Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides - Everything about Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

Understand and use Galaxy S20 Camera Settings

Galaxy S20 is all about cameras. But some features are not working out of the box. You need to understand and tweak some Galaxy S20 camera settings to get the most from the camera.

This Galaxy S20 camera guide explains all items of Galaxy S20 camera settings and shows you how and when to use them to shoot great pictures and videos with the Galaxy S20 camera.

The camera settings on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra are identical. This guide applies to all these 3 Galaxy S20 phones, although we use “S20” in the text.

How to access Galaxy S20 camera settings?

You need to open the Galaxy S20 camera app to access the Galaxy S20 camera settings. There are no camera setting shortcuts in Galaxy S20 Settings page.

There are a couple of ways to launch (open) the Camera app on Galaxy S20, for example:

Tap the Camera app icon on Galaxy S20 lock screen (without unlocking the phone).
Tap the Camera app icon on Galaxy S20 Home screen or Apps screen.
Quickly press the Side key twice to open the camera app. This Galaxy S20 camera quick launch is enabled by default and can be configured in the Side key settings.
Tap the QR code button in the quick settings panel. If you launch the camera app in this way, it will ignore the scan QR code settings in Galaxy S20 camera settings (read on). If there are no QR codes in the frame, you can take normal pictures.

Once you are in the Camera app, you can tap the Settings (gear icon) as illustrated here.

Understand and use Galaxy S20 camera settings

By default, after tapping the gear icon in the camera app, you will see the following 19 items in Galaxy S20 camera settings.

Please note, if you are using the Easy mode (Galaxy S20 Settings— Display —Easy mode), some settings are not available. By default, the Easy mode is off on Galaxy S20.

The Galaxy S20 camera settings are grouped into 4 groups: intelligent features, pictures, videos, and useful features.

Now, let’s go through all of the 19 items one by one.

#1. Scene optimizer

The scene optimizer of Galaxy S20 camera can automatically adjust the exposure, contrast, white balance, and some other settings based on what is detected in the camera frame. Samsung uses its own … Read the rest

Master Galaxy S20 lock screen settings

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You can customize Galaxy S20 lock screen settings to better protect your Galaxy S20 and use the phone more efficiently.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the meaning and usage of all items in Galaxy S20 lock screen settings including screen lock type, smart lock, secure lock, always-on display, wallpaper services, clock style, roaming clock, faceWidgets, contact info, notifications, and app shortcuts.

These settings are identical on all three models of Galaxy S20 (S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra), although Galaxy S20 is used in the text.

How to access Galaxy S20 lock screen settings

You can access Galaxy S20 lock screen settings from Galaxy S20 Settings — Lock screen.

There are a couple of different ways to access Galaxy S20 Settings including:

Use the Settings app icon on Galaxy S20 Home screen or Apps screen.
Use the Settings (gear) icon in the notification panel.
Use the Settings (gear icon) in the Galaxy S20 quick settings panel.
Use voice commands (Google or Bixby).

Galaxy S20 lock screen settings explained

As shown in the screenshot below, you can customize the settings for Galaxy S20 lock screen.

Here is the explanation of each item of Galaxy S20 locks screen setting. Each item matches the number in the following two screenshots.

I. Screen lock type

By default, when you set up the new Galaxy S20, you need to choose lock screen security type as one of the following:

Swipe. There is no security. Anyone can swipe to unlock Galaxy S20. If you skip it during the initial setup, this method will be used. It is NOT recommended.
Pattern.
PIN.
Password.
None. This option actually turns off Galaxy S20 lock screen. So, it is NOT recommended.

Normally, the PIN is recommended. It offers moderate security for the phone.

If you set the lock screen type as pattern, PIN, or password, then you can use secondary biometrics to unlock Galaxy S20:

Face. Face recognition is usually fast. But it requires good light conditions.
Fingerprints. The in-display fingerprint sensor on Galaxy S20 (S10 and Note 10 as well) is inferior to the traditional capacitive fingerprint reader. It is the worst feature of Galaxy S20.

Galaxy S20 will asks you to use PIN/Password periodically to unlock Galaxy S20 if you do not use them for a specific period, or you have not used the phone for about one day.… Read the rest

How to use and customize Galaxy S20 navigation buttons?

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Galaxy S20 navigation buttons allow you to navigate across, into and back out from the different pages of an app, Galaxy S20 Home screen, Apps screen and lock screen.

Although Android 10 introduced the full-screen navigation gestures, Galaxy S20, by default, uses the traditional three navigation buttons for you to interact with the phone.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the three navigation systems on Galaxy S20 (navigation buttons, Android 10 full-screen navigation gesture, and Samsung navigation gestures) and the functions and usage of Galaxy S20 navigation buttons (Recents, Back, and Home). It also shows you how to customize the layout (order) of Galaxy S20 navigation buttons

The navigation buttons are identical on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, although we used Galaxy S20 in the guide.

What are the three navigation systems on Galaxy S20?

When you interact with Galaxy S20, you can use one of the following 3 navigation systems to navigate through different apps, or within an app, or through pages of Home screen, Apps screen, and lock screen:

Galaxy S20 navigation buttons (the default).
Android 10 full-screen navigation gestures.
Samsung’s full-screen navigation gestures.

The full-screen navigation gestures remove all buttons (including the Home button). This guide (coming soon) explains these gestures and illustrates how to use them on Galaxy S20.

On the contrary, Galaxy S20 navigation buttons keep and use the traditional 3 navigation buttons.

Although navigation buttons look old-fashioned, they can be more efficient for many Galaxy S20 owners. This is the main reason why Samsung keeps Galaxy S20 navigation buttons as the default option when you set up Galaxy S20.

Please note, since Galaxy S8, Samsung ditched the hardware capacitive navigation buttons and adopted the software-based navigation buttons.

In other words, Galaxy S20 navigation buttons are NOT physical buttons (see Galaxy S20 layout). They are generated by the Android system when needed. And therefore, it is possible to disable/hide them and switch to full-screen navigation gestures without using any of these buttons.

What are the Galaxy S20 navigation buttons?

As shown in the screenshot below, there are three navigation buttons on the Galaxy S20 navigation bar:

Home button
Back button
Recents button (aka, Overview button)

Please note, the screenshot shown below is the default navigation button layout on Galaxy S20 (and all Samsung phones), which is opposite to the layout on other Android phones.

In the stock Android, the … Read the rest

How to use and customize Galaxy S20 lock screen?

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Galaxy S20 lock screen keeps your phone safe from prying eyes. It acts as a door to protect your private data and info.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains how the lock screen protects your data, the layout of the lock screen, and shows you how to use gestures on the Galaxy S20 lock screen.

Why is the Galaxy S20 lock screen so important?

Like in all other Android phones, Galaxy S20 lock screen is an essential part to secure your phone.

Basically, it is a door to your contents and private data. You are holding the key. And the key is your lock screen PIN/password/pattern.

So, Galaxy S20 lock screen protects your data from unauthorized access.

If anyone can bypass your Galaxy S20 lock screen, then he/she can access almost all data saved on the phone.

Galaxy S20 lock screen layout

As shown in the screenshot below, typically, there are 7 components on the Galaxy S20 lock screen

#1. Status bar

The status bar on the lock screen shows the name of the current mobile network provider and other status icons.

There are no notification icons in the status bar of the Galaxy S20 lock screen. Notifications, if enabled on the lock screen, will be shown below.

#2. Clock/faceWidgets

By default, a clock, whose clockface can be customized, is shown here.

But this is also the place holder for faceWidgets. You can swipe left or right in this region to switch to different faceWidgets.

Galaxy S20 allows you to enable up to 5 faceWidget on the lock screen.

#3. Contact info

You can leave your contact info here so that other people can contact you in case you forget to bring the phone (e.g., leave the phone in a restaurant).

For this purpose, you should leave a number of another phone.

You can also use the space to insert some motivational quotes to inspire you.

You may set up the contact info in Galaxy S20 lock screen settings page.

#4. Notifications

You can choose to show or hide notifications on theGalaxy S20 lock screen.

If you choose to show notifications, you can then customize the notification with icons only or with snippets.

#5. Charging status (when charging)

The charging status gives you a rough estimation of the charging time needed to fully charge the Galaxy S20 battery.

Of course, this appears only when the phone is connected to … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S20 Clear View Cover (S View cover)?

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Galaxy S20 Clear View Cover (aka S View smart cover in some regions) lets you check notifications, accept/reject incoming calls, handle alarms, and control music play through the S View window without opening the case.

Samsung improved a lot for the Clear View (S View ) covers in recent years for the S-View window design and materials.

This Galaxy S20 accessories guide explains the improvements of the Galaxy S20 Clear View cover, how the S View cover works and unique features of the Clear View cover, shows you how to use the cover to show notification icons, to accept/reject calls, and to control music playing, The guide also shows you how to use the Always-on Display (AOD) on Galaxy S20 Clear View cover. At the end of the guide, a concise no-nonsense review of Galaxy S20 S View cover is included.

Due to the difference in dimensions and cutouts of Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, you need to get the Galaxy S20 cover based on your phone model. The features, functions, and usage of the cover are identical on all these 3 Galaxy S20 phones.

What is new in Galaxy S20 Clear View Cover (S View cover)?

Samsung changed the design of the Galaxy Note 10 Clear View cover dramatically (compared to S10 clear view cover) by introducing the long (and narrow) S View window.

Galaxy S20 clear view cover is clearly a refinement of Galaxy Note 10 clear view cover.

Here are the three new features or improvements of Galaxy S20 Clear View Cover.

#1. New S View window

The full screen S View window as in Galaxy S10 Clear View cover is a fingerprint magnet. Also, the cover only utilizes a small portion of the display (that is why it was named as S View window).

Galaxy Note 10 Clear View Cover is a good experiment for the new S View window. The long and narrow S View window is perfect for most owners. You can easily peek the S View window to see the notifications and time when it is on the desk.

Galaxy S20 Clear View Cover uses a similar S View window. But it is integrated into the front piece in a more natural way (read on),

#2. Improved design

In Galaxy S20, the new S View window is not on the edge of the front piece. Instead, it is embedded inside … Read the rest

How to set battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, Note 10, and S10?

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Wireless PowerShare is a convenient feature allowing you to charge accessories with Galaxy S20 battery.

When the feature was first introduced in Galaxy S10, the battery limit for wireless Powershare is fixed at 30% (of the phone battery). In Android 10 update for Galaxy S10 and Note 10, Samsung allows owners to raise the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare.

Galaxy S20 also allows you to adjust the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare. And it works identically to Galaxy S10 and Note 10.

This Galaxy S20 guide shows you how to adjust the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, S10, and Note 10. Some questions on setting the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare are also answered.

What is Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20?

Wireless PowerShare turns your Galaxy S20 into a Qi-wireless charger. So, you can use your Galaxy S20 to charge accessories and even other phones that support wireless charging.

The typical usage of Wireless PowerShare is to charge your smartwatch, earbuds (e.g., Samsung Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds+) with your Galaxy S20’s battery. You can use it to charge other phones. But the speed is not so fast (it is the standard wireless charging. No fast wireless charging.)

Samsung first introduced this feature with Galaxy S10. It is one of a few well-received new features in Galaxy S10. Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S20 implemented the wireless Powershare similarly.

A detailed guide on how to use Wireless PowerShare can be found here. It applies to all Samsung devices supporting Wireless PowerShare.

The original implementation of the Wireless PowerShare in Galaxy S10 and Note 10 hardcoded a battery limit of 30%. Wireless Powershare will stop automatically if the phone battery is lower than 30% of its full capacity.

Because the phone battery drains faster (most of us can “feel” it) when the battery level is low, some owners want to reserve more battery, especially when charging other phones. The 30% limit may be too low for them.

So, in Android 10 update, Samsung added the option for you to set battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10. Galaxy S20 has this feature from day 1.

How to set battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, Note 10, and S10?

if you want to raise the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, Note 10, and S10, … Read the rest

How to unlock Galaxy S20 to Home screen directly (without swiping on Galaxy S20 lock screen) with face recognition?

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By default, after you unlock Galaxy S20 with face recognition, you are not directed to the Home screen. You have to swipe on the lock screen to reach the Galaxy S20 Home screen.

Many Galaxy S20 owners want to reach the Home screen without swiping on Galaxy S20 lock screen when using face recognition to unlock Galaxy S20.

As Galaxy S20 uses the inferior and inconvenient in-display fingerprint sensor, most Galaxy S20 owners find the face recognition (face unlock) is the most convenient way to unlock Galaxy S20 quickly.

This Galaxy S20 guide shows you how to unlock Galaxy S20 to Home screen directly without swiping on Galaxy S20 lock screen when using face recognition on Galaxy S20.

The face recognition on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra works identically. So, this guide applies to all of these 3 Galaxy S20 models although only “S20” was used in the text.

Besides, the default face recognition (face unlock) settings are similar on all Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10. This guide also applies to most other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10 update including Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8.

Why I still stay on the lock screen after unlocking Galaxy S20 with face recognition?

When face recognition is enabled, you may inadvertently unlock Galaxy S20.

For example, you may pick up the phone just to check the time. But the face recognition is activated and may unlock Galaxy S20 automatically whenever the screen is wakened up.

To mitigate this side effect of face recognition unlocking method on Galaxy S20, Samsung, by default, lets you stay on the lock screen if the phone is unlocked by face recognition. If you actually want to unlock the phone, you need to swipe on the Galaxy S20 lock screen to go to the Home screen.

As shown in the screenshot below, after unlocking Galaxy S20 with face recognition, you are still on the lock screen page. The open lock icon on the top of the lock screen and “Swipe to open” text on the bottom tells you that the phone is unlocked. You can open the Home screen by swiping on the Galaxy S20 lock screen.

Of course, you can change this setting (read on) so that you can reach the Home screen without swiping on Galaxy S20 lock screen.

This is … Read the rest

How to customize and use Galaxy S20 Quick Settings?

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Galaxy S20 quick settings let you quickly turn on/off some features using the quick setting buttons from the notification panel.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains everything you need to know on using and customizing Galaxy S20 Quick Settings: what the Galaxy S20 Quick Settings is, how to access it, how to customize the quick setting button order, and how to customize the layout of the quick settings panel.

The Galaxy S20 Quick Settings is identical on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. So, in this guide, Galaxy S20 refers to all of these three phones.

What is Galaxy S20 Quick Settings?

Like in other Android phones, Samsung Galaxy S20 Quick Settings allows you to turn on/off some features, e.g., WiFi, mobile data, flight mode, without diving into the Galaxy S20 Settings.

The quick setting buttons are also easier to understand and use, compared to the menu and page navigations in Galaxy S20 Settings. So, it is the most efficient way to turn on or turn off some features on Galaxy S20.

By default, in the notification panel, 6 quick setting buttons (with text below them) appear, as shown below.

FYI, you can access Galaxy S20 notification panel by swiping down from the status bar.

These buttons are just the first 6 buttons in the Galaxy S20 quick settings. You can find all quick setting buttons if you swipe down again from the notification panel.

Galaxy S20 Quick Settings (or quick settings panel) usually refers to this full-page buttons, as shown above.

Please note, the quick setting buttons include two parts:

the button; and
the text below the button.

They have different functions.

Most of the quick setting buttons accept the following gestures:

Tapping the button to turn on/off the feature.
Tapping the text below the button to get the options for the feature.
Long tapping (tapping and holding) the button (or the text below the button) to open the corresponding entry in Galaxy S20 Settings if the feature has an entry there.

A few quick setting buttons may only accept one or two of the gestures.

In addition to the two-page quick setting buttons, in the Galaxy S20 Quick Settings page, you can also find:

Phone search (S Finder) button.
Power off menu button.
Shortcut to Galaxy S20 Settings.
Menu key.
Brightness settings button.
Media button
Devices button.

Among them, you can … Read the rest

How to customize notification icon style in Galaxy S20 status bar?

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Galaxy S20 allows you to customize notification icon style in the status bar to avoid overcrowded icons.

You can choose to show all notification icons, last 3 icons, or the total number of notification icons in Galaxy S20 status bar.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the details of Galaxy S20 status bar, the icon arrangements, and how to customize notification icon style in Galaxy S20 status bar to hide notification icons, show 3 recent icons, show all notification icons, or only show the number of notifications in the status bar.

Please note, the status bar and notification icons work identically on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, although there are significant differences among these 3 phones.

What is Galaxy S20 status bar?

Like all other Android phones (even iPhones), the top part of the Galaxy S20 screen is reserved for the system to show status icons and notification icons.

As shown in the screenshot below., a typical Galaxy S20 status bar has two parts separated by the punching hole of the front-facing camera:

Notification icons (and time, which cannot be disabled) aligned to the left edge on the left side of the front camera.
Status icons aligned to the right edge on the right side of the front camera.

Since Galaxy S8, Samsung allows you to limit the total number of notification icons on the status bar. Galaxy S20 allows more options to customize notification style on the status bar.

Actually, all Galaxy phones with the Android 10 update has a similar feature.

What is the dot in the Galaxy S20 status bar?

You may notice the dot icon, as shown in the screenshot above (marked in the green circle), on the rightmost of the status bar.

The dot icon in the Galaxy S20 status bar means “and more”. In other words, the dot icon tells you there are more than 3 notifications icons.

By default, Galaxy S20 status bar only displays up to 3 notification icons. If there are more than 3, the most recent 3 notification icons will be shown and the dot icon starts to appear.

Of course, you can change this default behaviour to customize notification icon style on Galaxy S20 status bar (read on).

Anyway, do not be panic when you see the dot icon on the status bar.

How to customize notification icon style in Galaxy S20 status bar?

If … Read the rest

Everything about eSIM support and use eSIM on Galaxy S20

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Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra have eSIM support in most regions. But your carrier may not support eSIM on Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what eSIM is, the advantages of using eSIM on Galaxy S20, how to check eSIM support on Galaxy S20, how to add eSIM Profiles on Galaxy S20, and how to use eSIM on Galaxy S20 together with physical SIM cards.

What is eSIM?

Traditionally, you need to get a SIM card from your phone company to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and use mobile data.

The SIM card is your ID. It is unique in the whole global mobile networks. The mobile operators use the SIM card to identify the company issued the card, whether this card can connect to their network or not, and what resources (mobile plan) you can use if you can connect to the network.

As the SIM card is unique, you have to get the physical card from the carrier. When you change carrier, you cannot use the old SIM card, and you have to get a new SIM card from the new carrier.

The process can be painful. Sometimes, you have to visit a physical store and queue there for one or two hours for the tiny SIM card. Or sometimes, you have to wait a few days before it is delivered to your mailbox.

It is even more painful or some frequent travellers who prefer using a local SIM card (to avoid exacerbate roaming charges). Every time, when you reach the destination airport, you have to walk around the airport to get a local SIM card. In some countries, the SIM card sold in airports is usually not good for value.

eSIM, embedded-SIM (or more officially, embedded universal integrated circuit card, eUICC), was proposed to tackle this issue (and other provisioning issues). The standard is maintained by GSMA.

In a nutshell, eSIM is embedded storage for SIM cards in your phone. You can save each SIM card info as a Profile.

And, you can save multiple Profiles on it. GSMA does not limit the maximum Profiles you can save on one device. It is only limited by the storage capacity and the size of each Profile.

You can delete or add Profiles, which are [rovided by carriers. But you cannot modify the Profiles.

You can imagine the eSIM actually … Read the rest

How to remap and use Galaxy S20 Side key?

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Galaxy S20 Side key is a combination of traditional Power key and Bixby key. You can remap it to different functions.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the functions of the Galaxy S20 Side key, how to remap the functions to different gestures and how to use the side key on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

This guide applies to all three models of Galaxy S20.

What is Galaxy S20 Side key?

Samsung introduced the Bixby key on Galaxy S8. It was located below the volume keys on the left side of the phone as explained in Galaxy S8 layout.

This configuration was maintained in Galaxy Note 8, S9, Note 9, and S10 with the hope of increasing adoption of Bixby services.

But unfortunately, it did not work well. Most owners do not use Bixby and don’t like the useless physical button.

Since Android Pie update, Samsung finally allows owners to remap the Bixby key to other functions. It becomes one of the most welcomed features in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S8.

In Galaxy Note 10, Samsung eventually gave up the efforts of pushing Bixby key.

So, in Galaxy Note 10, Samsung combined the Power key and the Bixby key into one and named it Side key.

But Samsung put the new Side key in the left side of Galaxy Note 10. This created unnecessary confusions among the owners because the Power key of all previous Galaxy phones was on the right side.

So, in Galaxy S20, Samsung relocated the Side key into the right side (together with the Volume key) as explained in Galaxy S20 layout.

Essentially, Galaxy S20 Side key is still a combination of the Power key and the Bixby key. And the owner can customize the functions.

What are the gestures supported by Galaxy S20 Side key?

As a hardware button, Galaxy S20 Side key supports 4 gestures:

Single press.
Double press. The default function is Galaxy S20 camera quick launch.
Long press (press and hold for more than 2 seconds). The default function is the revamped Power Off menu.

The first gesture (single press) is not customizable. It is reserved for wake up/turn off the screen, just like what the old Power key does. You can also configure it to lock Galaxy S20 instantly as explained in Galaxy S20 lock screen settings.

The … Read the rest

The Ultimate Guide of Galaxy S20 Touchscreen Gestures

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You need to use the Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures to use the phone effectively.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the commonly used Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures and shows you how to use them. The 8 Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures covered are tapping, double-tapping, triple-tapping, long-tapping (tapping and holding), swiping, dragging, pinching and spreading.

Why do you need to know the Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures?

We seldom attach a physical keyboard or mouse to Galaxy S20 (except using Samsung DeX). So, the touchscreen is the interface between the user and the Galaxy S20.

The phone takes commands from us through Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures. We interact with the apps through those gestures, most of the time.

Since Android 10, Google removed the navigation buttons by default and recommended gestures for all navigations. Of course, Galaxy S20 still allows you to choose between using buttons or navigation gestures.

More and more Android apps also prefer gestures over buttons.

Anyway, it is hard to use the phone effectively without mastering Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures.

What are the 8 Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures?

You will need to use the following touchscreen gestures on Galaxy S20:

Tapping (single tap).
Double-tapping.
Triple tapping.
Long tapping (tap and hold).
Swiping.
Dragging.
Pinching.
Spreading

All of the 8 Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures are universal on all Android phones. They work on almost all Android phones and therefore are not unique to Galaxy S20.

But the functions of each gesture may depend on individual apps.

Usage of Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures

Now, let’s go through these 8 Galaxy S20 navigation gestures one by one.

Please note, we use “tap” in this guide. Other developers or writers may prefer “press”. They are identical for touchscreen gestures.

#1. Single tapping gesture (tapping)

The tapping gesture (aka single tapping), as shown in the animation below, requires you touch somewhere on the Galaxy S20 screen once, then move your finger away from the screen.

This gesture will be then registered as tapping, which is one of the most fundamental Galaxy S20 touchscreen gestures. It corresponds to “click” when using a mouse.

The outcome of the tapping gesture depends on what you tapped.

Here are some example of using tapping gesture on Galaxy S20:

Open an app by tapping the app icon.
Navigate to another page by tapping a menu item.
Toggle some Galaxy S20 features by tapping the quick setting buttons.
Change

… Read the rest

Galaxy S20 LED View Cover (LED Wallet Cover)

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Galaxy S20 LED view cover (aka Galaxy S20 LED wallet cover) is one of the official accessories for Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

This Galaxy S20 accessories guide explains the unique features of the Galaxy S20 LED View cover, shows you how to use the cover (including assign and customise LED cions, accept and reject calls, control music), answers some questions you may have on this cover. A no-nonsense review of Galaxy S20 LED View cover is also included to help you decide whether this cover is for you.

The LED View cover works identically on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, although there are some differences among these three Galaxy S20 models. So, in this guide, Galaxy S20 refers to all of these 3 models.

How does the Galaxy S20 LED View Cover (LED Wallet Cover) work?

LED View cover, which is a successor of LED Flip cover, was first introduced with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Samsung changed the design and materials over the years.

But the fundamentals are still the same.

All Samsung LED covers, including the old LED Flip cover, LED View cover (LED Wallet cover in some regions), and the LED back cover, work through NFC technology.

There is no battery in the LED cover. The LED cover get power through NFC, NOT through wireless charging. But it does affect wireless charging (for safety reasons). When you charge Galaxy S20 battery with a wireless charging pad, the wireless charging will be paused automatically when LED icons are shown. And it resumes once the LED disappears.

The communication between the phone and the cover does NOT rely on the NFC settings. It is hardcoded in the firmware. Even you turn off NFC on your phone, the LED cover still works normally.

So, this is totally different from how S Pen on Galaxy Note devices works. S Pen does NOT use NFC.

The old S Pen (until Galaxy Note 8) does not have a battery. You do not need to charge it. These old S Pens get power from the screen (through electro-magnetic grid under the screen) when you use it.

The new S Pen in Note 9 has a supercapacitor and the S Pen in Note 10 has a real battery. Both of them will be charged when you put them in the S Pen slot. The “wireless charging” is using … Read the rest

How to charge Galaxy S20 battery?

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You need to charge Galaxy S20 battery properly to maximize the battery life without sacrificing usage.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains to you everything you need to know on charging Galaxy S20 battery: two ways to charge Galaxy S20, how to use USB charging, how to use wireless charging, typical charging time for Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. The guide also answers questions you may have on charging Galaxy S20 battery.

Charging Galaxy S20 battery is identical on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. The only difference is that Galaxy S20 Ultra supports 45W super fast-charging; while Galaxy S20 and S20+ only support up to 25W.

Do you need to charge Galaxy S20 battery for 8 hours for the first time?

No, it is unnecessary to charge Galaxy S20 battery for 8 hours for the first time.

You can disconnect the charger once the battery is fully charged.

The old textbook may teach you to charge the new battery for 8 hours. It is outdated.

When you open the Galaxy S20 box, the battery level on your Galaxy S20 should be normally around 50-60%. You can use the phone immediately.

In some regions, Samsung does not offer a 1-to-1 exchange. You have to power on the phone on the spot to check the phone before you leave the counter.

Two ways to charge Galaxy S20 battery

You can charge Galaxy S20 battery in two ways:

USB charging. You can charge Galaxy S20 with a USB cable, which connects to a USB power source (normally, a wall charger).
Wireless charging. You can put Galaxy S20 on a wireless charging pad to charge the battery.

In Galaxy S20 box, a 25W charger and a USB-C cable are included. You can use them to charge Galaxy S20 battery.

Of course, you can use other wall chargers, power banks, or USB hub to charge Galaxy S20. But the charging speed may be affected. For example, if you use a USB port on your PC or laptop to charge Galaxy S20, you may find it is too slow.

Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra all support Quick Charge (QC) 2.0, USB Power Delivery (PD) 3. As explained in this guide, all three Galaxy S20 models support super-fast charging. Galaxy S20 and S20+ support up to 25W charging, and S20 Ultra supports up to 45W.

Please note, Samsung only … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S20 camera app?

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The camera is probably the only reason why many Galaxy S10 or S9 owners choose to upgrade to Galaxy S20 as explained in the Galaxy S20 new features page.

But you need to familiarize yourself with the Galaxy S20 camera app first to realize the full potential of Galaxy S20 camera.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains each item on the Galaxy S20 camera app interface, shows you how to use gestures in the camera app, and how to use Galaxy S20 camera quick launch.

Please note, the camera app on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra is identical, although the camera systems on these 3 models differ significantly (as explained in the differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra). So, this guide applies to all Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

Understand items on Galaxy S20 Camera app interface

By default, when you start the camera app on Galaxy S20, it is in the Photo mode, as shown in the screenshot below.

In this mode, you can find the following items:

Preview screen.
Shortcut to Gallery
Shutter (capture) button
Rear/front camera switch
Camera modes (shooting modes)
Zoom control
Scene optimizer
Camera settings
Flash
Timer
Photo size
Motion photo
Camera effects

Now, let’s go through them one by one.

#1. Preview screen

You can preview the photo before tapping the shutter button.

The size of the preview screen depends on the photo aspect ration chosen (read on).

Please note, you can tap and hold anywhere on the preview screen to lock the autofocus (AF) and exposure.

You may pinch or spread on the preview screen to zoom in or zoom out. You can switch front and rear cameras by swiping upwards or downwards on the preview screen

#2. Shortcut to Gallery

By default, the thumbnail of the latest photo is shown. It is a shortcut to the Gallery app.

Once in the Gallery app, if you tap the Back button to exit the Gallery app, then you can return to the camera app.

#3. Shutter (capture) button

Normally, you need to tap the shutter button to take a photo with Galaxy S20 camera.

Of course, you can also use the volume key, floating shutter button, voice, or gestures to take photos on Galaxy S20.

On Galaxy S20 camera app, you can hold the shutter button to take a quick video.

You may swipe down the shutter … Read the rest