Galaxy S10 Guides

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Galaxy S10 clear view cover

Galaxy S10 wireless charging guide

Everything you need to know about wireless charging for Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G

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Galaxy S10 wireless chargingGalaxy S10 wireless charging allows you to charge Galaxy S10 battery without using a cable on the phone.

But some Galaxy S10 owners still have some questions or concerns on using wireless charging on Galaxy S10 and therefore may haven’t tried this nice feature yet.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide first explains the confusing terms of wireless charging, fast wireless charging, and fast wireless charging 2.0, and why they are relevant when you charge Galaxy S10 wirelessly.   Then I show you how to disable fast wireless charging and answer some questions related to wireless charging on Galaxy S10.

What is wireless charging? What is fast wireless charging? and what is fast charging 2.0?

All smartphones support cable charging.  Normally, you can connect the phone to the charger (adapter) through a USB cable (or a proprietary cable) to charge the phone.

The other way to charge a phone battery is wireless charging without using any cables on the phone.

Wireless charging used in the smartphone industry now is all inductive charging, which transfers energy from the charging station to the phone through induction coils.

On the charging station (charging stand, charging base), the induction coil inside the station uses the current from the adapter to create an electromagnetic field. The induction coil in the phone, once paired with the coil in the station,  takes power from the electromagnetic field and convert it into charging current for the phone battery.

Wireless charging usually is less efficient than cable charging because energy has to be converted twice: current –> electromagnetic field in the charging station, and electromagnetic field –> current on the phone.  So, traditionally, the wireless charging speed is slow. The normal wireless charging can only output charging power up to 5W.  Galaxy S6 is the first Samsung phone with wireless charging.

To improve the charging speed, Samsung announced fast wireless charging with Galaxy S7.  The maximum charging power output is about 7.5W.

With Galaxy S10, Samsung announced fast wireless charging 2.0, which supports up to a 12W output.

As explained in this guide:

Fast wireless charging 2.0 is based on Qi wireless charging standard set by Wireless Power Consortium. The 2.0 was coined by Samsung to differentiate its implementation from previous fast wireless charging.

So, fast wireless charging 2.0, one of the top 10 new features of Galaxy S10, is not a new industry standard.

The major difference among wireless charging, fast wireless charging, and fast wireless charging 2.0 is the charging power (5W vs 7.5W vs 12W). And therefore, they are backward compatible.

What do you need to use wireless charging for Galaxy S10 battery?

You need 3 components to use wireless charging:

  1. A phone supports wireless charging.
  2. A wireless charging station.
  3. An adapter supplying power to the charging station.

Whether you are using normal wireless charging, fast wireless charging, or fast wireless charging 2.0, is determined by the lowerest one among the 3 components.

For example, since Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 clear view cover (S-View flip cover)?

The definite guide for Galaxy S10 clear view cover (S-View flip cover)

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Galaxy S10 clear view cover ( aka Galaxy S10 S-View flip cover) is one of the flagship accessories from Samsung for S10, S10e,  S10+, and S10 5G.

The unique S-View features make the cover stand out, although some original S View features were removed or redesigned.

This Galaxy S10 accessories guide explains the changes, special features, pros and cons of the Galaxy S10 clear view cover. It also shows you how to customize and use the cover, and how to use the always-on display on the clear view cover.

The clear view cover (S View cover) is available for all Galaxy S10 models (S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G). The only difference is the cutout and size of the case. In this guide, S10 refers to all of the four S1o models.

What’s new in the Galaxy S10 clear view cover (S-View flip cover)?

Samsung always releases some “official” accessories for their Galaxy phones.

Galaxy S10 clear view cover, aka Galaxy S10 S-View flip cover in some regions, is an evolution of the “S View” cover.

But compared to the Galaxy S9 clear view cover and Galaxy S8 clear view cover, there are some changes:

  • No kickstand. The kickstand in S-View serials covers for S8, S9, Note 8 and Note 9 was removed in S10.
  • Glossy back. The glossy plastic replaces the texture-rich back. It is a fingerprint magnet.
  • Some textures “inside” the front panel. The translucent front panel looks similar to that in S9. But if you stare at it at 90 degrees, you may notice there are some textures. Of course, the texture is inside, not outside of the panel.
  • Lighter and thinner. Because the kickstand was removed, the cover is lighter and thinner compared to that for S9.

On the software side, there are almost no changes.

What are the special features of Galaxy S10 clear view cover (S-View flip cover)?

Galaxy S10 clear view cover shares the similar S-View features as in S9 and S8:

  • Respond to calls, alarms, and events without flipping the cover.
  • Control music on the cover.
  • Read important information including time, date, and battery level on the cover.
  • Auto lock and unlock.
  • Use faceWidgets on the cover.

Please note, there is no separate S-View window as in Galaxy S7 S-View cover.  Since S8, the full front panel is translucent.  The actual display is always on the phone screen.

How to apply and remove the Galaxy S10 clear view cover?

When you apply the Galaxy S10 clear view cover to Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G, you should fix the top part first. Then finish the bottom part.

When you want to remove the cover (to take out the phone), you should start from the bottom. Once the bottom part of Galaxy S10 is taken out of the cover, you can easily take the phone out.

Do NOT try to start from the top if you want to remove the … Read the rest

How to Use Galaxy S10 Always On Display (AOD)?

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You can use Galaxy S10 always-on display (AOD) to check notifications, the time, next alarm, today’s schedule, and the weather,  and to control music play without waking up the phone.

On Galaxy S10, Samsung added a few new features for the always-on display and the default behavior. So, do NOT assume the AOD on Galaxy S10 is identical to that on older phones like S9.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains the new features of the Galaxy S10 always-on display (AOD), the difference between Galaxy S10 lock screen and AOD screen, how to enable and customize the always-on display screen on Galaxy S10.

Please note, the always-on display is identical among all Galaxy S10 phones.  In this guide,  Galaxy S10 refers to Galaxy S10e, S10, S10+, and S10 5G,

What is new in Galaxy S10 Always On Display (AOD)?

In all previous Galaxy phones, the always-on display screen will not be turned off automatically unless it is turned on by the scheduler.

So, once you turn on the always-on display on these devices, you have to choose to show the AOD screen all the time when the phone is locked or to show the AOD screen based on your designated period.

On Galaxy S10, Samsung added the show mode for the always-on display screen: tap to show. And this is the default option.

So, after enabling Galaxy S10 always-on display, by default, the AOD screen will NOT show up after you lock the phone unless you tap the screen (once).

The AOD screen will display only about 10 seconds, and then the screen is off.

If you need to show Galaxy S10 AOD screen all the time, you need to change the show mode.

This new show mode is also available on Android Pie update for Galaxy S9, S8, Note 9 and Note 8.

Please note, if you tap Galaxy S10 screen twice when the screen is off, you will wake the screen and get the Galaxy S10 lock screen, instead of the always-on display screen.

Of course, you can disable this feature in Settings —Advanced features —Motions and gestures — Double tap to wake.

Other new features of Galaxy S10 Always on Display include:

  • Landscape mode for Galaxy S10 AOD screen.
  • Brightness adjustment for the AOD screen.
  • Quick settings for AOD.

AOD Quick settings can also be found on Galaxy S9, S8, Note 8 and Note 9 if you updated these phones to Android Pie.

What is the difference between the lock screen and the always-on display screen?

Although Galaxy S10 always-on display screen is part of the Galaxy S10 lock screen and shares the identical FaceWidgets, they serve different purposes.

The major differences between the AOD screen and lock screen include:

  • Galaxy S10 lock screen shows up when the phone wakes up and is in the locked state. While Galaxy S10 AOD screen shows up only when the phone is NOT waking up.
  • You can use app shortcuts in
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How to use and customize Galaxy S10 lock screen?

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

Samsung also allows you to tweak and customize the Galaxy S10 lock screen to match your personal preferences and needs.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains the components of the Galaxy S1o 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 your Galaxy S10 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 Galaxy S10 lock screen.

If you leave the phone unattended, or your phone is stolen, a secured Galaxy S10 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 Galaxy S10 lock screen?

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

  1. 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.
  2. Clock and FaceWidgets. You can swipe left and right to switch to other FaceWidgets.
  3. Contact info.
  4. Notifications.
  5. Charging status (when charging Galaxy S10 battery)
  6. The in-display fingerprint scanner location indicator (for Galaxy S10, S10+, and S1o 5G).
  7. 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 notification panel in the Galaxy S10 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 … Read the rest