Android 10

How to Use Enhanced Processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 update?

By simon 4 Comments Last Modified: February 22, 2021 · Published on: January 17, 2021

Enhanced processing is one of the prominent new features in Galaxy S20 Android 11 update.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what the enhanced processing is, how to enable it from Settings and quick settings panel and how to use enhanced processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 update.

The enhanced processing option is available after you upgraded Galaxy S20 (and Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20) to Android 11. If your Galaxy S20 is still running Android 10, please check this guide on how to use and customise the power mode.

What is enhanced processing on Galaxy S20 with Android 11 update?

As mentioned here, Samsung revamped (simplified) the power modes and added the enhanced processing option in Android 11 (One UI 3.0) update for Galaxy S20, S10, Note 10, and Note 20.

But Samsung hasn’t offered a detailed explanation of this feature, except stating:

Get faster data processing for all apps except games. use more battery.

There are some wrong inceptions on this feature on the internet. Some mistakenly thought the enhanced processing is simply the old high-performance mode.

So, what is enhanced processing?

First, the enhanced processing, once enabled, can unleash the full CPU (and GPU) power so that the app can run faster.

Second, the enhanced processing works with power saving mode. In other words, you can use this feature even in the power saving mode.

It sounds confusing. But it makes sense.

Apparently, the enhanced processing actually unleash the CPU power on demand. When you are using an app in the power saving mode, in the past, the CPU speed is capped. Now, with the enhanced processing, the limit can be removed on demand with other restrictions (e.g., brightness) in place. Of course, it does not affect background apps.

Third, enhanced processing is a standalone feature.

Galaxy S20 Android 11 update simplified the power modes to 2 modes only: default mode and power saving mode. The enhanced processing adds the option to speed up the CPU speed on demand for active (foreground) apps. This addressed the battery consumption issue in the old performance mode.

At the same time, there are many complaints about the old medium power saving mode, which slows down the apps noticeably. Some owners question the rationale of limiting the speed for the foreground apps. The enhanced processing addressed this … Read the rest

How to access, use, and customise widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and AOD screen with Android 11 update for Galaxy S20?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 13, 2021 · Published on: January 13, 2021

Galaxy S20 Android 11 update revamped the widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen. It is more than a name change from faceWidgets to widgets.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the changes in using and customizing widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and always-on display (AOD) screen, shows you how to use gestures to access widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and AOD screen.

This post is an update to the Galaxy S20 faceWidget guide, which applies to Galaxy S20 with Android 10. If you have updated Galaxy S20 to Android 11, you should follow this guide.

Please note, widgets screen on Galaxy S20 is a feature of One UI 3.0, not an Android 11 feature. So, this guide applies to other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 11, e.g., Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20.

What are the changes for using widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and AOD screen with Android 11 update for Galaxy S20?

Android 11 update for Galaxy S20 not only upgrades the Android OS version from 10 to 11 with most Android 11 features but also bumps the UI from One UI 2.5 to One UI 3.0.

As explained in this post, there are some new features and improvements in the Android 11 update for Galaxy S20, including the revamped widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and AOD screen.

Here is the list of major changes regarding the widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and AOD screen if your Galaxy S20 is running Android 11.

faceWidgets were renamed (upgraded?) as widgets.

Samsung renamed the faceWidgets as widgets in Android 11 update.

Actually, It is not just a change in name. Samsung upgrades the faceWidgets to normal widgets. You can use these special widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen and lock screen.

All widgets are on the same screen.

Previously, you can access one faceWidget at one time. You may have to swipe a few times to access the desired widget.

Now, in Galaxy S20 Android 11 update, all widgets are on the same screen. You can access all widgets at the same time. So, these widgets work just like normal ones.

Use taping or swiping gestures to access widgets screen directly.

You can now just tap or swipe in any directions in the clock area (faceWidget area) to open widgets on Galaxy S20 lock screen.

So, … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S20 recovery mode?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: January 10, 2021 · Published on: December 19, 2020

Galaxy S20 recovery mode allows you to access some very special and advanced features to manage, hack and reset Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Galaxy S20 recovery mode is, when you need to use it, how to reboot into the recovery mode, and how to navigate and exit the recovery mode.

The Galaxy S20 recovery mode is identical on all 4 Galaxy S20 modes: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 FE, and S20 Ultra. So this guide applies to all these phones.

What is Galaxy S20 recovery mode?

All Android phones and tablets come with a recovery mode. Galaxy S20 is not an exception. Android vendors may add or remove some features in the recovery mode.

On Galaxy S20, you can use the recovery mode to (as shown in the picture below):

Wipe cache partition. This would wipe the cache partition to refresh apps without affecting your data on Galaxy S20.
Reset (factory data reset) Galaxy S20. Some geeks may refer this to “wipe” the phone. You can erase all your data and return the phone to factory state. But it does not rollback the Android version or any updates.
Update Galaxy S20 from ADB. If you want to sideload the update from your PC, you can do it using ADB. For example, you may manually update Galaxy S20 to Android 11 if you want
Update Galaxy S20 from the micro SD card. You can also apply updates saved in the micro SD card.
Reboot into bootloader (download mode). It allows you to enter download mode. For example, you want to install third-party recovery.
Mount /system partition. It is supposed to let you edit and correct some errors in the system partition without rooting. But it seems it is not working.
Run graphics test. It simply shows how the graphics (UI) like when the phone in different states, e.g., erasing, updating, optimizing apps. It has nothing to do with GPU or display.
View recovery logs.
Run locale test. Check the locale on the phone.
Repair apps. This allows you to manually optimise apps (rebuild app cache and data cache).
Power off Galaxy S20.

We will explain some of them later on.

When do you need to use Galaxy S20 recovery mode?

Galaxy S20 recovery mode is NOT designed for normal users. Most Galaxy S20 owners … Read the rest

How to use Do Not Disturb on Samsung Galaxy S20?

By simon 2 Comments Last Modified: January 6, 2021 · Published on: September 12, 2020

Do Not Disturb (DND) allows you to escape from nonurgent disruptions from your phone while important calls, alarms, notifications can still alert you.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Do Not Disturb (DND) on Samsung Galaxy S20 is, how to enable and disable it on-the-fly, or based on predefined schedules, how to customize Do Not Disturb on Samsung Galaxy S20 so that you can allow specific contacts to reach you and certain apps to alert you.

The DND feature is common on most Galaxy phones. So this guide applies to not only Galaxy S20 but also other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10, for example, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 9.

What is Do Not Disturb?

Android Marshmallow (Android 6) introduced the Do Not Disturb to help users limit interruptions from the phone and therefore improve productivity.

Over the last a few Android releases, Google fine-tuned this feature to make it easy to understand and easy to use.

Basically, on Samsung Galaxy S20, Do Not Disturb mode allows you to filter interruptions so that:

Only some contacts can ring you.
Most notifications are silenced.
You can choose to hide specific or even all notifications.
You can manage an exception list.

Please note, Samsung removed some Do Not Disturb features found in the stock Android, for example,

You cannot trigger DND automatically based on calendar events. In most other Android phones, you can add event-based rules to turn on DND automatically.
You cannot allow apps to overwrite DND.

So, do not assume Do Not Disturb on Samsung Galaxy S20 is identical to many non-Samsung Android phones.

How to enable and disable Do Not Disturb on Samsung Galaxy S20 on-the-fly?

In addition to turning on/off Do Not Disturb automatically (read on), there are a few different ways to enable or disable Do Not Disturb on Samsung Galaxy S20 on-the-fly.

Method 1: from Galaxy S20 Quick Settings

You can swipe down twice from the status bar, or from the top of the screen (when the status bar is hidden, e.g., in full-screen mode), to access Galaxy S20 quick settings panel.

As shown in the screenshot below, you can find the Do not disturb button.

Tap the Do not disturb button to enable or disable DND mode immediately on Galaxy S20.

You can tap and hold the button to … Read the rest

How to adjust volume for media, ringtones, notifications and alarm tones on Galaxy S20?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: September 15, 2020 · Published on: August 29, 2020

You can quickly adjust the volume for media, ringtone and notification tone on Galaxy S20 with the volume slider and even silence Galaxy S20.

You may also want to use one of the three Galaxy S20 sound modes in different scenarios to allow or mute all ringtones and notifications.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the volume slider and how to use it to adjust volume for media, ringtones, notification tones, alarms, and system sound, how to use Galaxy S20 Settings to set sound modes, adjust the volume, and turn on /off some system sound.

Use Galaxy S20 volume slider to adjust volume for media, ringtones, notifications tones, and system sound

We all know we can use the volume keys to adjust the volume for media when playing music or video.

But when you are not playing any media, what happens if you press the volume key (volume up or volume down) on Galaxy S20?

It actually shows the volume slider. By default, it adjusts the volume for the ringtone. Of course, you can change this behaviour (read on)

On most of other Android 9 and 10 phones, the volume keys always adjust the media volume. Google removed the volume slider on the Android Pie (Android 9) in stock Android. But Samsung has kept the similar volume slider on all Galaxy phones for many years (since Android 4.0).

So, this guide only applies to Samsung phones, not other Android phones.

Galaxy S20 volume slider

As shown in the screenshot below, you will see the volume slider once you press volume down or volume up key.

Tap the down arrow to expand it.

In the expanded Galaxy S20 volume slider, you can control and adjust the volume for:

Ringtone
Media.
Notifications (notification tone).
System sound.
Bixby voice.

Please note, you cannot adjust alarm volume in the volume slider. The volume for each alarm needs to be set up individually in the Clock app.

Adjust volume and mute Galaxy S20

You can drag the slider to the right side to increase the volume and left to decrease. If you drag the slider all the way to the left, you are essentially mute that sound.

You may also tap the icon on the left side to mute that sound quickly. For example, you can tap the ringtone icon to immediately mute ringtone. If you tap it again, the volume will be reset … Read the rest

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 use Galaxy S20 navigation gestures?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: November 21, 2020 · Published on: April 8, 2020

You can use either the default navigation buttons or Galaxy S20 navigation gestures to navigate through Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the differences between Galaxy S20 navigation buttons and Galaxy S20 navigation gestures, the two types of navigation gestures on Galaxy S20, and how to switch between navigation buttons and Galaxy S20 navigation gestures.

The navigation buttons or gestures are identical on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. This guide applies to all of these three Galaxy S20 models.

What are the differences between Galaxy S20 navigation buttons and Galaxy S20 navigation gestures?

Traditionally, Android phones used hardware navigation buttons (3 buttons), then switched to software navigation buttons until Android Oreo (Android 8). In Android 9 (Android Pie), Google partially introduced navigation gestures (2-button navigation) and removed the Back button.

In Android 10, Google removed all three navigation buttons and evolved into full-screen navigation gestures, as explained in this guide.

Samsung adopted different navigation gestures in Galaxy phones with Android Pie (Android 9) since Galaxy S10. It was ported to all Galaxy phones with Android 9 (e.g., Galaxy S9 and Note 9)

In Galaxy S20, Samsung still uses the navigation buttons as the default setting. You can switch to Galaxy S20 navigation gestures at any time.

As explained in this guide, Galaxy S20 navigation buttons include Home, Back, and Recents buttons. You need to tap one of the buttons to navigate among pages.

If you switch to Galaxy S20 navigation gestures, there will be no buttons. You will have to use gestures to return to the previous screen (Back), to jump to the Home screen, or access the Recents screen.

Please note, Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu can still offer navigation button even after you switch to navigation gestures. You may check this guide for details of Assistant Menu on Galaxy S20.

The differences between using Galaxy S20 navigation gestures and navigation buttons are substantial, for example:

Navigation buttons and navigation gestures are mutually exclusive. You can only choose one.
If you choose to use Galaxy S20 navigation gestures, then you have the option of using Samsung -style (Android 9)navigation gestures, or Google-style (Android 10) navigation gestures. (Read on)
Some gestures may require some practice.
Galaxy S20 navigation gestures can be more efficient only after you get familiar with them.

Who should use Galaxy S20

… Read the rest

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

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: December 3, 2020 · Published on: March 16, 2020

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.

Please note some official Samsung Galaxy S20 cases, like Galaxy S20 LED View Cover, Galaxy S20 Clear View /S View Cover, and Galaxy S20 LED back cover, may affect wireless … Read the rest

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

By simon 2 Comments Last Modified: September 15, 2020 · Published on: March 13, 2020

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.

You may check this guide to understand the meaning of the status … Read the rest