galaxy S9 is a shortcut to the split-screen view of two apps. You can put the shortcut on Galaxy S9 home screen or edge screen.

If you are using the dual messenger feature to run two copies of messenger apps (e.g., WhatsApp), you can put these two copies of the messenger app in the app pair so that you can check messages in two accounts simultaneously.

Two ways to create an app pair on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

There are at least two methods to create an app pair on Galaxy S9 or S9+:

1. Converting the current split-screen view to an app pair;
2. Manually creating an app pair in the apps edge of Galaxy S9 edge screen settings.

Method 1: Converting current split-screen view to an app pair

When … Read the rest

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Dual aperture, which allows the system to choose the suitable Galaxy S9 camera aperture depending on lighting conditions,  is one of the significant improvements in Galaxy S9 (and S9+) camera compared to previous Galaxy phones.

However, in most camera modes, choosing Galaxy S9 camera aperture will be done automatically, and therefore you cannot manually select one of the two apertures.

The Pro mode is an exception, which allows you to manually choose Galaxy S9 camera aperture.

This Galaxy S9 camera guide explains dual aperture feature in Galaxy S9 and shows you how to manually choose Galaxy S9 camera aperture in the Pro mode.

What does dual aperture mean for Galaxy S9 camera aperture?

In photography, aperture, which controls how collimated the admitted rays are,  is one of the three legs of the exposure triangle.

Photographers use the combinations of aperture, ISO and shutter speed to get desired photos for various scenarios.

In most digital cameras or more expensive DSLRs, you usually have a certain level of control of the aperture.

But in smartphones, due to the compact size, the aperture of the camera lens is usually fixed.  Therefore, the camera app can control exposure through ISO and shutter speed.

Samsung introduced the dual aperture in the real camera od Galaxy S9 and S9+ so that the system can adjust the aperture based on lighting conditions.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ camera only supports two discrete apertures f/1.5 and f/2.4.  The system cannot set an aperture between these two values.

Typically, when ambient is very dark (in the night),  the system will set the aperture to f/1.5.  This allows more light to pass through the lens to get brighter photos.

When the ambient is very bright (e.g., under the sun), the aperture will be set at f/2.4. The photo will generally look more crispy than using f/1.5

How to use dual aperture to switch Galaxy S9 camera aperture manually?

Although dual aperture is a good feature for the rear camera, Samsung does not want you to mess up Galaxy S9 camera aperture. Therefore, aperture switching was programmed as an automatic Galaxy S9 camera feature.

In other words, it does not allow you to manually switch the Galaxy S9 camera aperture in most Galaxy S9 camera modes.

The only exception is the Pro mode, which allows you to control almost all aspects of the camera settings manually.

Please note, Pro mode is … Read the rest

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Galaxy S9 dual messenger makes it possible to have two accounts of the supported messenger apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Telegram, Viber…) and Facebook accounts in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

You can use these two messenger accounts simultaneously on Galaxy S9 or S9+.

Galaxy S9 dual messenger works on all Galaxy S9 and S9+ phones. It does NOT require the dual-SIM version of Galaxy S9 or S9+.

Dual messenger was first introduced in Galaxy S8. You can use the identical dual messenger feature on Galaxy S8, S8+, S9, S9+, Note 8 and Note 9.

This guide shows you how to use Galaxy S9 dual messenger to enable two accounts of messenger apps on Galaxy S9 and S9+. It also shows you how to disable individual messenger apps on Galaxy S9 dual messenger.

Why may you need to have two accounts of WhatsApp and other messenger apps in Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Many Galaxy S9 or S9+ owners may have different social profiles when they are in office, and when they are at home.

You may never want to mess up your personal WhatsApp or Facebook account with the account for work.

Some owners may want to show themselves differently in social media to buddies and to parents or teachers or supervisors.

Many Android apps support multiple profiles. For example, you can add multiple Google accounts to Galaxy S9. In Google+, you can quickly switch to different profiles.

But some apps limit one account on one device.

WhatsApp has been notoriously enforcing this policy since day 1. Facebook also requires you to sign out if you want to switch the account on the same phone.

But with more and more Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners use two SIM cards on the phone, there is a genuine need for running two messenger accounts concurrently on the phone.

Anyway, two or more WhatsApp (and other messenger apps) accounts can make your life easier by separating different aspects of your daily life.

How does Galaxy S9 dual messenger work?

Samsung initially tried to solve the work-life separation issue with the secure folder, which is a Knox-based container (like a small virtual machine, but not full Knox), in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

Secure folder works well in creating two spaces in one phone. But most owners do not use this feature because it is not so convenient. You … Read the rest

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In the leftmost of Galaxy S9 Home screen, Samsung reserved it for the Bixby Home. But  Many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners are not impressed with Bixby. They want to remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen.

By removing Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen, you would at least get a cleaner Galaxy S9 Home screen.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains how to remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen, and how to access Bixby Home when it is removed.

Why may you want to remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen?

Bixby Home is supposed to show you the most relevant info for you when you open it.  The info is pulled from both your data (e.g., calendar) and news feed based (e.g., Linkedin).

Such an informational page can be very useful when you are busy. You can just glimpse the Bixby Home to get informed quickly.

By default, there are at least two quick ways to access Bixby Home:

1. Navigating to the leftmost panel of Galaxy S9 home screen.
2. Pressing Bixby button once.

It is obvious that method 2 is faster and more intuitive to access Bixby Home, and therefore method 1 is redundant.  You may want to remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen to clean up Galaxy S9 home screen.

In addition,  some Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners are not fans of Samsung’s Bixby. Google Assistant, which is available on almost all Android phones now, in most cases can be a better job.

They may feel it is annoyed when they accidentally access the Bixby Home when they want to access the home panel of Galaxy S9 home screen.

Although it is almost impossible to disable Bixby in Galaxy S9 and S9+, it is easy to remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen.

You can also easily disable Bixby button in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

How to remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen?

As shown below, in Galaxy S9 and S9+, the leftmost panel in Galaxy S9 Home screen is reserved for Bixby Home.

The double-line icon (marked in the red rectangle) in the panel indicator (indicating panel you are in currently) suggests Bixby Home is active.

To remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S9 Home screen, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Tap and hold (long tap) any empty space in Galaxy S9 Home

… Read the rest

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Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ allows you to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout so that you will not lose you customization due to accidental touches.

Although it sounds trivial and can be found in some other Android phones, many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners will find this is one of the very useful features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide shows you how to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update, and what the caveats are if you lock the home screen layout.

Why you may need to lock the home screen layout?

You can customize the Galaxy S9 home screen in many ways. You can use third-party themes, remove Bixby Home from the home screen, change wallpapers, adjust the grid layout, add app folders, pin individual files to the home screen, show photos on Galaxy S9 home screen (using widgets), and manage home screen panels.

Besides, Galaxy S9 and S9+ also support landscape mode of the Galaxy S9 home screen.

But very easily, the customization can be instantly wiped by accidental taps.  For example, your kids may delete the widgets from the screen if they get their hands on the screen.

Many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners want to lock the customization after the initial setup because most owners seldom change the home screen after one or two months.

Now, in the Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout so that you will not lose your customization so easily.

Of course, it only locks the layout. You cannot add or delete app icons or widgets once you lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout. But you can still use Galaxy S9 home screen edit mode to customize the home screen.

How to lock the Galaxy S9 home screen layout?

As other new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, the lock home screen layout feature is not enabled by default.

You need to enable this feature to lock the home screen layout.

In Galaxy s9 Settings, tap Display as shown below.

In the display settings page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Home screen.

In the home screen settings page, you can then find … Read the rest

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Some Galaxy S9 and S9 owners are not excited about Samsung Bixby and the dedicated button.  They may want to disable Bixby button in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

You can easily disable Bixby button in Galaxy S9 and S9+ if you frequently pressed the button inadvertently, or if you do not want to use Bixby.

Update: After updating Galaxy S9 or S9+ to Android Pie, you cannot disable the Bixby button. Instead, you can remap the Bixby button to any third-party apps or any Bixby quick commands.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains the functions of Bixby button in Galaxy S9 and S9+, and shows you how to disable Bixby button in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

What is Bixby button? Why may you want to disable Bixby button in Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Since Galaxy S8 (and S8+), Samsung added a dedicated button for Bixby with the hope of boosting the usage of Samsung’s AI assistant.

As shown in Galaxy S9 and S9+ layout, Bixby button is located on the left side of the phone below the volume keys.

By default,

• If you press the Bixby button on Galaxy S9 or S9+,  the phone will open Bixby Home.
• If you long press (press and hold) the Bixby button, the phone will open Bixby Voice.

Samsung does not allow you to map the Bixby button on Galaxy S9 and S9+ to any other apps. It can only be used for Samsung Bixby unless you root the phone and mess up a few system settings.

Although Samsung Bixby has been dramatically improved since the initial release with Galaxy S8, in many aspects, it is still not comparable to Google Assistant, which can be enabled in Galaxy S9 or S9 by long tapping  (tap and hold) the Home button. Some Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners may not want to use Samsung’s Bixby at all. They are happy with Google Assistant.

Some other owners may do not use either Google Assistant or Bixby. But they may press the Bixby button accidentally when they want to press the volume button or the power button.

Even some Bixby users may not want to use the Bixby Home, which comes out when you press the Bixby button. You can use other Bixby features without the button.

So, there are sizeable Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners who may want to disable … Read the rest

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You may have to reset Galaxy S9 or S9+ when the phone does not work as expected.

There are 3 levels of resetting for Galaxy S9 and S9+: reset network settings, reset Galaxy S9 settings (system settings) and factory data reset (FDR) Galaxy S9 or S9+.

This Galaxy S9 guide shows you how to use these three levels of resetting for your Galaxy S9 and S9+, and explains what you should do before trying to factory data reset Galaxy S9 or S9+.

What are the three levels of resetting for Galaxy S9 and S9+?

When you consider resetting Galaxy S9 or S9+, there are three levels of resetting:

1. Reset network settings.
2. Reset Galaxy S9 settings.
3. Factory data reset (FDR).

Factory data reset (FDR, level 3) would erase everything on Galaxy S9 or S9+. You will get a “new ” phone to start with. You must back up all data on Galaxy S9 or S9+ before trying the factory data reset.

But remember, factory data reset will NOT roll back system updates.

Reset Galaxy S9 settings (level 2) removes the system settings added/customized by you,  but it does not erase your files and third-party app data.

Reset network settings (level 1) only remove network (mobile, WiFi, Bluetooth) settings. Other settings and user files are untouched.  You may use this resetting level when your phone has problems to connect to connect WiFi or mobile networks.

What should you do BEFORE trying Galaxy S9 factory data reset?

If you have to factory data reset Galaxy S9 or S9+,  you must be aware that all data and settings will be erased.  All apps installed by you will be removed as well.

And there is no undo option.

Before you factory data reset (FDR) for Galaxy S9 or S9+,  you should try to finish the following 3 tasks.

• Back up, back up and back up your Galaxy S9 or S9+.

All your data, documents,  photos, other media files and apps will be erased.

So, it is important to back up your Galaxy S9 or S9+. You can use the Samsung Cloud and Google Photos to back up Galaxy S9 or S9+ to the cloud.

If you prefer backing up to your PC, you can install Smart Switch on the PC. Then you can back up everything to your PC.

Factory data reset will not erase files on the SD card. But app data … Read the rest

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Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ has been rolled out since December 2018.

More and more Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners are enjoying the new features of Android Pie update.  Samsung also updated the official user guide with Android Pie update.

Android Pie (Android 9) is a major update for Android. There are many new features in Android Pie.

On top of the standard Android Pie features, Samsung also updated the UI for Galaxy S9 and S9+ to One UI.

So, many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners sometimes get confused on how to use the new features in Android Pie (Android 9) update for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

A series of guides on new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ have been prepared and tested since December 2018.

Now, we are releasing these Android Pie guides for Galaxy S9 and S9+ here.

This is a live post. A new guide is released only after it passes all our testing and verifications. We will update this post once a new guide is released.

Here is the list of released or coming-soon guides on the new features of Android Pie (Android 9) update for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

If you cannot find the Android Pie guides you need, or if you have any questions on Android Pie features on Galaxy S9 and S9+, please let us know them in the comment box.

We will try to release the guide earlier, and the community will help you get the answer or solution.

1.  Top 9 new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+

As the first major update of Galaxy S9 and S9+, Android Pie (Android 9) update brings not only Android Pie features to Galaxy S9 and S9+ but also a totally new UI (One UI).

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide explains the top 9 most useful new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ including One UI, night mode, lift to wake, floating keyboard, lock home screen layout, lockdown mode, new camera app, navigation gestures, and adaptive battery

Read on …

2. The official Galaxy S9 and S9+ user guides with Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+

 You can read online or download the official user manuals for Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus with Android Pie update in your local language for your … Read the rest

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In Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung keyboard can be in the floating mode, and therefore, you can put the keyboard anywhere on the screen and use the keyboard on Galaxy S9 and S9+ flexibly.

The floating keyboard on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update works on all apps, once enabled.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide explains how to enable, use, and customize the floating keyboard on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update.

Please note, the Writing Assistant on Samsung Keyboard requires the Android 12 update, which Galaxy S9 will not get. You have to use the third-party keyboard if you need the grammar check (in addition to the spelling check).

What is the new resizeable keyboard on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update?

By default, the Samsung keyboard or keypad is fixed on the bottom of the Galaxy S9 or S9+ regardless of the orientation (portrait or landscape) of the phone, just like in other Android phones.  The screen area occupied by the keyboard will not be used by the app.

This means the keyboard may waste a lot of screen space for the app.

When you hold the phone is the landscape mode (FYI, Galaxy S9 Home screen supports landscape mode as well), the keyboard will have to stretch a lot and waste even more screen space. So, the screen size is not fully utilized.

The problem has been exacerbated in the last few years because the aspect ratio of smartphones has become larger and larger.

Of course, the solution already exists on some Samsung tablets: using a freely resizable keyboard.

Now, in Android update for Galaxy  S9 and S9+, Samsung brought the resizeable (free form) to Galaxy S9 and S9+ so that you can type easier.

The floating keyboard allows you:

• To let the keyboard poping over any apps when using it. Therefore you will get more usable screen space when using the keyboard.
• To put keyboard anywhere you want.
• To relocate the keyboard when you typing.
• To resize the keyboard  (subject to minimum and maximum size).
• To switch back to standard mode (fixed mode) at any time.
• To switch back to the one-handed keyboard,

Basically, if you feel the keyboard affects your usage of any apps, you should try the floating keyboard after updating Galaxy S9 … Read the rest

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After updating Galaxy S9 or S9+ to Android Pie, you can use the new rotation toggle to change screen orientation on-the-fly when auto-rotate is turned off.  You can even lock the screen orientation to landscape mode with this toggle (aka orientation lock).

Many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners find this feature extremely useful once they realize the functions of the small rotation toggle icon.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide explains the functions of the rotation toggle, and how to use it to change and lock the screen orientation on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update.

What is the rotation toggle in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Most smartphone owners hate the auto-rotate. It often rotates the screen when you are not intended to do so.

So, most smartphone owners disable the auto-rotate and use the portrait mode.

However, occasionally, you may want to switch to landscape mode temporally for some apps. For example, you may want to show others the photos or videos shot in the landscape mode.

In this case,  without the rotation toggle,  you have to go to quick settings (this is the fastest router prior to Android Pie ), tap the auto-rotate button, rotate the phone, then show the photos. Once you finish it, you need to disable auto-rotate in the quick settings.

In the stock Android Pie, Google added the rotation toggle (orientation lock) to solve this issue.  The toggle will appear (and animates) in the navigator bar once the phone detects the orientation is different from the “locked” one.  You can tap the toggle to change the orientation. Of course, you can ignore the toggle (and do not change the orientation).

Samsung customized this feature a bit in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+. The rotation toggle animates only twice in Galaxy S9 and S9+, then disappear if you do not tap it.

It is unclear why Samsung decided not to show the toggle all the time.

How does the orientation lock work?

The rotation toggle (orientation lock) in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ works only when auto-rotate is off (it is obvious).

So, you will see the rotation toggle in the navigation bar (if you are using the new navigation gestures, the toggle will appear in a simialr location.) only when:

• Auto-rotate is disabled.
• The phone detects that you

… Read the rest

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There are at least 5 methods to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps:  hardware buttons (power+volume down), palm swipe, the assistant menu, Bixby voice command and Google Assistant.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide explains to you how to use them and how to use scroll capture to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+

Why do you need to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Sometimes, you may need to keep a record of a conversation, to share a webpage, to show some locations on Google maps to others, or to record some transactions when you are using the Galaxy S9 or S9+.

A screenshot is the easiest and the most effective way to keep info and pieces of evidence. The image saved can be read on almost any devices.

Although you can edit them after you take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+, most people give more trust in screenshots than the text you typed.

Sometimes, if you want to report a problem of an app, or request technical services, you may be asked to take some screenshots so that the technical staffs can understand the problem quickly.

How to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps (and without using your PC)?

There are at least 5 ways to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps:

1. Using hardware buttons (volume down + power button).
2. Palm swipe.
3. Using the Assistant menu.
4. Using Bixby voice command.
5. Using Google Assistant.

This guide will show you the details of these 5 methods in the following sections individually.

Method 1: use hardware buttons to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+

You can take a screenshot on Galaxy S9 and S9+ by pressing the holding  Power button and Volume down button simultaneously, as illustrated below. You should hear a click /shutter sound once screenshot is taken.

This method works on almost all Android phones.

In old Samsung phones with a physical Home button, the physical home button was used with the power button to take screenshots. But this does NOT work on Galaxy S9 and S9+ because the Home button on S9 and S9+ is considered as a software-based button.

The key point of using physical buttons to take screenshots is to press the two buttons simultaneously.

As a human, we always press one button earlier than … Read the rest

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The most efficient way to change settings of Galaxy S9 and S9+ is to use Galaxy S9 quick setting button.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains everything you need to know about the quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+: what are Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons? How to access them, how to use them, and how to customize them.

Update:  after you update Galaxy S9 or S9+ to Android Pie, you can use the night mode to set the background color of quick settings panel to dark. You can also use the quick setting button to switch between using the new Android Pie navigation gestures and using the traditional navigation bar/buttons.

What are quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Like other Android phones, Galaxy S9 and S9+ have quick settings buttons on the top of notifications in Galaxy S9 notification panel.

The quick setting buttons allow you to instantly turn on or turn off some features quickly without entering the complicated settings page.

For example, you can turn on or turn off mobile data or Bluetooth using Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Since Android Nougat, stock Android also shows quick settings bar (the first a few quick setting buttons) in the notification panel, in addition to the full list of quick setting buttons.

But Samsung added the quick settings bar in Galaxy phones a long time back.

Anyway, quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+ were designed to help you use the phone easily and efficiently.

The first 6 Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons (sometimes, it is referred to as quick settings bar) are shown above notifications in the notification panel as shown in this guide.

You can expand the list to show all quick settings buttons in Galaxy S9 notification panel.

How to access quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

There are two methods to access all quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Method 1: Swipe down from Galaxy S9 notification panel (or swipe down twice from the status bar)

In Galaxy S9 notification panel, you can swipe down, as shown below, to expand the quick setting buttons so that all buttons are shown.

When you are not in the notification panel, you can swipe down from the status bar twice to access the same Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons … Read the rest

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Many Galaxy S9 or S9+ owners want to show photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen so that they can easily see the slideshow of their loved photos without opening the Gallery or other photo apps.

Samsung made it easy to pin photos to the always-on display as explained in this guide. But showing photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen does not work out of the box.

Although there are many solutions for you to show photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen, using Samsung’s picture frame widget probably is the easiest way to show photos on Galaxy S9 and S9+ home screen.

This Galaxy S9 guide shows you how to show photos on Galaxy S9 home screen using the picture frame widget provided by Samsung.  You can also tweak the slideshow by including or excluding photos, adjusting slideshow timing, the layout of photos, and how the photos fill the spots.

The picture frame widget was available in Galaxy phones with Android Marshmallow 6.0 or earlier. Samsung removed it in Android Nougat firmware and offered it as an optional feature in Galaxy Apps.

So, this guide applies to most Samsung Galaxy phones. For Galaxy S9 and S9+, you need to install the widget from Galaxy Apps.

You may follow the steps to install the widget and show photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen. Ths steps als0 are applicable for Galaxy S8, S8+, S7, S7 Edge, Note 9,  Note 8 and Note 5. If you have an older Samsung phone, very likely, you can skip step 1 (as the widget was part of the old Gallery app).

Step 1: Install Picture Frame from Samsung Galaxy Apps

Galaxy Apps is preinstalled in Galaxy S9 and S9+. You cannot remove it.

Samsung now puts many optional features on Galaxy Apps.

In Galaxy  S9 or S9+,  tap Galaxy Apps icon in the home screen or apps screen.

In Galaxy Apps, switch to Exclusives tap as shown below.

In the Exclusives tab, you can scroll down to find the Galaxy Essentials category.

Tap view all as shown above.

Now, you can find apps included in Galaxy Essentials as shown below.

In some regions, by default,  there is a Galaxy Essentials widget on Galaxy S9 Home screen. You can tap it to arrive on the same page.

Among the apps, you can find the Picture frame as shown below. It used … Read the rest

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Galaxy S9 camera settings will help you get the desired photos and effectively use the camera in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This Galaxy S9 camera guide explains the meaning and usage of all entries in Galaxy S9 camera settings.

Why do you need to understand Galaxy S9 camera settings?

Many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners probably just start the camera app, shoot the photo, then share it.

It works well in most situations owing to the decent Auto mode in Galaxy S9 and S9+ cameras.

But sometimes, you may need to change some Galaxy S9 camera settings, e.g., using the timer, changing the video size to save storage, taking motion photos ……

Galaxy S9 camera settings allow you to customize the camera app so that you can take the desired photos and videos.

In the new Galaxy S9 camera app, the simplified interface means more customizations in Galaxy S9 camera settings.

How to access Galaxy S9 camera settings?

You can start the camera app in Galaxy S9 in different ways as explained in this guide.

• Galaxy S9 camera quick launch.
• The camera app shortcut on Galaxy S9 lock screen.
• The camera app icon in Galaxy S9 home screen.
• The camera app icon in Galaxy S9 apps screen.
• Bixby voice command.
• Google Assistant.

Once you are in Galaxy S9 camera app interface, you can tap the gear icon as shown below to open Galaxy S9 camera settings.

How are Galaxy S9 camera settings organized?

As shown in the following 3 screenshots, Galaxy S9 camera settings are organized into 3 sections/groups.

• Rear camera (#1-#6)

This section includes settings related to the rear camera only.

For Galaxy S9+, there are two rear cameras. But there are no separate settings for the individual rear camera.

In fact, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have the identical camera settings.

• Front camera (#7-#13)

This section covers the front camera specific settings.

Some of the second level setting pages, e.g., timer and HDR settings,  are similar to those of the rear camera.

The purpose of such settings is to keep separate settings for the front and rear cameras.

• Common (#14-#25)

The settings in this section apply to both the front and rear cameras.

Understand and use Galaxy S9 camera settings

Corresponding to the numbers in the previous 3 screenshots, here are the explanations of Galaxy S9 camera settings.

1.

… Read the rest

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