Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD)

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 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 use single take camera mode on Galaxy S20?

By simon 4 Comments Last Modified: December 6, 2020 · Published on: May 27, 2020

Samsung debuted the single take camera mode with the release of Galaxy S20. It helps you take several photos and videos automatically to capture important moments.

This Galaxy S20 camera guide explains how Galaxy S20 single take camera mode works, the limitations of the single take camera mode on Galaxy S20, how to use this camera mode to take single take photos and videos, and how to manage photos taken in the Galaxy S20 single take camera mode.

Because Samsung has backported the single take camera mode to Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 in One UI 2.1 update, you can use this camera mode not only on Galaxy S20 (S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra), but also Galaxy S10 (S10, S10e, and S10+) and Galaxy Note 10 (Note 10, Note 10+).

In this guide, Galaxy S20 is used as an example. You can use the single take camera mode on all support phones.

How does the single take camera mode on Galaxy S20 work?

Galaxy S20 single take camera mode uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analysis the scene and takes up to 10 photos and up to 4 videos automatically for you in 3-10 seconds.

You can simplify the single take camera mode into the following three stages.

It uses all available camera lens/sensors to take many photos and record a few videos with various settings based on the scene detected.
It analyses all photos and videos taken.
It outputs the best photos and videos (including GIF animations if appropriate).

In stage 1, Galaxy S20 camera uses scene recognition and optimization to get the “optimal” settings first. The primary camera, ultra-wide camera and telephoto camera are all used to take some snapshots.

In stage 3, the photos or video generated are usually not the “original” one. Some original photos may be merged and cropped to form a “final” photo. Panorama photos and GIF animations may also be created if Galaxy S20 thinks they are relevant to the scene. A few camera effects may also be applied to the output photos.

Anyway, the Galaxy S20 single take camera mode was designed to help you capture the important moments automatically with the optimal settings.

Can I use the single take camera mode on other phones (e.g., Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10)?

Samsung has backported the single take camera mode to Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 in the One UI … 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

How to take burst shot photos with Galaxy S20 burst mode like a pro?

By simon Leave a Comment Last Modified: December 6, 2020 · Published on: May 15, 2020

You can use Galaxy S20 burst mode to take burst shot photos in some important moments.

This Galaxy S20 camera guide explains when to use Galaxy S20 burst mode, how to enable Galaxy S20 burst mode, how to take burst photos on Galaxy S20, and how to manage photos taken in the b burst mode.

Galaxy S10 with Android 10 update also use the same gesture to take photos in the burst mode. So, this guide applies to both Galaxy S20 (all three models) and Galaxy S10 with Android 10 update.

When do you need to take burst shot photos with Galaxy S20 burst mode?

Galaxy S20 burst mode can take up to 100 photos successively to help you capture the important moments.

Normally, you can later select a few of the burst shot photos that capture the moment you want to.

You may use the burst mode during an event when the object is moving, or the background is changing, or the scene is brief.

Some Galaxy S20 owners may use the burst shot photos to make animations or even videos, which usually look better than the recorded video for the same event.

Please note, all photos taken in the Galaxy S20 burst mode are always saved in the phone storage even you set the photo storage location to the SD card in Galaxy S20 camera settings.

Galaxy S20 burst mode ios NOT listed with other Galaxy S20 camera modes because it requires a special gesture.

How to take burst shot photos with Galaxy S20 burst mode?

In old Galaxy phones, you can hold the shutter button to take burst shot photos.

But this is not the case for Galaxy S20, S20+, or S20 Ultra.

If you hold the shutter button on Galaxy S20 camera app, it will start to record a short video. The complete list of gestures on Galaxy S20 camera app is explained here.

On Galaxy S20, you have to swipe down from the shutter button to enter Galaxy S20 burst mode. Galaxy S20 will stop taking burst shot photos once you release your finger from the screen.

The gesture feels like swipe down the shutter button, then hold, as shown below.

Please note, if you are using navigation buttons, and swipe down too much to the Home button, you may end up returning to the Galaxy S20 home screen or … Read the rest

Master Galaxy S20 lock screen settings

By simon 3 Comments Last Modified: January 14, 2021 · Published on: March 30, 2020

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. You can also choose to confirm PIN without tapping OK button. You can also hide PIN or password on Galaxy S20 when typing them.

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 … Read the rest