Galaxy S10 Guides

You can use Galaxy S10 home screen landscape mode for the Home screen and lock screen on Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G now.

When you hold the phone in the landscape orientation, both Galaxy S10 lock screen and Home screen can rotate so that you can use the landscape mode easily.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how to control the Galaxy S10 screen rotation, how to enable and use Galaxy S10 home screen landscape mode and Galaxy S10 lock screen landscape mode.

Different ways to control Galaxy S10 screen rotation (orientation)

On Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung introduced landscape mode for the home screen as explained in this guide.

Galaxy S10 keeps this feature and therefore you can enable the landscape mode for Galaxy S10 Home screen (including the apps screen)in a similar way.

Even better, Samsung also added the landscape mode for Galaxy S10 lock screen on all Galaxy S10 phones. Currently, this is a Galaxy S10 exclusive feature. So, the landscape mode for the lock screen is only available on Galaxy S10 phones.

On Galaxy S10, you can control the screen rotation in different ways:

You can turn on Auto-rotate so that the apps can change the orientation automatically when you rotate the phone. When Auto-rotate is on, you can exclude the Galaxy S10 Home screen and Lock screen.
You can turn off Auto-rotate (portrait mode) so that the rotation toggle appears when you rotate the screen. So, you can change and lock the screen orientation when you want. You may check this guide on how to use the screen orientation toggle here. When Auto-rotate is off, the rotation toggle will NOT appear on Galaxy S10 lock screen regardless of your lock screen rotation settings.

Please note, some apps may ignore the screen rotation settings. For example, Galaxy S10 camera app will not follow your screen rotation settings. When you rotate the screen, the camera app will always follow your rotation regardless of other settings.

How to enable and use the landscape mode for Galaxy S10 Home screen?

To use the Home screen in the landscape mode, you must enable it first.

You can enable the landscape mode for the Home screen in two different locations:

Galaxy S10 Settings
Galaxy S10 Quick settings.

In Galaxy S10 Settings, tap Display. Then, as shown in the screenshot below, on the Display settings page, tap Home screen.

As shown above, in the Home screen settings page, you can enable or disable “Rotate to landscape mode.”

You can also enable or disable Galaxy S10 Home screen landscape mode from Galaxy S10 quick settings.

As shown in the screenshot below, on the Galaxy S10 quick settings panel, tap the text, NOT the button/icon, of Auto Rotate.

If you disabled the auto-rotate, the Auto-rotate text should change to Portrait. In this case, tap the text (not the button) of Portrait.

Please note, the landscape mode for the Home … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 Multi Window?

You can use two or more apps concurrently with Galaxy S10 Multi Window.

Galaxy S10 Multi Window allows you to run two apps side-by-side (split-screen view) or to overlap multiple apps over each other and other apps (pop-up view) to improve your productivity on Galaxy s10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

Samsung changed and removed some multi-window features on Galaxy S10 with the updated Recents screen. Besides, Galaxy S10 Multi Window is significantly from that in the stock Android.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains everything you need to know about Galaxy S10 Multi Window: what is it, the difference between the split-screen view and pop-up view, how to use the split-screen and pop-up views of Galaxy S10 Multi Window.

What is Galaxy S10 Multi Window?

By default, only one Android app can occupy the screen at any time, although Android is based on Linux, which of course supports multitasking on the desktop.

Google first introduced the multi-window (split-screen view) feature in Android Nougat.

But for Samsung Galaxy phones users, Multi Window had been introduced since Galaxy Note II in 2013.

And Samsung continued to polish this feature in each iteration of the Galaxy devices.

Galaxy S10 Multi Window allows you:

To run two apps side by side (split-screen view).
To let one or more apps floating over other apps and any screens (pop-up view). The size of the app window can be adjusted and even minimized. The stock Android does not support this even in the latest Android Pie.

Of course, you can use the split-screen view and pop-up view simultaneously.

What are the Multi Window features removed in Galaxy S10?

Unfortunately, Samsung removed some very useful features from Galaxy S10 Multi Window including:

Converting a normal app window to the pop-up view mode with a gesture. The diagonally swiping gesture is not supported on Galaxy S10. You cannot find the settings in Galaxy S10 settings anymore.
Directly converting split-screen view to pop-up view. When two apps are in the split-screen view mode, the only multi-window tool in Galaxy S10 is to resize the window. All other tools and options (e.g., app pair creation, Snap Window, swap apps) are removed in Galaxy S10 Multi Window.
Snap Window.
Multi Window (split-screen) icon was removed in the thumbnails in the Recents screen. You have to long tap the app icon in the Recents screen to use Galaxy S10 Multi Window feature.

Please note, these features were also removed in the Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S8.

If you still need these features, you need to install Samsung’s Good Lock app.

What are the differences between the split-screen view and pop-up view?

If you migrated to Galaxy S10 from other Android phones, you probably tried the split-screen view in the stock Android.

The most powerful feature of Galaxy S10 Multi Window is the pop-up view.

Basically, the split-screen mode allows you to run two apps side-by-side (in the long side). You can adjust the percentage of the screen for each app. … Read the rest

How to set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+?

simon · 6 Comments

You can adjust the photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+ to make sure the photo is good for the intended usages, e.g., to show on a TV screen, or to print on photopapers, or to use it for a design project.

Unfortunately, Samsung removed the option to explicitly set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+. You have to implicitly set photo size through the aspect ratio settings.

This Galaxy S10 camera guide explains the available photo sizes and how to set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+

Why you may want to set or change photo size?

The requirement for a photo to be shared with others on the phone or to be printed on the photobook is surely different.

The size of a photo includes two factors:

Aspect ratio.
The number of pixels (resolution).

For the aspect ratio, the Galaxy S10 camera supports the following aspect ratios: 4:3, 16:9, 1:1, and 19:9 (full), as explained in Galaxy S10 camera settings.

The 4:3 aspect ratio is good for printing and for old monitors. The native aspect ratio of the rear camera sensors on all Galaxy S10 phones is close to 4:3.

Therefore, among all aspect ratios, the 4:3 aspect ratio can have the maximum pixels. You can imagine photos with all other aspect ratios are just cropped from the 4:3 one (as illustrated in the picture below).

The 16:9 aspect ratio is ideal for most TV screens and modern monitors. Because of 4:3=16:12, a 16:9 photo crops the 4:3 photo in the height direction and maintains the width.

The 1:1 aspect ratio is mostly used by designers and some social networks. As 1:1=3:3, a 1:1 photo on Galaxy S10 crops the 4:3 photo in the width direction and maintains the height.

The 19:9 (aka full) ratio matches the Galaxy S10 phone screen. All 4 Galaxy S10 models have a screen with an aspect ratio of 19:9. A 19:9 photo on Galaxy S10 also crops the 4:3 photo in the height direction and maintains the width, like the 16:9 one.

The cropping relationship between the 4 aspect ratios is illustrated in the following picture.

Please note, the above discussion is only for the rear cameras on Galaxy S10.

The front camera(s) on Galaxy S10 has a native aspect ratio close to (slightly smaller than) 3:2. This means for aspect ratios larger than 3: 2 (i.e., 19:9 and 16:9), the photos are cropped in the height direction. The photos with an aspect ratio smaller than 3:2 (i.e., 4:3 and 1:1) are cropped in the width direction.

For some unknown reasons, Samsung removed the options to set up the number of pixels for the photos on Galaxy S10. Once you set the aspect ratio, the size of the photo will be fixed at the maximum number of pixels.

How to set photo size on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 5G, and S10+?

On … Read the rest

How To Use Galaxy S10 LED View Cover (Galaxy S10 LED Wallet Cover)?

A definite guide for Galaxy S10 LED View Cover (LED Wallet Cover) on Galaxy S10, S10e, and S10+

simon · 20 Comments

Galaxy S10 LED View Cover (aka Galaxy S10 LED Wallet Cover) stores cards in the interior pocket and shows LED notifications on the outside.

You can customize the LED notification icons on the front for individual contacts and apps.

This Galaxy S10 accessories guide explains the unique features of the Galaxy S10 LED View Cover, how to use the Galaxy S10 LED Wallet Cover, how to customize the LED notification icons for individual contacts and apps. A quick review of the Galaxy S10 LED View cover is also included.

Please note, due to differences in dimensions and cutout of Galaxy S10, S10e, and S10+ (see Galaxy S10 specifications), you need to get the Galaxy S10 LED View Cover for your Galaxy S10 model. In this guide, Galaxy S10 refers to S10, S10e, and S10+.

Also, in some regions, Galaxy S10 LED View Cover is named as Galaxy S10 LED Wallet cover. Do not confuse with the Galaxy S10 LED back cover (LED cover) with the LED View (or LED Wallet) cover.

Difference between Galaxy S10 LED cover (back cover) and Galaxy S10 LED View Cover (LED Wallet Cover)

For Galaxy S10, Samsung released two LED covers:

LED Cover (LED Back cover).
LED View Cover (LED Wallet cover)

Galaxy S10 LED cover is a back cover; while Galaxy S10 LED View cover is a flip cover.

Besides, the features of these two covers also differ in:

Unique features. Galaxy S10 LED cover has mood lighting, camera timer, and emoticons for the rear cameras. Galaxy S10 LED Wallet cover does not have any of them.
Pocket (Wallet). Galaxy S10 LED View cover has a pocket (wallet) in the inside of the front part. Galaxy S10 LED cover does not have the front part and has no pockets.
Lock and wake up the phone. Galaxy S10 LED Wallet cover can lock the phone (when you close the case) or wake up the phone (when you open the case). Galaxy S10 LED cover does not have this feature.
Customize LED icons for contacts and apps. Galaxy S10 LED View cover allows you to customize the LED icons for individual contacts and apps. Galaxy S10 LED cover does not allow this. Besides, LED notification icons on the Galaxy S10 LED cover only works with pre-installed apps.

So, these two LED covers are substantially different. Galaxy S10 LED Wallet cover is the evolution of Samsung’s traditional LED cover (e.g., Galaxy S9 LED Wallet cover, or Galaxy S8 LED Wallet cover). While Galaxy S10 LED back cover is a new product.

What are the unique features of the LED View Cover (LED Wallet Cover)

Compared to other Galaxy S10 cases and covers, Galaxy S10 LED Wallet cover has the following prominent features:

LED notifications. You can get LED notifications on the LED View cover for incoming calls, app notifications, alarms, battery status, clock, and music controls. You can customize individual contacts or apps with unique LED

How to take screenshots on Galaxy S10 without using any apps?

You can use any of the 5 methods to take a screenshot on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

You can use at least 5 methods to take screenshots on Galaxy S10 without using any third-party apps.

Some screenshot-taking methods are unique to Galaxy S10 (and other Galaxy phones). Some are universal among all Android phones.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains and shows the 5 different methods to take screenshots on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

What are the 5 ways to take screenshots on Galaxy S10?

On Galaxy S10 (all 4 Galaxy S10 variations), without using any third-party apps, you can use the following methods to take screenshots:

Use hardware buttons (volume down + power button).
Swipe your palm (palm swipe).
Use the Assistant menu.
Use Bixby Voice command.
Use Google Assistant.

Please note, although these are different methods to take screenshots on Galaxy S10, the result is identical except Google Assistant (read on).

Method 1: Use hardware buttons (volume down + power button) to take screenshots

On all Android phones, you can take a screenshot by pressing the holding Power button and Volume down button simultaneously.

This works on Galaxy S10 as well.

As illustrated below, you can simultaneously hold the power button and volume down button to take a screenshot on Galaxy S10. Please check Galaxy S10 layout for the location of physical buttons on S10 (S10e, S10+, and S10 5G).

Once the screenshot is taken, you will hear the click or shutter sound. If the smart capture feature is enabled in Galaxy S10 Settings — Advanced features, you will also see the toolbar on the bottom as well.

In old Samsung phones with a physical Home button, the physical home button was used with the power button to take screenshots. Because since Galaxy S8, Samsung has switched to on-screen (software) home button, you cannot use the Home button (with the Power button) to take screenshots on Galaxy S10.

The critical point of using physical buttons to take screenshots on the Galaxy S10 is to press the two buttons simultaneously.

As a human, we always press one button earlier than the other. It usually is OK to press the power button slightly earlier than pressing the volume down button. The power button accepts both single tap (press) and long tap gesture (for the power button options), and the long tap gesture will be triggered after you hold the button for about 2 seconds. So, as long as you hold the volume down button within 2 seconds (after holding the power button), you should be able to get the screenshot.

If you press the volume down button first, you will get the volume settings immediately because the volume down button only accepts the single press gesture.

After pressing the two buttons,

If you get the power button option, it means you press the power button too early.
If you get volume settings, it means you press the volume button too early.
If the screen is turned off, it means, you release the power button too early.

How to hide Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home Screen?

You can hide, but not disable Bixby Home on Galaxy S10

If you are not a fan of Bixby Home, or other Bixby features, you can hide the Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home screen easily.

On Galaxy S10, Samsung made it hard to disable Bixby Home and other Bixby features. But you can hide the Bixby Home and remap the Bixby key so that the Bixby is less visible on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains what Bixby Home is, why some Galaxy S10 owners want to hide it, and how to hide Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home screen.

What is the Bixby Home?

Bixby Home is a component of Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant.

By default, Bixby Home shows some relevant info (e.g., schedule, news, and weather) for you. You can manage and customize the various cards in the Bixby Home.

On Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G), a dedicated panel (the leftmost panel) in Galaxy S10 home screen is assigned for Bixby Home.

Although some owners may find the Bixby Home is useful, Google Now (Google Assistant) page usually is better (arguably) and gives more relevant info.

Besides, many owners do not like the idea of a dedicated Bixby Home or (Google page) on Galaxy S10.

Therefore, some Galaxy S10 owners want to hide Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home screen.

How to hide Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home Screen?

As shown in the screenshot below, the two lines on the leftmost of the home screen panel indicator tell you that the Bixby Home is currently shown on the Galaxy S10 Home screen.

After you hide Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home Screen, then the indicator should disappear.

On Galaxy S10 Home screen, you can use the pinch gesture as shown below to enter the edit mode of Galaxy S10 home screen.

You can also access the edit mode by tap and hold (long tap) any blank area on the Galaxy S10 home screen.

If you are using any apps, you can always return to the home screen by tapping the Home button (or swiping up from the middle line if you are using Galaxy S10 navigation gestures).

In the Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode, as shown above, you can tap the two-line indicator to navigate to the leftmost panel.

You can also just swipe right to navigate to the same panel.

Please note, the 2-line indicator will always be shown in the edit mode even after you hide the Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home screen.

This is not a bug. It allows you to unhide the Bixby Home in the future if you change your mind.

Once in the leftmost panel, you can find the switch for Bixby Home as shown below.

You can tap the switch to turn it off (if it is currently on) or turn it on (if it is currently off).

For example, as shown above, the Bixby Home is now hidden on … Read the rest

Understand Galaxy S10 Home Screen

Get to know the different items on Galaxy S10 Home screen

You need to understand the contents of the Galaxy S10 home screen to use the phone effectively.

There are usually up to 11 types of items on Galax S10 Home screen. And they are usually designed and arranged for different functions and purposes.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains what Galaxy S10 Home screen is, the items on the home screen, and how to use the 11 types of items on the home screen.

What is Galaxy S10 Home screen?

In Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10e, or S1o 5G), you will deal with 8 types of screens:

Lock screen. The lock screen is the first screen you will encounter after starting or wake up the phone. You need to unlock to access private data and apps.
Home screen. By default, after you unlock Galaxy S10, you will be directed to Galaxy S10 Home screen.
Apps screen. Traditionally, in Android phones, the apps screen is called app drawer, where you list all installed apps. Typically, only part of the installed apps is added to the home screen. Apps screen usually is considered as part of the Home screen,
Edge screen (for S10, S10+, and S10 5G only). As explained in Galaxy S10 layout, edge screen actually is a software feature, rather than a dedicated screen. The edge screen requires a curved edge of the display. Therefore, it is not available in Galaxy S10e due to its flat screen.
Recents (Overview) screen. You can find the list of recently used apps in the Recents screen. You can launch these apps in the split-screen view or pop-up view (multiwindow mode) as explained in this guide.
Notification panel. You can swipe down from the Galaxy S10 status bar to access the notification panel.
Quick settings panel. You can use the quick setting buttons to turn on or off some features on Galaxy S10 without opening Galaxy S10 Settings.
Individual app screen.

Galaxy S10 Home screen is the center of the phone. There is no way to bypass the home screen.

Galaxy S10 is protected by Galaxy S10 lock screen to prevent unauthorized access to your apps and data. Therefore, the Home screen is always behind the lock screen.

You can access the Home screen in different ways:

After unlocking Galaxy S10, you should get the Galaxy S10 Home screen directly.
When you are using any apps, you can tap the Home button (or swipe up from the centerline if you are using Galaxy S10 navigation gestures) in the navigation bar to access the Galaxy S10 Home screen directly.
When you are using any apps, you can keep tapping the Back button in the navigation bar to return to the Home screen eventually. Some apps may require you to tap the back button several times before you get the Home screen. A few apps may ask you to confirm to exit the app. Anyway, the behavior of the back button

How to use Galaxy S10 Settings?

Galaxy S10 Settings explained

You need to use Galaxy S10 Settings to customize Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, or S10 5G so that the phone works in the way you want.

Like other Android phones, Galaxy S10 offers plenty of options for you to customize and tweak the phone to meet the needs and preferences of different owners.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide shows you how to access and use the Galaxy S10 Settings. It also explains the main entries of the Galaxy S10 settings.

Why do you need to understand and use Galaxy S10 Settings?

When you get Galaxy S10 (S10, S10e, S1o+, or S10 5G), the phone should work immediately after you set up the phone, or migrate to Galaxy S10.

But you may want to change something. For example, you may want to change or customize the Galaxy S10 lock screen. Or you may want to try the new fingerprint scanner.

All these customizations for the phone can be accessed from Galaxy S10 Settings.

However, the options in Galaxy S10 settings are overwhelming. Samsung had to place them into different categories on several levels. The organization for the settings and options changes in each Android version.

So, some seasoned Galaxy phone users may also have problems to find the entry easily.

How to access Galaxy S10 Settings?

Galaxy S10 Settings are packed in the Settings app in Galaxy S10 phones.

You can access Galaxy S10 Settings in at least 5 different ways including:

Tap the Settings app icon on the Home screen as shown below. If you cannot find the Settings app on Galaxy S10 Home screen, you can add it to the home screen from the Apps screen (app drawer).

Tap Settings app icon on the Apps screen. You can always find the Settings app in the Apps screen (app drawer). You cannot hide it.
Tap Settings icon in the notification panel or quick settings panel, as shown below.

Use Google Assistant voice command. You can use the voice command “OK Google, open Settings app” if you turned on Google Assistant voice commands.
Use Bixby Voice command. You can also use Bixby voice command (if enabled) “Hi Bixby, open Settings app.”

All the 5 ways to start Galaxy S10 Settings will give you the identical result: bring you to the settings page (read on ).

Galaxy S10 Settings explained

As shown in the screenshot below, Galaxy S10 settings are divided into 19 (3-21) different main functional groups.

Inside each group, there may be some sub-groups at several levels. So, it is hard to explain all entries of the settings.

Corresponding to the numbers in the screenshot above, let’s navigate through the first level functional group.

1. Search button for Galaxy S10 Settings

When you are not sure about where to find the settings, you can type a keyword to search the Galaxy S10 settings. All entries at different levels will be included in the search result.

If one or more entries found, you can … Read the rest

Galaxy S10 camera settings explained

simon · 15 Comments

To use the camera effectively (to get the best possible photos) on Galaxy S10, you need to understand Galaxy S10 camera settings and know how to adjust the Galaxy S10 camera settings.

Some of the camera settings on Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G are intuitive. But some are hidden under other settings/entries.

This Galaxy S10 camera guide explains the Galaxy S10 camera settings and shows you how to use them.

Because the camera app in Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G are almost identical, this guide applies to all 4 Galaxy S10 models although only Galaxy S10 is normally referred to.

Why do you need to understand the Galaxy S10 camera settings?

Samsung revamped the camera app in Galaxy S10 as part of the brand new One UI for Galaxy phones with Android Pie (Android 9.0).

So, if you just migrated to Galaxy S10 from other Android phones, or from Samsung Galaxy phones with Android Oreo or older versions, you are facing a very different camera app.

Compared to other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android Oreo (Android 8.0), there are many changes in Galaxy S10 camera app as explained in this guide. Some changes are reasonable and make things better. But a few changes may be undesirable.

To fully utilize the features packed in the Galaxy S10 cameras so that you can get the best possible photos, you need to adjust some Galaxy S10 camera settings depending on the situation.

For example, you should enable shape correction for the ultrawide camera to reduce the distortion. But the option is not enabled by default in the camera app.

How to access Galaxy S10 camera settings?

In the Galaxy S10 camera app, you can tap the Settings icon, as shown in the screenshot below, to open Galaxy S10 camera settings.

For the meaning of other buttons in the Galaxy S10 camera app interface and how to use gestures in the camera app, you may check this guide.

Galaxy S10 camera settings explained

After tapping the camera settings icon in Galaxy S10 camera app, you will get the following Galaxy S10 camera settings.

Please note, if you are in a camera mode other then the Auto mode, or the front camera is active, some entries in the camera settings will be greyed out. These grayed out entries are NOT relevant to your current camera mode or camera.

Samsung divided Galaxy S10 camera settings into 4 categories:

Intelligent features. These features, scene optimizer, shot suggestions, and flaw detection, intend to make your camera smart and therefore help you get the best possible photos automatically if enabled.
Pictures. This section includes settings for photos including motion photos, the action for holding the shutter button and photo save options.
Videos. The settings in this section are about videos including rear video size, front video size, advanced recording options, and video stabilization.
Useful features. Everything else is included in the section of useful features. They include HDR,

How to use Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons?

You can use Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons to quickly turn on or turn off some features without opening Galaxy S10 Settings, or any apps.

The first a few quick setting buttons are also available in the notification panel, like in other Android phones.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons may improve your productivity, the two ways to access quick setting buttons, how to use quick setting buttons, and how to manage quick setting buttons on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

What are the Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons?

Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons allow you to turn on and turn off some frequently used features quickly without opening the Galaxy S10 Settings page.

By default, on the top of the Galaxy S10 notification panel, there is one row of quick setting buttons. They are the first a few of the quick setting buttons.

You can access more quick setting buttons in a dedicated panel.

Since Android Pie, Google removed the dialogue options for quick setting buttons.

So in Galaxy s10, the quick setting buttons are simple to enable or to disable specific features/functions. Of course, if you long tap the button, you will be directed to the corresponding Galaxy S10 Settings page.

In Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons panel, you can also change the display brightness settings.

Samsung may also add new buttons into the quick setting buttons when some new features are added. For example, in Galaxy S10 September 2019 update, the Link to Windows button was added.

How to access Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons?

As mentioned, you can access part (first a few) of quick setting buttons in the Galaxy S10 notification panel.

If you want to access all quick setting buttons, there are two ways to access them:

Swipe down twice from the status bar (swipe down from the notification panel).
Swipe down once with two fingers from the status bar.

The result of these two methods are identical: they will bring you to the dedicated Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons page so that you can use all quick setting buttons and manage them.

As illustrated below, you can swipe down from the status bar to open the notification panel.

Then, you can swipe down again to access the quick setting buttons as shown below.

The second method requires you to swipe down from the status bar with two fingers as illustrated below.

When using some apps, the status bar may be hidden. In these cases, you can just swipe down from the top of the screen without seeing the status bar.

How to use Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons?

Quick setting buttons accept two touchscreen gestures:

Tap (single tap) to turn on or turn off the corresponding feature.
Tap and hold (long tap) to open the corresponding Galaxy S10 Settings page.

Please note, some buttons do not have a settings page. If you tap and hold (long tap) these buttons, … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 Camera app?

simon · 6 Comments

Mastering Galaxy S10 Camera app is essential for taking the best photos with cameras on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

Samsung significantly changed the Camera app in One UI with Android Pie. So, even for seasoned Samsung Galaxy phone users, there are some new features of the Galaxy S10 Camera app, and of course, there are many removed features.

This Galaxy S10 camera guide explains the new features of the Galaxy S10 Camera app, the components of the camera app interface (UI), and how to use gestures in Galaxy S10 camera app.

Please note, in Android 10 update for Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e, the Camera app was updated as well. You may check this guide for a few new features in the camera app.

New features of Galaxy S10 Camera app?

Compared to the Camera app in Galaxy S9 (prior to Android Pie update) and older Galaxy phones, Galaxy S10 Camera app has some new or changed features including:

There is no dedicated video recording button. Video recording is a camera mode. So, you cannot use the Pro mode to record videos anymore.
The shutter button does not have the zoom function. You cannot drag the shutter button to zoom. You can use the pinch/spread gesture or rear camera selection buttons to zoom in/out.
Camera modes are located on the bottom (above the shutter button) in the portrait orientation, and the orientation does not change when you hold the phone in landscape orientation.
AR Emoji is not listed as a camera mode. It has a dedicated button in Galaxy S10 camera app interface.
The Bixby Vision and AR Emoji buttons are located on the top of the screen.
Galaxy S10 Camera setting button is located on the top (below the Bixby vision and AR Emoji).
The Auto camera mode is renamed as Photo mode.
New scene optimizer button was added on the preview window.
For supported camera modes, you can now change the aspect ratio of the photo (and photo size) without navigating to Galaxy S10 camera settings.
You cannot adjust the resolution of the photo directly. You can only adjust the aspect ratio of the photo. Each aspect ratio has a fixed resolution. You may refer to this guide on how to set photo size on Galaxy S10.
New Galaxy S10 camera night mode.

Please note, only the official Samsung Camera app can fully utilize the advanced features of Galaxy S10 camera sensors. Third-party camera apps can use the basic features of the sensors.

Components of the Galaxy S10 camera app

Once you launch the camera, by default, you can find the following 14 items in the camera app interface as shown in the screenshot below.

Bixby Vision.
AR Emoji.
Galaxy S10 camera settings button.
Flash.
Timer.
Photo aspect ratio/size settings.
Galaxy S10 camera effects (filters).
Camera lens selection.
Scene optimizer.
Galaxy S10 camera models.
Shortcut to Gallery app.
Shutter button.
Front/rear cameras switch.
Preview screen.

Meaning of Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons

simon · 28 Comments

You need to understand the meaning of the Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons to get some quick information on the system status and health.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains the differences between Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons, how to customize the notifications in the status bar, and the meaning of Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons in Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e.

Please note, in some regions or carriers, the status icon on Galaxy S10 may be slightly different.

If you want to customize or disable notification icons in Galaxy S10 status bar, you may check this guide.

What is the difference between Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons?

Like other Android phones, Galaxy S10 uses the top part of the screen as a status bar to display status icons and notification icons. These icons tell you something about the system or inform you about unread or on-going notifications.

The status bar appears on all screens in Galaxy S10, including Galaxy S10 Home screen, apps screes, lock screen, and all apps.

The icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar are usually classified as notification icons and status icons.

As shown in the screenshot below, the Galaxy S10 notification icons are in the left side of the status bar. The Galaxy S10 status icons are on the right side of the status bar.

Please note, due to camera cutout on Galaxy S10, the status icon are aligned to the left side of the cutout, not to the right edge of the screen. If you use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout, the status icons will be aligned to the right side.

The differences between Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons are

Galaxy S10 status icons are always related to the system; while Galaxy S10 notification icons are usually linked to specific apps (including a few system apps and third-party apps).
Galaxy S10 status icons are normally shown on the right side of the status bar; while Galaxy S10 notification icons always appear on the left side of the status bar.
Galaxy S10 status icons are more or less universal in all regions; while Galaxy S10 notification icons depend on individual apps, whose developers can use whatever they want.
Galaxy S10 status icons normally do not have any corresponding notifications in the notification panel; while Galaxy S10 notification icons usually have one or more corresponding notifications in the notification panel.
You can customize the number of Galaxy S10 notification icons shown on the Galaxy S10 status bar. But you cannot customize the number of status icons.

Please note, when an app is in the immersive full-screen mode, the status bar will be hidden temporally. You can swipe down from the top of the screen to bring up the Galaxy S10 status bar (and Galaxy S10 navigation bar if you are using Galaxy S10 navigation buttons).

Also, when you are in … Read the rest

How to disable or customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar?

You can disable and customize notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar to save space for the status icons.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide shows you how to limit the number of notifications icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar to 3, or to disable notification icons in the status bar.

This guide applies to all Galaxy S10 models: Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G.

Why you may consider to customize or disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar?

Due to the cutout of front cameras in the screen (see Galaxy S10 layout), the icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar are not aligned to the right edge of the screen. Instead, the status icons are aligned to the left side of the camera cutout (the left side of the O of the infinity O display).

Besides, since Android Pie update for Galaxy S9, Samsung displays the current time on the left side of the status bar like other Android phones.

Therefore, the usable space for the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar is significantly reduced.

For example, as shown below, the default status bar can be very crowded if you show many notification icons. The meaning of the Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons are compiled on this page.

Therefore, Samsung allows you to customize the number of notification icons shown on the status bar.

You can even disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar.

How to disable or customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar?

If you want to customize the number of Galaxy S10 notification icons in the status bar or to disable notification icons in Galaxy S10 status bar, you can do so in Galaxy S10 Settings.

In the Settings page, tap Notifications, as shown below, to manage Galaxy S10 notifications.

In the notification settings page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Status bar.

Now, in the status bar, you can see all options for customizing notifications icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar.

As shown below, you can choose to show:

3 recent notifications. If you have notifications from more than 3 apps, only the notifications icons from the last 3 apps will be shown.
All notifications.

The option of Shown battery percentage actually let you decide to show or hide the battery level on the right side of the status bar (among status icons, not notification icons).

As shown in the screenshot below, there is one notification icon. If you tap the switch for “Show notification icons” to turn it off it will hide the notification icon from the status bar.

As shown in the screenshot above, you can find the notification icon disappears after you disable notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar.

Please note, disabling notification icons in the status bar does not affect the notification itself. The corresponding notifications are still in the notification panel. The … Read the rest

Galaxy S10 SIM card guide

simon · 8 Comments

You need to insert a SIM card to Galaxy S10 SIM card tray to use the mobile network (voice, SMS, and mobile data).

In the Galaxy S10 box, a SIM card is not included (although the SIM card tray ejection pin is included). You have to get one from the carrier. Of course, it is not free.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains everything you need to know about Galaxy S10 SIM card: the size of the SIM card used in Galaxy S10, add or change the SIM card for Galaxy S10, check mobile network connections on Galaxy S10, use the SIM card tray for the single-SIM and dual SIM versions of Galaxy S10.

What is the SIM card size for Galaxy S10?

Galaxy S10 (all 4 models, Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and Galaxy S10 5G) requires a nano-SIM card, which is the smallest SIM card currently.

Most phone companies now offer 3-in-1 SIM cards as illustrated below. You can detach the smallest part and use it on Galaxy S10.

After detaching the nano-SIM card, do not throw away plastic parts, which can be used as a SIM card adapter for old devices that may require a micro or even mini-SIM card.

You can use the existing SIM card for Galaxy S10 if you migrated to Galaxy S10 from any of the following phones,

Samsung Galaxy S6, S7, S8, and S9 and all their variants (e.g., S9+, S8+, S7 edge, S6 edge, and S6 edge+).
Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Note 7 FE, Note 8, and Note 9.
Any of Samsung Galaxy A series: Galaxy A3, A5, A7, A8, and A9.
Galaxy J3 2017 and later, Galaxy J5 2017 and later, Galaxy J7 and later.
iPhone 5, 6, 7, 8 and X (and all variants).
Moto X (all generations).
Moto Z (all generations)
Moto G5, G6, and G7.
Moto E4 and E5.
Pixel and Pixel XL (all generations).
LG G5, G6, G7 (all variants), V10, V20, V30 and V40.
Many other phones released after 2016.

If you are not sure whether you can use your existing SIM card on Galaxy S10, please post your phone model in the comments box below. We will try to check it for you.

Due to the size difference, you must use a nano-SIM on Galaxy S10. The SIM card tray was designed for this SIM card size only.

If your old SIM card is a micro SIM card, and your carrier charges you for changing to the nano-SIM, you may trim the old SIM card to a nano-SIM card. It is recommended to do it in the handphone shop. They usually use a specialized clipper, which is more accurate and safer than your scissors.

If your old SIM card is a mini-SIM card, you need to check with the handphone shop. Some old mini-SIM cards have larger metal part than a nano-SIM card. If this is the case, then you cannot trim it to a nano-SIM card. You have to change … Read the rest

How to use and customize Galaxy S10 lock screen?

Galaxy S10 lock screen can help you keep your data from prying eyes.

Samsung also allows you to tweak and customize the lock screen to match your personal preferences and needs.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains the components of the Galaxy S10 lock screen, shows you how to customize the lock screen, and addresses some questions you may have with the Galaxy S10 lock screen.

What is the Galaxy S10 lock screen?

When you power on or reboot Galaxy S10, it will stop at Galaxy S10 lock screen until you unlock the phone. This is similar to other Android phones.

You can imagine the Galaxy S10 lock screen is the door of your Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10e, or S1o 5G).

If someone crosses the door, he can then access everything you saved on the phone: your contacts, messages, call log, files, emails, photos, app data, and many more.

For this reason, you should keep the lock screen secured. In other words, you should set up PIN or password to lock the phone so that all people except you can only access up to the lock screen.

If you leave the phone unattended, or your phone is stolen, a secured lock screen may save your life.

On the other hand, you want to access some info very quickly on Galaxy S10. For example, you may want to pause the music playing without unlocking the phone or peek the notifications.

So, some features were added to Galaxy S10 lock screen to improve your productivity without sacrificing security and privacy.

What are the components of the lock screen?

Typically, there are up to 7 components on the Galaxy S10 lock screen, as shown in the screenshot below.

Status bar. Due to the cutout of the front camera, notification icons on the right side are not aligned to the right edge of the screen. Please check this guide on the meaning of the status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S10. You may customize and even disable notification icons in Galaxy S10 status bar as explained in this guide.
Clock and FaceWidgets. You can swipe left and right to switch to other FaceWidgets.
Contact info.
Notifications.
Charging status (when charging Galaxy S10 battery)
The in-display fingerprint scanner location indicator (for Galaxy S10, S10+, and S1o 5G).
App shortcuts (up to two).

You can hide some of them including contact info, notifications, and app shortcuts. But others will be always shown.

If you swipe down from the status bar, you will then access the Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons panel. There is no dedicated notification panel in the lock screen.

How to customize Galaxy S10 lock screen wallpaper?

If you want to change the wallpaper for the Galaxy S10 lock screen, you can go to the edit mode for Galaxy S10 Home screen.

On Galaxy S10 Home screen, you can enter the edit mode with either of the two touchscreen gestures:… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 navigation buttons and navigation gestures?

Learn to use the navigation buttons and navigation gestures on Galaxy S10

simon · 4 Comments

You have to use either Galaxy S10 navigation buttons or navigation gestures to navigate through different pages and apps on Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G.

If you just migrate to Galaxy S10 from a non-Samsung phone or a Samsung phone running Android Oreo or lower versions of Android, you may need to spend some time to get used to Galaxy S10 navigation gestures.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide shows you how to use and customize the navigation buttons and navigation bar, and how to use the Galaxy S10 navigation gestures.

How to use Galaxy S10 navigation buttons?

By default, Galaxy S10 (including Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e) uses a navigation bar with 3 navigation buttons: Back, Home. and Recents (overview) on the bottom part of the screen.

Please note Samsung moved to software navigation buttons since Galaxy S8. There are no hardware navigation buttons on Galaxy S10. The 3 hardware buttons (keys) on the Galaxy S10: Power button, Volume (up and down) button, and Bixby button as explained in Galaxy S10 layout.

By default, you will see the following Galaxy S10 navigation buttons in the navigation bar.

Galaxy S10 navigation buttons (navigation bar)

If you migrated from non-Samsung phones, you may find the button order is different from other phones. In stock Android, the Back button is on the left of the Home button and Recents (Overview) button to the right. Of course, you can change the navigation button order on Galaxy S10 to match other Android phones (read on).

The functions of the 3 Galaxy S10 navigation buttons are similar to those in other Android phones.

Home button

Galaxy S10 Home button accepts three touchscreen gestures: tap, long tap, and swipe to the right side

You can tap the Home button to back to the Galaxy S10 home screen regardless of what you are doing, or what app you are using.

If you are in the Galaxy S10 home screen already, tapping the Home button will bring you to the “home” of the home screen panels.

Please note, unlike the home button on Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, or Note 9, the Galaxy S10 home button is not pressure-sensitive. On the Galaxy S10 always-on display (AOD), you can tap anywhere to wake the screen if you enable the tap to wake feature.

If you tap and hold (long tap) the Home button, by default, Google Assistant will start.

If you swipe to the right side from the Home button, you will switch to the most recent app (read on in the Galaxy S10 navigation gestures section).

Back button

The behavior of the Back button actually depends on the app you are using. In other words, the app developer can decide what happens when you tap the Back button when using the app.

For most apps, tapping the Back button brings you back to the previous screen of the app until you exit the app. Remember some apps don’t allow … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 LED cover (Galaxy S10 LED back cover)?

simon · 6 Comments

Samsung introduced a new back cover for Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e: Galaxy S10 LED cover (LED back cover).

The LED cover is a back cover with some unique LED features including mood lighting, LED emoticons, Picture cue, and camera timer. The old LED wallet cover is now renamed as Galaxy S10 LED View cover in most regions.

This Galaxy S10 accessories guide explains how to set up and use Galaxy S10 LED cover (LED back cover) on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e, the unique features of this cover and a review of this LED cover.

Unique features of Galaxy S10 LED cover (LED back cover)?

Galaxy S10 LED cover is a new type of official accessories. It is a back cover with some unique LED features.

Compared to other back covers, the LED back cover has the following special features:

Mood lighting. When Galaxy S10 is facing downwards, a light show is presented with the LEDs. You can only enable or disable the show, not customize the show.
LED notification icons. You will get notification icons on the back when a notification comes. But the LED notification icon only works with some Samsung apps, and you cannot customize the LED icons. Please note, in Galaxy S10 LED View cover, you can customize the LED notification icons.
Camera timer. If the timer for the rear camera is turned on, the countdown will be shown on both the screen and the cover.
Emoticons for the rear cameras. When you open the camera app, and the rear cameras are active, a LED icon you chose will be shown on the back cover.

Unlike the fabric-like material used in Galaxy S10 LED view cover, the exterior of the Galaxy S10 LED back cover is glossy plastic. Therefore it is a fingerprint magnet.

The LED cover provides moderate protection for the glass back of the phone. The raised edges on the top and bottom (over the screen) offers marginal protection for the screen, The two side edges of the Galaxy S10 LED back cover for Galaxy S10, and S10+ are lower than the screen due to the curved screen in these two models.

Please note, Galaxy Friends, which is available for Galaxy S20 LED back cover, are not available for Galaxy S10 LED back cover.

How to set up and customize the LED cover (LED back cover)?

Once you snap the LED back cover on to the phone, you will get a notification asking you to set up the cover if you use it the first time.

Actually, Galaxy S10 will automatically add:

The LED cover app in the Apps screen, as shown below.
An entry in Settings — Advanced features —Accessories — LED cover.

These two items are identical: both are shortcuts for the Galaxy S10 LED cover settings.

For example, in Galaxy S10 Settings, you can tap Advanced features as shown below.

In the Advanced Features page, tap Accessories… Read the rest

How to use the new fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, S10+, Note 10, Note 10+, S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra?

simon · 4 Comments

Samsung dramatically changed the fingerprint reader (fingerprint sensor) on Galaxy S10. An in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader is used in Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+.

Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S20 also used the identical in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

With the removal of Iris scanner on Galaxy S10, many owners will have to use the fingerprint scanner to quickly unlock Galaxy S10.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how to register fingerprints and use the fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, S10+, Note 10, Note 10+, S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

What’s new in Galaxy S10 fingerprint reader?

Galaxy S10 (and Galaxy S10+) is the first smartphone with an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader, which is one of the most notable new features of Galaxy S10.

Instead of scanning your fingerprint using capacitive or optical methods, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor uses sonic pulse waves to find out the 3D structure of your fingerprints.

Similar ultrasonic technology has been used in biomedical imaging in hospitals for decades and saved many lives.

Generally speaking, or technically, the ultrasonic fingerprint reader can get the real 3D info of your fingerprints and therefore it could potentially be far more accurate than the traditional capacitive fingerprint reader.

Do not confuse this in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader with the in-display optical fingerprint ones (as in a few OnePlus and Vivo phones). The optical fingerprint reader is the slowest one. It is even slower than the traditional capacitive fingerprint reader. And the optical one is the least secure because it is essentially a kind of 2D photo recognition.

For Galaxy S10e, a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor is mounted on the power button as illustrated in Galaxy S10 layout. The position is at least better than the fingerprint on Galaxy S8 (see Galaxy S8 layout) or S9 (see Galaxy S9 layout).

What are the major limitations of the in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader on Galaxy S10 and S10+?

Although the in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor sounds cool and is actually the most secure (accurate) fingerprint reader, there are some inherent limitations of this new sensor on Galaxy S10:

Many screen protectors will not work nicely with the in-display fingerprint reader. The sonic waves are affected by the air between the screen and screen protector. Therefore the sensor may not function properly even if a small air bubble is trapped by the screen protector.
You need to know where to press your finger.
The matching sensitivity is not rocket science. If Samsung set the sensitivity too high, you may have to press several times. If it is set too low, it will not be secure.

So, as explained in the top 10 disappointing and missing features of Galaxy S10, I prefer the fingerprint sensor on Galaxy S10e.

How to register fingerprints for the fingerprinter reader on Galaxy S10?

To use the new fingerprint reader to unlock Galaxy S10, you need to register your fingerprints first.

The procedure of registering (adding) fingerprints is identical for all 4 Galaxy S10 … Read the rest

How to use Samsung Smart Switch to migrate to Galaxy S10?

You may migrate to Galaxy S10 easily with the Samsung Smart Switch. Your photos, videos, music, messages, call logs, contacts, files, calendar events, alarms, and apps in the old phone can be transferred to Galaxy S10.

There are many solutions for you to migrate to Galaxy S10. But the simplest way is to use Smart Switch to transfer data between Galaxy S10 and the old phone.

This Galaxy S10 guide explains how to use Samsung Smart Switch to migrate to Galaxy S10.

What is the Samsung Smart Switch?

Samsung Smart Switch is the tool for you to migrate to Samsung devices from other mobile devices including:

Android
iOS
Windows
BlackBerry

In addition to Smart Switch Mobile, you can also download and install PC/Mac version of Smart Switch.

Smart Switch for PC is normally recommended for users who own one or more Samsung devices. It can back up almost all data on Samsung Galaxy phones to the PC and restore the backup to other Galaxy phones as well.

What can be migrated to Galaxy S10 using Smart Switch?

When using Samsung Smart Switch to migrate to Galaxy S10, the following data can be migrated (depending on OS on the old phone).

Contacts
Call log
Photos
Music
Videos
Calendar events
Alarms
SMS
Documents
Device settings (for Galaxy phones, most settings including home screen settings can be transferred)
Apps (Android phones only)

You can review and select items to be transferred before migrating data to Galaxy S10.

How to use Smart switch t0 connect Galaxy S10 to the old device?

When you migrate to Galaxy S10 using Smart Switch, you can choose one of the following 3 ways to connect Galaxy S10 to migrate data

USB connection

You need to use the old phone’s USB cable and the USB connector in the Galaxy S10 box.

This is the fastest, easiest, and most reliable way to migrate to Galaxy S10.

Wireless connection

You can also connect Galaxy S10 to the old Android phone using WiFi direct. The data on the old device can then be transferred to Galaxy S10 wirelessly.

For iOS devices, you only need to enable iCloud backup. On Galaxy S10, you can then transfer the iCloud backup to Galaxy S10 through the WiFi connection.

External storage

This connection is usually available for Galaxy phones or other Android phones that support back up to external storage (micro SD card, or USB flash drive).

To migrate data to Galaxy S10, you need to:

Back up the phone to the external storage
Remove the storage from the old phone
Connect the external storage to Galaxy S10
Start Smart Switch on Galaxy S10
Migrate all data in the back up to Galaxy S10

The 3 connection methods work similarly: you select what to transfer/migrate, start to transfer, restore to Galaxy S10.

How to use Smart Switch to migrate to Galaxy S10 with a USB cable?

You may follow these steps to migrate to Galaxy S10.

Step 1: Connect Galaxy S10 to the