How to guides

How to use and force Galaxy S20 dark mode?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: December 3, 2020 · Published on: August 12, 2020

Galaxy S20 dark mode can significantly reduce your eye strain when using the phone. It may also slightly save battery for Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Galaxy S20 dark mode is, how to use and customize the dark mode on Galaxy S20, and how to force all apps to use dark mode on Galaxy S20.

Galaxy S20 dark mode works identically on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. So this guide applies to all these three Galaxy S20 phones.

What is Galaxy S20 dark mode?

Galaxy S20 dark mode turns on a dark theme at the system level to alleviate eye strain, especially under low-light conditions. In the past, it was called night mode sometimes.

To avoid confusions with the camera night mode, Samsung followed the Android convention of the dark theme and named it officially as the dark mode since Android 10 update.

So, essentially, Galaxy S20 dark mode is the dark theme in other Android phones noticeable improvements.

The dark theme will try to use dark (black or grey) background and white text. This usually makes your eyes more comfortable when staring at the screen, especially when the light condition is not good.

Individual app developers may choose to implement the Android dark theme, or ignore it, or implement their own dark theme. So, by default, some apps may ignore the dark mode. In Android 10, you can force all apps to use the Galaxy S20 dark mode (read on).

One beneficial side-effect of applying Galaxy S20 dark mode is noticeable power saving (without changing Galaxy S20 power mode). Because Galaxy S20 uses super AMOLED. The black pixels consume almost no power. So, when you switch to the dark background, the screen will utilize less power. For most owners, power saving is noticeable, and it is helpful to extend the battery lifespan slightly.

For most Galaxy S20 owners, there are three benefits of turning on the dark mode on Galaxy S20:

Alleviate eye strain.
Save battery.
Aesthetic (depending on individual owners). Some users prefer a white (light) background, and others may prefer the black (dark) background.

You can enable or disable Galaxy S20 dark mode at any time manually, or use it automatically based on your schedule.

How to enable and disable the Galaxy S20 dark mode?

By default, the dark mode is not enabled on Galaxy S20. There are at least … Read the rest

How to enter, use, and exit Galaxy S20 safe mode?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 9, 2021 · Published on: August 9, 2020

Galaxy S20 safe mode allows you to temporally turn off third-party apps and services so that you can debug some weird issues on Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Galaxy S20 safe mode is, how to enter the Galaxy S20 safe mode, use the safe mode, and exit the safe mode on Galaxy S20.

Because the safe mode is one of the standard Android features, this guide applies to not only Galaxy S20 models (Galaxy S20, S20+, S20FE, and S20 Ultra) but also other Android phones including Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S9, and many others.

What is Galaxy S20 safe mode?

Galaxy S20 safe mode is a special mode with all third-party (non-preinstalled) apps and services suspended temporally. All system settings and pre-installed app settings and data can be used normally.

So, safe mode does not reset your Galaxy S20 to the factory state. And therefore, it is “safe” for your data.

Of course, the real meaning of “safe” is that your Galaxy S20 is shielded from any third-party apps and services.

Under Galaxy S20 safe mode, you can figure out whether some weird issues are caused by any third-party apps, or pre-installed apps (and system settings). Normally, you should try safe mode before trying to wiping the cache partition in the Galaxy S20 recovery mode.

Safe mode is a built-in feature of Android. You can actually find it in almost all Android devices. And it works almost identically on all Android devices.

In a nutshell, Galaxy S20 safe mode allows you to check whether a problem is caused by third-party apps or services installed by you, or caused by system and pre-installed apps.

How to boot into Galaxy S20 safe mode?

There are at least two ways to boot the phone into Galaxy S20 safe mode.

Method 1: Use the Power Button menu (safe method)

This method works if your Galaxy S20 can still boot up to at least the lock screen.

Step 1: Hold the side key to access the Power-off menu

After the phone is booted to Galaxy S20 lock screen, or to Home screen, you can hold the side key (as illustrated below) for about 2-3 seconds, to call out the power-off menu (aka power menu, power button options).

Please note, as explained in the Galaxy S20 Layout page, Samsung moved the side key to … Read the rest

Use advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers on the lock screen and home screen

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 18, 2021 · Published on: July 22, 2020

Many Galaxy S20 owners customize Galaxy S20 wallpapers once they migrate the data from the old phone and finish the initial setup.

But most owners may not be aware that Galaxy S20 wallpapers are not just a few pictures. You can also use videos, random photos, or Samsung curated photo packs as Galaxy S20 wallpapers.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the differences between Galaxy S20 Home screen wallpapers and lock screen wallpapers, the advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers (multi-pack, live wallpapers, video wallpapers, dynamic lock screen, Samsung Global Goals), and how to customize Galaxy S20 wallpapers with these advanced features.

The difference between Galaxy S20 lock screen wallpapers and home screen wallpapers

Samsung made some changes on the wallpapers on the home screen and lock screen on Galaxy S20. Other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10 (e.g., Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10) also have identical wallpaper settings.

The major differences between Galaxy S20 lock screen wallpapers and home screen wallpapers include:

Live wallpaper is NOT supported on Galaxy S20 Home screen. The infinity effect (and motion effect) of wallpapers does not work on Galaxy S20 Home screen either.
Multi-pack is NOT supported on Galaxy S20 Home screen.
Random photos (photo slideshow) works on Galaxy S20 lock screen only.
Videos can be assigned for wallpapers on the lock screen only.
The Dynamic Lock is for Galaxy S20 lock screen only.

In a nutshell, without using a third-party app, you can only use one static image for the Galaxy S20 Home screen wallpaper. For the lock screen, you have many options.

If you just migrated from an old Galaxy phone, you may find the live wallpapers are missing from the Galaxy S20 Home screen.

5 advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers on the lock screen and home screen

Samsung tried hard to improve the wallpapers on the lock screen. But at the same time, they keep removing features from the home screen wallpapers. It is a very confusing move.

Most of the advanced features of the Galaxy S20 wallpapers discussed here are mainly for the Galaxy S20 lock screen. Only the dark mode for wallpapers is for both the Home screen and lock screen.

Here are the five (5) noteworthy advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers.

#1. Dark mode for Galaxy S20 wallpapers

Galaxy S20 dark mode is excellent. It may significantly reduce your eye … Read the rest

How to customize icon shape on Galaxy S20 and S10?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 10, 2021 · Published on: July 20, 2020

You can easily change the app icon shape on Galaxy S20, S10, or Note 10 when you are tired of the default squircle shape.

This guide shows you how to change the app icon shape on Galaxy S20, the available shapes, the limitations and caveats for the new icon shapes.

Samsung added the icon shape customization feature in all Galaxy phones with Android 10. So, this feature is also available on other Galaxy phones including Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9, and a few other models.

Update: In Android 11 update (with One UI 3.0), Samsung removed the option of customizing icon shape. You have to use third-party themes or launcher if you do not like the squircle icons.

The limitations and caveats of changing icon shape on Galaxy S20

Before starting to change the icon shape on Galaxy S20, you should be aware of the following 5 caveats and limitations.

#1. The icon shape change is limited to app icons.

When you change the app icon on Samsung Galaxy phones like Galaxy S20, the change is limited to app icons on the Home screen, apps screen, and lock screen if app shortcuts are used.

The icons in the quick settings panel, or other system UI, will not be affected.

#2. Most of Samsung apps do not change icon shape.

Almost all Samsung apps (e.g., Phone, Messages, Gallery, Camera) were shipped with only one icon shape: squircle.

So, the icon shape will NEVER change for these apps on Galaxy S20.

#3. Some third-party apps may not change the icon shape for some shapes.

Except for apps from Google, some third-party apps may not support some icon shapes.

For example, a lot of third-party apps do not support the teardrop shape.

Please note, whether an app icon shape is supported or not is defined in the app (by the app developer).

#4. You need to enable developer options to change the icon shape on Samsung phones.

On Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10, app icon shape customization is hidden in the theming section of Galaxy S20 developer options.

So, you need to enable the developer options before you can customize the icon shape.

#5. You need to reboot the phone to see the new icon shape.

After changing the icon shape on Galaxy S20, you cannot preview it. You need to reboot the … Read the rest

Master Mobile Networks Settings on Galaxy S20

By simon 2 Comments Last Modified: July 17, 2020 · Published on: July 17, 2020

Although most owners do not need to change mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20, it is crucial to understand the options for the mobile networks so that you can solve some mobile network related issues when it happens suddenly.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20, shows you when and how to use them, and illustrates how to check the mobile network status and SIM card status on Galaxy S20.

Most of the mobile networks settings on all three Galaxy S20 models are almost identical. So, this guide applies to all Galaxy S20 phones (Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra).

When do you need to change the mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20?

The default mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20 are usually sufficient for most owners. They may never touch the mobile network settings at all.

But from time to time, due to some carrier’s configurations, or some software glitches, you may have to change or check the mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20.

Here are a few example scenarios when you need to head to the mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20

#1. Enable/disable data roaming

Data roaming can be costly if you do not have a particular roaming plan with your carrier.

By default, data roaming is disabled. But once you enabled, it will be on until you disable it. When your phone is roaming, you should see the roaming icon (R added to the signal strength), as explained in here.

#2. Add or edit APN settings

APN (Access Point Name) is essential for mobile data connections. In addition to internet access, MMS also replies on correct APN settings.

If you need to edit or add APN settings, you need to access Galaxy S20 mobile networks settings. Read on.

#3. Select a network operator (especially when roaming)

If your SIM card can use more than one mobile network, you can manually choose one. This also has to be done under mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20.

When your Galaxy S20 is roaming, your carrier may have multiple local roaming partners. Some may offer better coverage. Some may offer a better connection. Some may offer a lower roaming price.

Understand mobile networks settings on Galaxy S20

You can access Galaxy S20 mobile networks settings from Galaxy S20 Settings.

As shown in the screenshot below, tap Connections… Read the rest

How to use app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screen?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: December 6, 2020 · Published on: July 2, 2020

You can add up to two app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screen so that you can use these apps without unlocking the phone, or use the app directly after unlocking the phone.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains how the app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screen work, how to manage, customize and use the app shortcuts on the lock screen, how to use the floating button for app shortcuts.

App shortcuts are available on all Galaxy S20 models: Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra. So, this guide applies to all these three Galaxy S20 models.

How do app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screen work?

As explained in this guide, on Galaxy S20 lock screen, by default, there are two app shortcuts (Phone app and Camera app, by default) on the two bottom corners.

You can drag or swipe the icon to the centre of the screen to use the two apps without unlocking Galaxy S20.

There are no security issues with the app shortcuts on the Galaxy S20 lock screen.

Most apps will work only after you unlock Galaxy S20. Only selected apps will work without accessing your data and without unlocking Galaxy S20.

Your data are always safe. They can only be accessed after you unlock the phone. There is no exception.

So, the app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screen work in different ways depending on the app shortcuts you put there:

Without restrictions. For apps that do not access any data, they can work normally. For example, you can use Flashlight or Do Not Disturb without any restriction on the lock screen.
With restrictions. For selected apps, including Phone app, Camera app, they can run in a restricted mode. For example, the Phone app on the lock screen can only be used for emergency calls. The camera app can only be used to take photos or record videos, and it can only access photos or videos taken in that session. Of course, you can use all Galaxy S20 camera modes and change some camera settings.
Unlocking the phone is required. For most apps, you need to unlock the phone to continue the app.

As a convenience feature, you should put the most frequently used apps on the lock screen so that you can access them quicker than tapping the app icons on the home … Read the rest

How to enable and use Galaxy S20 developer options?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 18, 2021 · Published on: June 21, 2020

You can enable and use Galaxy S20 developer options to access some advanced or experimental features.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains when you need to enable developer options, how to enable and use the options, and a complete list of Galaxy S20 developer options. Examples of using Galaxy S20 developer options to add developer tiles to the quick settings panel, and to customise the default USB configurations are also included.

Please note, in this guide, Galaxy S20 refers to all three Galaxy S20 models: Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, because the developer options on these three phones are identical.

What are Galaxy S20 developer options?

Traditionally, Android hides with some special additional features for developers so that they can test their apps on any supported Android devices while normal users may never notice such features.

Some beta, experimental, and even legacy features were also hidden in Andriod devices. Google has to make sure that such features are visible only to users who are aware of such features,

Developer options in Android devices is a collection of these features. Some Android vendors may add or remove a few entries on their devices.

Galaxy S20 developer options are very similar to those in stock Android 10. Only a few new entries were added by Samsung.

Update: After you update Galaxy S20 to Android 11, you may notice there are minor changes in the developer options. For example, you cannot find the option to customise the app icon shapes.

When do you need to enable and access Galaxy S20 developer options

If you are an Android developer, surely, you can use the developer options to test apps on Galaxy S20, instead of the virtual machines of Pixel or Nexus devices.

Samsung is the largest Android vendor. So, it is necessary to test apps on the latest Galaxy phones.

Besides developers, many Android enthusiasts may also try some experimental or beta features of Android 10 on Galaxy S20.

For typical Galaxy S20 owners, you may still occasionally need to enable and use the developer options to access certain features. For example:

You want to force all apps to be resizable so that you can use it in both pop-up view and split-screen view.
You want to force all apps (except system apps and pre-installed apps) to use the micro SD card. As explained in this guide, many app developers

… Read the rest

How to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout to prevent unintentional changes?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: August 9, 2020 · Published on: June 13, 2020

You can lock the Galaxy S20 lock screen layout to avoid unintentional modifications of the home screen.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains when you need to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout, how to do it, and the side effects of locking the layout of Galaxy S20 Home screen.

Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra share the same launched and the identical home screen settings. So this guide applies to all Galaxy S20 phones, although we use Galaxy S20 in the guide.

Besides, because locking the home screen layout is a feature of Samsung’s One UI launcher, you can find and use this feature on all other Galaxy phones with One UI, including, Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, Note 9, and Note 10, as well.

When do you need to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout?

Thanks to the useless “curved” screen since Galaxy S6 edge, you may very easily touch the screen inadvertently and therefore move or remove some app icons or widgets on the Home screen.

Although Galaxy S20 makes the curved part of the screen less obvious, it is still a big distraction and a big waste (of usable screen space).

So, it is not uncommon that you may get surprised at the “new” Galaxy S20 Home screen: some app icons disappear, some app icons moved.

In the worst scenario, you may uninstall some apps inadvertently from the Galaxy S20 home screen when the phone is in your pocket or bag.

You can minimize such accidental modifications by locking the home screen layout.

Please note, when you boot Galaxy S20 into safe mode using hardware buttons, widgets may be removed even you lock the home screen layout, as explained here.

How to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout?

By default, the layout of the Galaxy S20 Home screen is not locked.

For example, when you install new apps on Galaxy S20, the app icon (a shortcut to the app) will be added to the Galaxy S20 Home screen.

To lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen, you may follow the following steps.

Step 1: Enter the edit mode for Galaxy S20 Home screen

The quickest way to access Galaxy S20 Home screens settings is through the edit mode.

On Galaxy S20 Home screen, you can pinch to enter the edit mode of Galaxy … Read the rest

How to use a micro SD card on Galaxy S20?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: December 19, 2020 · Published on: June 9, 2020

Samsung always supports the micro SD card support on all Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones except on Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5. Galaxy S20 can support a micro SD card up to 1TB.

But the support of the micro SD card on Galaxy S20 is different from that in stock Android.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the supported micro SD card features on Galaxy S20, the requirements of using a micro SD card, how to add and manage the SD card, how to move apps to the micro SD card and how to mount and unmount the SD card on Galaxy S20, and how to choose an SD card for Galaxy S20.

In this guide, Galaxy S20 refers to Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Does Galaxy S20 support adoptable storage so that I can use the micro SD card as internal storage?

No, Galaxy S20 does not support the adoptable storage. But Galaxy S20 does support moving apps to the micro SD card.

Since Android Marshmallow (Android 6), Google introduced the adoptable storage to let you use the micro SD card as internal storage. It essentially increases the internal storage capacity at a far lower price.

Of course, due to performance limitations of the micro SD card, most flagship Android phones do not support the adoptable storage. Some, for example, Google Pixel phones, do not have a micro SD card slot at all. The adoptable storage support can be found in many middle-range and budget Android phones.

The other option is to use the micro SD card as portable storage, where you can save your own files, for example, your music or media collections. Apps can also request to access the portable storage to download and save large files. The “flagship” (usually means expensive and overpriced) Android phones with a micro SD card support, often only support the portable storage.

Unlike other Android vendors, Samsung chose a proprietory way to support micro SD card. It is somewhere between adoptable storage and portable storage.

You cannot format the micro SD card as the internal storage on Galaxy S20.
But you can move most apps to the micro SD card if you want.

Actually, this is a better implementation than the adoptable or portable storage, because

The micro SD card is portable. You can share the media files on the SD card on any

… Read the rest

Use Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode to customize Galaxy S20 Home screen

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: October 30, 2020 · Published on: June 5, 2020

Samsung Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode allows you to customize Galaxy S20 Home screen, access Galaxy S20 Home screen settings, use themes, apply wallpapers, add widgets to the home screen.

This Galaxy S20 how-to guide explains what Samsung Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode is, how to access this mode with two different gestures, and what you can do in the Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode to customize Galaxy S20 Home screen.

The Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode is identical on all three models of Galaxy S20. So this guide applies to Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

What is Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode?

The quickest way to customize the Galaxy S20 Home screen is to use the edit (customization ) mode.

Sometimes the home screen edit mode may be referred to the Home screen customization or settings page. But on Galaxy S20, Samsung added a dedicated Home screen settings page. In the Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode, there is a shortcut to this home screen settings page.

Besides, after Android 5.0 removed the Widgets tab in the Apps screen, the only way to manually add widgets to the Galaxy S20 Home screen is through the Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode.

You can imagine the Galaxy S20 home screen edit mode is a special page hiding behind the Home screen. You can quickly access it to customize the Galaxy S20 Home screen and change the home screen settings.

How to access Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode?

You can access the edit mode of Galaxy S20 Home screen with two different gestures, as illustrated in the screenshot below.

Gesture A: Tap and hold (long tap) on the blank area

You can tap and hold (aka long tap) any blank area (that is not occupied by the app icons, widgets, pinned files, picture frames …) on the Home screen.

The gap between any two app icons is also a blank area.

Gesture B: Pinch on the Home screen

You can pinch over the home screen to enter the edit mode.

How to customize Galaxy S20 Home screen in the edit mode?

The purpose of the Galaxy S20 Home screen edit mode is for you to quickly customize the Home screen. For example, you can quickly disable (hide) the Samsung Daily on the Galaxy S20 home screen, or customize the … Read the rest

How to set Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: December 3, 2020 · Published on: June 2, 2020

The 120Hz display refresh rate is one of the prominent new features of Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the role of the display refresh rate on Galaxy S20, how to change the refresh rate on Galaxy S20, the limitations of the 120Hz refresh rate on Galaxy S20. Some questions you may have on this feature are also addressed.

The display refresh rate feature on three Galaxy S20 phones are identical. So, S20 in this refers to Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

What are the 60Hz and 120Hz display refresh rate on Galaxy S20?

The display refresh rate measures the number of times per second the display can redraw the whole screen. So, the unit of the refresh rate is Hertz (Hz, 1/s).

For most smartphones, the display refresh rate is 60Hz. And it is good enough for most users.

Most videos have a frame rate of 24~30 fps (frames per second). Loosely, you can think one frame means one static image on the screen.

So, as long as the refresh rate is higher than the fps of the video, we say the display can handle the video. You can watch the video on such a display.

In reality, the 60Hz display refresh rate allows you to watch the video smoothly.

But some users, mainly gamers, may prefer a higher refresh rate to enjoy more realistic gaming experiences.

The hardware and the software on Galaxy S20 are capable of generating graphic output at very high speed, far higher than 60fps even at the full WQHD resolution.

So, some games can benefit from the high fps if the display can handle the output smoothly.

Galaxy S20 answers such demands with the 120Hz refresh rate display.

As mentioned, the 120Hz refresh rate is not for everyone. You will see the difference if:

You are playing 60fps (or higher) videos.
You are playing a few games that can handle/generate output at a rate higher than 60fps. Most games do NOT benefit from a high frame rate.

Anyway, as a new feature of Galaxy S20, the 120Hz refresh rate display (motion smoothness) may improve your experiences with a few games and videos.

How to set the Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

By default, the Galaxy S20 display refresh rate is et at 60Hz. You can change it to 120Hz in the motion smoothness settings.

Please note, the 120Hz refresh rate is not … Read the rest

How to use faceWidgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and Always-on display screen?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 14, 2021 · Published on: May 29, 2020

You can use faceWidgets on the lock screen and always-on display (AOD) screen to check the weather, browse your schedules, control music play, use Bixby Routines, prepare for the next alarm.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what the faceWidgets are, how to customize the faceWidgets on Galaxy S20-, and how to access and use these widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and always-on display (AOD) screen.

As faceWidges are also available on other Galaxy phones with Android Nougat (7.0) or later, this guide applies not only to Galaxy S20 (S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra), but also other Galaxy phones including Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8.

Update: Android 11 update for Galaxy S20 revamped the faceWidgets and renamed them as widgets. If you have updated your Galaxy S20 to Android 11, you may check this guide on how to access, use, and customise widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and AOD screen. This guide applies to Galaxy S20 with Android 10.

What is faceWidgets on Galaxy S20?

The FaceWidgets lets you get quick access to useful information on the lock screen and always-display screen without unlocking the phone.

Surely, Galaxy S20 faceWidgets is not a new feature. Samsung introduced faceWidgets on Galaxy S8.

Over the years, Samsung added Bixby routine and weather info the faceWidgets.

The purpose of faceWidgets is for you to quickly get some useful info from the Galaxy S20 lock screen (without unlocking the phone) and from the Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD) screen (without waking up the screen).

On Galaxy S20, you can use the following five widgets on both the lock screen and AOD screen:

Weather
Music
Today’s schedule.
Next Alarm.
Bixby Routines.
Digital wellbeing (only after your Galaxy S20 was updated to Android 11).

You can customize them by enabling/disable them individually or recording them.

But you cannot add your own widgets to the faceWidgets

How to customize faceWidgets on Galaxy S20?

On all supported Galaxy phones, faceWidgets is under the lock screen settings.

Enable and disable individual widgets

As shown in the screenshot below, in the Galaxy S20 Settings, tap Lock screen first.

In the Galaxy S20 lock screen settings page, as shown above, you can find the FaceWidgets entry.

Tap on the entry to access Galaxy S20 faceWidgets settings.

In the settings page, as shown below, you can:

Turn

… Read the rest

How to power on, power off, and restart Galaxy S20?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 9, 2021 · Published on: May 25, 2020

You need to power on, power off, or restart (reboot) Galaxy S20 from time to time when using the phone.

Although it is usually a simple task to turn on or turn off Galaxy S20, it can be frustrating, especially when the phone hangs and you need to use Galaxy S20 urgently.

This Galaxy S20 guide shows you how to power on (turn on), power off (turn off), and restart (reboot) Galaxy S20, even when the phone hangs (non-responsive).

The guide applies to all three models of Galaxy S20: Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Power on Galaxy S20 (turn on, power up)

When the phone is off, you can hold the Side key (see Galaxy S20 layout) to power on (turn on) Galaxy S20 normally.

Please note, Samsung combined the old Power key with the unpopular Bixby key as the Galaxy S20 Side key.

As shown in the Galaxy S20 layout, the Side key is located on the right side of the phone, below the volume key. There is no physical keys or buttons on the left side any more.

Please note, if you hold volume buttons and the Side key, then you may:

Boot into Galaxy S20 recovery mode if you hold volume up button and the Side key.
Boot into Galaxy S20 download mode if you hold volume down and the Side Key.
Boot into Galaxy S20 safe mode if you hold the side Key, release the Side key and hold volume down key when you see Samsung logo.

Power off Galaxy S20 (turn off)

There is no hardware button (key) to power off Galaxy S20. If you hold the Side key, Galaxy S20 will reboot (restart), instead of powering off the phone. But sometimes, you need to power off Galaxy S20, e.g., when you enter a restricted area, or when you want to boot into Galaxy S20 recovery mode.

To power off Galaxy S20 gracefully, you need to use the software Power off button, which can be accessed in various locations on Galaxy S20.

Please note, if you power off Galaxy S20, you cannot receive calls from the phone. Text messages (SMS) will be saved by your carrier and delivered to the phone after you power on the phone and connect to the mobile network. You may check this guide on how to use SIM cards on Galaxy S20.

Galaxy

… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD) effectively?

By simon 6 Comments Last Modified: January 14, 2021 · Published on: May 20, 2020

Galaxy S20 always-on display can display some useful info on the screen without waking up Galaxy S20 when you cannot put your hands on the phone.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD) is, the differences between AOD and lock screen, how to enable and customize AOD on Galaxy S20, and how to use AOD with Galaxy S20 clear view cover.

The always-on display (AOD) feature on all three Galaxy S20 models (Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra) is identical. This guide works identically on these three phones although Galaxy S20 is used in the guide.

What is Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD)?

Galaxy S20 always-on display allows you to customize Galaxy S20 screen to show time, date, battery status, notifications, screen savers, faceWidgets, pinned image, today’s schedule after the screen times out.

Always-on display (AOD) is not new. But Samsung did remove some features from the Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD).

For example, you cannot pin a note, or a memo, or a reminder, or a future calendar event on Galaxy S20 AOD screen, if you migrated to Galaxy S20 from older Galaxy phones.

Anyway, the Galaxy S20 always-on display was designed to show some useful info when it seats on the desk. You can quickly peek the time, notifications, or battery status on the screen without stopping your work.

By default, when the screen times out (no activity on the screen), the display will be turned off automatically to save battery and maximize the lifespan of the screen. For this reason, the maximum screen timeout on Galaxy S20 is 10 minutes.

The Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD), if enabled, will turn on the screen without waking up the phone after the screen is turned off.

Because the AOD does not wake up Galaxy S20, it will not consume battery excessively. The added battery consumption is mainly for lighting up part of the screen. For Galaxy S20, the AMOLED display is very power efficient and does not consume power for black pixels.

So, Galaxy S20 AOD will only slightly affect battery life (screen-on time) on Galaxy S20.

The differences between Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD) and the lock screen?

Although Galaxy S20 AOD screen usually displays after the lock screen times out and shares the same faceWidgets and a few other settings with the lock screen, it is different from … Read the rest

Master Galaxy S20 Home screen

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 9, 2021 · Published on: May 18, 2020

Galaxy S20 Home screen is the centre of Galaxy S20. There is no way to skip it.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the role of Galaxy S20 Home screen, 11 items and their meaning and usage on Galaxy S20 Home screen, and supported gestures on the Home screen.

Please note, although Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 ultra differ significantly, the Home screen is identical for all these 3 phones. So, in the guide, Galaxy S20 refers to these three phones.

The role of Galaxy S20 Home screen

After unblocking Galaxy S20 lock screen, the first screen you will use is the Home screen.

Of course, if you unlock Galaxy S20 with face recognition, you have the option to stay on the unlocked lock screen or directly navigate to Home screen, as explained in this guide.

Galaxy S20 Home screen is the centre of the phone. Most of the functions and apps are accessed from the Home screen.

On Galaxy S20 Home screen, you can:

Access all apps (with or without Apps screen).
Create, manage and use app folders.
Access widgets.
Access phone settings and customization.
Check notifications
Check system status.
Access quick settings panel.

Anyway, the home screen is so important that you cannot avoid it!

Understanding items on Galaxy S20 Home screen

Generally, there are about 11 types of items on the Galaxy S20 Home screen, as shown in the screenshot below:

Status bar
App icons
App folders
App Shortcuts/bookmarks
Pinned files
Widgets.
Picture frame.
Panel indicator.
Favourite tray.
Navigation bar.
Edge panel handle.

We will explain them one by one.

Please note, if you enable Assistant Menu, you will see the floating Assistant menu button on all screens.

You may also lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout to avoid unintentional changes.

Status bar

The status bar is an integrated part of the Android UI. It is

It will always be shown when in the Home screen or using any apps except in the full-screen immersive mode. In the immersive mode, you can swipe the screen to call out the status bar.

On the left side of the status bar, you can find the current time and a few notification icons, whose style can be customized as explained in this guide.

On Galaxy S20, the status icons are on the right side of the status bar and aligned to the … Read the rest

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