Galaxy S10 Guides

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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 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:

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

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

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

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 Settings.

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

Galaxy S10 settings Galaxy S10 display settings

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 the Messages app.

adjust Galaxy S10 screen zoom adjust Galaxy S10 screen zoom

As mentioned, the Galaxy S10 offers 3 … Read the rest

Understand Galaxy S10 Home Screen

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Understand Contents of Galaxy S10 Home ScreenYou 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
… 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 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:

  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, … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S10 Camera app?

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Galaxy S10 Camera appMastering 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.

  1. Bixby Vision.
  2. AR Emoji.
  3. Galaxy S10 camera settings button.
  4. Flash.
  5. Timer.
  6. Photo aspect ratio/size settings.
  7. Galaxy S10 camera effects (filters).
  8. Camera lens selection.
  9. Scene optimizer.
  10. Galaxy S10 camera models.
  11. Shortcut to Gallery app.
  12. Shutter button.
  13. Front/rear cameras switch.
  14. Preview screen.
… Read the rest

Meaning of Galaxy S10 status icons and notification icons

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Meaning of Galaxy S10 status icons and notification iconsYou 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?

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

Galaxy S10 Settings 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. The … Read the rest