Galaxy S10 Guides

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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 hide suggested apps on Galaxy S10? and how to stop Finder uploading your data to Samsung servers?

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stop Finder uploading your data to Samsung serversYou can hide suggested apps on Galaxy S10 if you do not like this feature in the Samsung Finder. You can also prevent Finder from uploading your data to Samsung servers.

Although the suggested apps may be useful for some users, very often, it is not intelligent enough and therefore some owners feel it is a waste of precious screen space.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide shows you how to disable the suggested apps in Samsung Finder on Galaxy S10, other Finder options, and how to stop Finder uploading your usage data to Samsung servers.

What is Samsung Finder? And what are the suggested apps on Galaxy S10?

When talking about search, many think about Google.

But on Galaxy phones, Samsung has built its own local search engine for a long time. And they named it Finder in recent devices or S Finder in older devices.

So, Samsung Finder is just a local search app in Galaxy phones. Its strength is finding local files, emails, contacts, call logs, messages, apps, settings, rather than web search.

Finder is everywhere on Galaxy S10. The search icon in the apps screen, quick settings panel, notification panel, edge screen, Recents screen, and settings page is linked to the Finder app.

As shown below, by default, on Galaxy S10, there is a row of “suggested” apps below the search bar.

The suggested apps actually update dynamically when you type. It sounds interesting and impressing.

But very often, many owners find it is useless. and want to disable it.

suggested apps on Galaxy S10

How to hide suggested apps on Galaxy S10?

To hide the suggested apps in the Finder on Galaxy S10, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Open the Finder

You can tap the search icon in any locations to open the Finder.

For example, as shown in the screenshot below, you can tap the search icon in the quick settings panel to access the Finder.

Open the Finder

You can also tap the Finder app icon in Galaxy S10 Home screen or Apps screen to launch it.

Step 2: Tap the menu icon (3 vertical dots)

As shown earlier, tap the three vertical dots (marked as 2).

Step 3: Tap Settings in the menu

As shown below, tap Settings (marked as 3) to open Finder settings.

hide suggested apps on Galaxy S10hide suggested apps on Galaxy S10

Step 4: Disable suggested apps in the Finder

As shown above, in the Finder settings, you can find the option to enable/disable suggested apps.

You can tap the switch to enable or disable this feature.

After disabling the suggested apps in Finder, you can find more space as shown below.

Disable suggested apps in the Finder

Other Finder settings on Galaxy S10

In addition to showing or hiding the suggested apps, you can also tweak other Finder settings as shown earlier.

When using Finder, you may consider disabling customization services if you do not want to upload your data to the server.

In Finder settings, tap Customization service to enable/disable the customization.

In a nutshell, if you enable the customization service (this is the default), some … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 night mode?

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use Galaxy S10 night modeGalaxy S10 night mode allows you to use the dark theme in system-wide to help your eyes and save battery.

On Galaxy S10, Samsung chose to extend the dark theme features in the stock Android Pie to deliver better user experiences with the new One UI.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains the details of the night mode on Galaxy S10 (including Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G), and shows you how to enable and customize the night mode.

What is Galaxy S10 night mode? Why you may need it?

By default,  Android phones tend to use a white background. This usually looks great when you show the screenshot in presentations.

But it is not good for your eyes, especially in the low-light conditions, for example, in a theatre, or in the bedroom.

For the OLED screen like the one in all Galaxy S10 phones, the black (dark) background can save noticeable battery as well.

In Android Pie (Android 9), Google finally introduced the dark theme. But it is half-baked: the setting page still uses a white background even you enable the dark theme, as explained in this guide.

Samsung started to support third-party themes since the Galaxy S6. So, technically, you can get a dark theme for your S6, S7, S8, S9, and S10 with a third-party theme from the Galaxy Store. But the quality of these third-party themes varies sharply.

In Android Pie update, Samsung implemented and enhanced the dark theme feature in the stock Android. And it is named as the night mode.

So, Galaxy S10 night mode is essentially an enhanced (improved) version of the dark theme in Android Pie.

You should not confuse this night mode with the newly added night mode in Galaxy S10 camera app, which is just a camera mode for low-light conditions. The night mode discussed here is a theme (or template) with a dark (black) background.

How to enable and customize the Galaxy S10 night mode?

By default, the night mode is not enabled on Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10e, and S10 5G). You need to enable it by following the steps below if you want to try or use the night mode.

In Galaxy S10 Settings, tap Display as shown in the screenshot below.

enable and customize the Galaxy S10 night mode enable and customize the Galaxy S10 night mode

In the Display settings page, as shown above, you can find the Night mode option.

You can tap the switch (or drag it to the right side) to enable the night mode immediately.

Of course, you can tap Nigth mode (not the switch) to open the night mode settings so that you can further customize (schedule) it.

As shown below, you can use the night mode on Galaxy S10 in two ways

  • Turn on now. Night mode will be turned on immediately. It will NOT be turned off automatically. You need to turn it off explicitly or change to turn on as scheduled.
  • Turn on as scheduled. The night mode will be turned on and
… 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 Apps screen?

Everything you need to know about Galaxy S10 Apps screen

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Galaxy S10 Apps screenGalaxy S10 Apps screen organizes all apps installed on the phone so that you can access, use and manage them easily.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains what Galaxy S10 apps screen is, how to access it, how to hide apps button, how to hide the apps screen, and how to customize the apps screen on Galaxy S10.

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

What is Galaxy S10 Apps screen?

Apps screen is common in all Android phones.  Sometimes (and traditionally), it is called App drawer.

Essentially, the Galaxy S10 Apps screen is the warehouse of all apps installed on the phone. The individual app icon on the home screen actually is a shortcut to the corresponding app in the Apps screen.

But Apps screen is different from the Home screen in the following aspects:

  • Galaxy S10 Apps screen can only host apps. You cannot put widgets, apps shortcuts, user files, or photos in the apps screen.
  • Galaxy S10 Apps screen does not support duplicate listings. One app can only appear once in the Apps screen.
  • You can hide the apps screen. Surely, you cannot hide the home screen.

The Apps screen shares the same wallpaper with the home screen.

You can also use apps screen in the landscape mode (same as Galaxy S10 Home screen landscape mode).

How to access Galaxy S10 Apps screen?

By default, there are two ways to access Galaxy S10 Apps screen:

  1. Use the touchscreen gesture (swipe up). On the home screen, you can swipe upwards to access the apps screen as shown in the picture below.
  2. Use the apps button in the favorites tray. You can tap the apps button to open the Apps screen.

By default, you can also use the swipe down gesture to access the apps screen on Galaxy S10.  But the swipe down gesture on Galaxy S10 home screen can be assigned to access notifications as explained in this guide (coming soon).

If you do not hide the apps button, you can tap the button as shown below to access the apps screen on Galaxy S10.

Of course, you can hide the apps button and access apps screen only with the touchscreen gesture.

Once in the apps screen, you can then swipe left and right to navigate to different pages.

You can swipe upwards or downwards in the apps screen to return to the home screen. The quick-open notification panel setting does not affect the apps screen.

How to hide apps button in the favorite tray?

In Galaxy S10 Settings, tap Display.

As shown in the screenshot below, in the display settings, tap Home screen.

On Galaxy S10, the apps screen settings are grouped under home screen settings.

hide apps button in the favorite tray hide apps button in the favorite tray

As shown above, you can:

  1. Show or hide the apps button (marked as 1) using the switch.
  2. Set the screen grid for the Apps screen (read on).
  3. Show or hide apps
… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 edge screen?

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Galaxy S10 edge screen allows you to access some features and apps quickly from the curved the display.

Since the inception of the curved screen in Galaxy Note edge, Samsung tried hard to develop some killing features for the curved screen.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains everything you need to know about Galaxy S10 edge screen.

What is Galaxy S10 edge screen?

Samsung introduced the edge screen feature since Galaxy Note Edge (Note 4 Edge). But edge screen on Galaxy Note edge is a separate display area to the right side of the main screen.

Since Galaxy S6 Edge, edge screen has been no longer a separate part. It refers to a part of the main screen linked to the curved edges of the display.

So, Galaxy S10 edge screen is not a separate screen. Instead, it is just part of the screen close to the curved edges on both sides of Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10 5G as illustrated in Galaxy S10 layout.

Because Samsung started to reduce the curved part of the screen from Galaxy S8, many new Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, Note 9 and S10 owners may even not realized the curved edges, and the special features associated with them.

Galaxy S10 edge screen includes two fundamental features:

  1. Edge lighting. You can use edge lighting the light up the edges of the screen when notifications arrive.
  2. Edge panels. You can put frequently used apps and some special tools in the panels so that you can access them quickly.

If you disable both edge lighting and edge panels, Galaxy S10 edge screen will be disabled automatically. This is the only way to disable Galaxy S10 edge screen features.

Galaxy S10 edge screen works on all screens (except AOD)and apps when in portrait mode. You can use it on the home screen, lock screen, apps screen, and when using any apps.

When you use edge screen on the lock screen, some features will not work until the phone is unlocked. This is a security feature, not a bug.

If your home screen or lock screen is in landscape mode, or you are using an app in landscape mode, edge panel handle will disappear automatically. In other words, Galaxy S10 edge screen does NOT work in landscape mode.

How to access the Galaxy S10 edge screen?

You can access the Galaxy S10 edge screen by dragging the edge panel handle to the center of the screen, as shown below.

The edge panel handle appears on the right side by default. You can customize it so that it can appear on either left or right sides. You can also choose a color for it (read on).

The touchscreen gesture is dragging. But the swipe gesture works as well.

How to customize the Galaxy S10 edge panel handle?

The edge panel handle is the entrance to Galaxy S10 edge screen features. You can customize it based on your preference.

In … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode?

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Galaxy S10 Home screen edit mode allows you to customize the home screen with themes, widgets, screen panels, wallpapers.

Although some customizations and options can be accessed from Galaxy S10 settings or quick settings, a few features can only be accessed from the Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains when you need to use Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode, what you can do in the edit mode, and how to access and use Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode.

What is Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode?

It is impossible to stuff all customizations and settings into Galaxy S10 Settings. Also, some customizations for Galaxy S10 can be done quickly on the screen with simple gestures.

So, Samsung used the home screen edit mode for you to quickly customize the Galaxy S10 home screen without navigation through the Galaxy S10 Settings.

In a nutshell, Galaxy S10 Home screen edit mode is a special mode of the home screen. In this mode, you can customize many aspects of the Galaxy S10 Home screen.

And some settings/customizations for Galaxy S10 Home screen can only be done through this edit mode. For example, assigning a home screen panel as the “Home” of Home screen panels/pages, or remove the Bixby Home from Galaxy S10 Home screen, or adding widgets to the home screen, all can only be done in the Galaxy S10 Home screen edit mode.

Of course, some features in the edit mode can also be accessed from Galaxy S10 Settings (for example, adjust Galaxy S10 home screen settings), or standalone apps/app shortcuts (e.g., use themes and wallpapers).

How to access the Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode?

You can only use touchscreen gestures to access Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode.

There are two gestures for you to access the edit mode for Galaxy S10 Home screen:

  1. Tap and hold (long tap) any blank area on the Galaxy S10 Home screen.
  2. Pinch on the Galaxy S10 home screen.

These are the two only methods to enter the Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode.

When you use the first gesture (long tap), you need to make sure you are tapping the empty (blank) area except for the status bar and navigation bar.

You can tap anywhere above home screen panel indicator (see below) or tap the back button to exit the edit mode and return to Galaxy S10 Home screen.

What are the features of Galaxy S10 home screen edit mode?

As shown in the screenshot below, you can find the following common features and functions in the edit mode of Galaxy S10 Home screen:

  1. Assign the panel/page as the home of the Galaxy S10 Home screen. If you keep tapping the Home button, you should return to the “Home” of the home screen. You must have one and only one panel/page as the home of the home screen panels.
  2. Delete the page.  If this is
… 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
… Read the rest

How to use two SIM cards on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e?

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use two SIM cards on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10eIn most regions, you can use two SIM cards on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e if you choose not to use a micro SD card.

The dual-SIM version of Galaxy S10 can work in dual-standby mode.  The two SIM cards share (time sharing) one modem and therefore the dual SIM version of Galaxy S10 does not support dual active mode.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how to use two SIM cards on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e, how to enable and use dual SIM always on and how to use SIM card manager to set preferred SIM cards for calls, messages, and mobile data.

Please note, Galaxy S10 5G only supports one SIM card in all regions. So, in this guide, Galaxy S10 refers to Galaxy S10, S10e, and S10+ only.

Who can use two SIM cards on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e?

In most regions of Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, Galaxy S10 (except S10 5G) supports two SIM cards (dual SIM version).

You can use two SIM cards concurrently. In some countries, some carriers charge excessively for mobile data if the SIM card can also make calls. Some bundle very limited mobile data with voice plans. In this case, you can use one SIM card for calls, one for mobile data.

Or when traveling, you can use one SIM card issued in your home country and the other one from a local carrier. In this way will not miss important calls and messages without paying excessive roaming voice and data fees.

You can also use one SIM card for work-related communications, and the other for private affairs.

To use two SIM cards on Galaxy S10, you need to have a dual SIM version of Galaxy S10. As mentioned, unless you bought Galaxy S10 in North America, your Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, and S10e) is very likely the dual SIM version.

How to check whether the Galaxy S10 is a dual SIM version or a single SIM version?

If you are not sure, check the IMEI number in Galaxy S10 Settings —About phone.

As shown in the screenshot below, if there are two IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers, it means it is a dual SIM version of Galaxy S10, and you can use two SIM cards.

Also, if the model number has a suffix of /DS as shown in the screenshot, it also indicates it is a dual SIM version of Galaxy S10.

Of course, on the box of Galaxy S10, the dual SIM version is usually stated as Duos.

The limitation of Galaxy S10 dual SIM capabilities

For dual SIM phones, there are two variants: dual standby, and dual active, as explained in this guide.

In a nutshell, dual-SIM dual standby (DSDS) means the two SIM cards share one set of modem and antenna. The time-sharing (similar to virtualization) is implemented in the software, and the user should not notice it when both SIM cards are … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout without using any apps?

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You can hide the front camera cutout on Galaxy S10, S10+, S105G, and S10e with the Galaxy S10 virtual bezel without using any third-party apps.

Samsung pinched an elongated hole for the front cameras to avoid a notch on the screen. And they proudly announced this trick as infinity “O” display. But some owners do not like this design.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains how to use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout on Galaxy S10, S10+, S105G, and S10e, and the implications of using Galaxy S10 virtual bezel.

Why some owners do not like the front camera cutout?

Nowadays, all smartphone manufacturers try hard to increase screen size without increasing the overall size of the phone.

So, the size of the bezels decreases over the years.  Samsung virtually eliminated the bezels on the sides with curved display since Galaxy S6.

On the bottom, Samsung removed the physical buttons and reduced the size of the bezel to the limit already.

So, on Galaxy S10, they tried to reduce the size of the bezel on the top further.

But there is a hard limit on the top: the front camera, notification LED, iris scanner, proximity, and light sensors all need spaces and cannot be hidden.

And Samsung made 2 stupid mistakes in reducing the size of the top bezel on Galaxy S10 (S10, S10+, S10 5G, and S10e):

  • The iris scanner was removed.
  • The notification LED was removed.

The hole punch for the front camera actually is not a bad idea, although some owners may prefer the notch design as in other Android phones or iPhones.

But what makes it wrong (or less ideal) is the location of the hole.  On all Galaxy S10 phones, the hole is punched on the right side.

First, the hole destroys the symmetry of the front side. The ugly asymmetric look will be magnified when you use an app with a white background.

Second, the curved screen is used on Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10 5G. The hole must keep a certain distance from the curved part. This results in a significantly-reduced area for the status bar.  So, Galaxy S10 has to offer the option for you to reduce the number of notification icons on the status bar or even hide/disable the notification icons on the status bar entirely.

Of course, some Galaxy S10 owners like the design.

Anyway, for those owners who cannot live with the look of the front camera cutout, it is easy to hide the front camera cutout without using any apps.

The truth is that Samsung already knew some owners would dislike the hole and therefore offered the Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout.

The price you have to pay to hide the Galaxy S10 front camera cutout is slightly reduced screen size.

How to use Galaxy S10 virtual bezel to hide the front camera cutout?

If you want to hide the front cutout on Galaxy S10, you can … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 screen zoom?

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use Galaxy S10 screen zoomGalaxy S10 screen zoom allows you to scale the text and icons globally including the fixed-size text (e.g., notification text) that is not affected by font size settings.

Although Galaxy S10 screen zoom corresponds to display size in the stock Android, Samsung customized this feature a lot and they work quite differently.

This Galaxy S10 how-to guide explains when you need to adjust the Galaxy S10 screen zoom, and how to adjust it on Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, and S10 5G.

What is Galaxy S10 screen zoom?

Google introduced the display size in Android Nougat (Android 7) for users to scale all display elements on the phone.

If you are using Windows PC, the display size in Android is similar to the scale (under display settings) on Windows.

Galaxy S10 screen zoom is based on display size in Android. But Samsung made significant customizations.

Compared to the display size in the stock Android, Galaxy S10 screen zoom works differently in the following aspects:

  • Galaxy S10 screen zoom does NOT scale the app icons on Galaxy S10 Home screen, Apps screen, and lock screen.
  • Galaxy S10 screen zoom has 3 levels. While the display size in Pixel phones has 5 levels.
  • The zoom levels in Galaxy S10 screen zoom is quite moderate.

For the text and icons,  Galaxy S10 screen zoom works on all pages and apps, just like the display size in the stock Android.

Normally, Galaxy S10 screen zoom is used together with the font size and style settings to get the desired look on Galaxy S10.

When do you need to change Galaxy S10 screen zoom? Why font size setting is not sufficient?

On Android, the size of some texts and display elements is hard-coded or fixed (based on DPI of the display).

For example, many Galaxy S10 owners complained about the small text size of the notifications. They tried to increase the font size. But the text size in the notification panel is not affected by font settings because it is fixed.

So, for such text (and icons), you will need to use the screen zoom to change the size.

In short, for most parts of Galaxy S10, the font settings are respected. But for the fixed-size text and icons, you have to use the screen zoom to adjust the display size.

How to adjust Galaxy S10 screen zoom?

You can change the screen zoom levels on Galaxy S10 settings.

As shown in the screenshot below, on Galaxy S10 settings, tap Display to change the display settings for Galaxy S10.

adjust Galaxy S10 screen zoom adjust Galaxy S10 screen zoom

In the Display settings page, as shown above, tap screen zoom.

Now in the screen zoom settings page, as shown below, you can find the 3-level slider.

You can drag it left or right to adjust the screen zoom level to small, medium, or large.

On the top part of the page, you can immediately preview the result of the setting. On Galaxy S10, Samsung only lets you preview the result in … Read the rest

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

Get to know about Galaxy S10 home screen landscape mode and Galaxy S10 lock screen landscape mode

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

When you hold the phone in the landscape orientation, both Galaxy S10 lock screen and Home screen can also rotate so that you can use them 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 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 regardless of other settings.

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

To use Galaxy S10 Home screen in the landscape mode, you must enable it first.

You can enable Galaxy S10 Home screen landscape mode 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.

enable Galaxy S10 Home screen landscape mode enable Galaxy S10 Home screen landscape mode

As shown above, in Galaxy S10 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 of Galaxy S10 Home screen works even you turn off the … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 Multi Window?

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use Galaxy S10 Multi WindowGalaxy 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.

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. If one app gets 60%, the other will use the remaining 40%.

You can … Read the rest

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.

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take screenshots on Galaxy S10 without using any appsYou 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:

  1. Use hardware buttons (volume down + power button).
  2. Swipe your palm (palm swipe).
  3. Use the Assistant menu.
  4. Use Bixby Voice command.
  5. 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 Galaxy S10

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
… Read the rest

Understand Contents of Galaxy S10 Home Screen

Get to know the different items on Galaxy S10 Home screen

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Understand Contents of Galaxy S10 Home ScreenYou need to understand the contents of 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 contents of Galaxy S10 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.
  • 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 Galaxy S10 home screen is always behind the lock screen.

You can access the Galaxy S10 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 center line if you are using Galaxy S10 navigation gestures) in Galaxy S10 navigation bar to access the Home screen directly.
  • When you are using any apps, you can keep tapping the Back button in Galaxy S10 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 in an app depends on individual
… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons?

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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 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 Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons.

You can access more Galaxy S10 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 simply 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.

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 Galaxy S10 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 Galaxy S10 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?

Galaxy S10 quick setting buttons accept two touchscreen gestures:

  1. Tap (single tap) to turn on or turn off the corresponding feature.
  2. 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, the gesture will be ignored.

A few buttons (e.g., Auto-rotate button) have an orphaned setting page (a setting page is not included in Galaxy S10 … Read the rest

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

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disable or customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status barYou can customize or even disable 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 in 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.

turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar

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.

turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 status bar turn off and customize the notification icons in the Galaxy S10 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. … Read the rest

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

How to use Galaxy S10 navigation buttons and navigation gestures?

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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 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.

use Galaxy S10 navigation buttons

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 … Read the rest