Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides

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

Galaxy S20 camera app

How to use 5 different shooting methods for Galaxy S20 camera?

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use 5 different shooting methods for Galaxy S20 cameraIn addition to the shutter button, you can use other shooting methods, including volume key, voice commands, floating shutter button, and palm, to take photos or shoot videos on Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the 5 different shooting methods for Galaxy S20 and shows you how and when to use them.

As Samsung updates the Camera app with the Android OS (and One UI), you can find the Samsung Camera app on Galaxy phones with identical Android (and One UI) version is almost identical. Therefore, this guide applies to most Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10 (and One UI 2.5), for example, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20.

Why do you need to consider shooting methods other than the shutter button for Galaxy S20 camera?

By default, most Galaxy S20 owners use the shutter button (aka capture button) in the preview screen to take photos or record videos.

But occasionally, you may find it is not convenient to use the shutter button when taking selfies, especially when you want to include more people or the background and therefore you have to stretch your arm out.

For owners who get used to a point-and-shoot camera or DSLRs, a physical shutter button is always preferred. Unfortunately, all Android phone manufacturers are trying to minimize the number of physical buttons (and ports).

The good news is Samsung has maintained alternative shooting methods in their Galaxy phones. Therefore you can use volume keys, voice control, floating button, and palm to take photos and record videos.

What are the 5 different shooting methods for Galaxy S20 camera?

In the Galaxy S20 Camera app, you can use at least the following 5 shooting methods:

  1. Use the shutter button (default).
  2. Use the volume key.
  3. Use voice control.
  4. Use a floating shutter button.
  5. Show your palm (for selfies only).

We will explore them later (read on). By default, voice control and floating button are disabled on Galaxy S20.

When and how to use different shooting methods for Galaxy S20 camera?

As mentioned, two of the additional methods (voice control and floating shutter button) are not enabled by default; therefore, you need to enable them before you can use them.

Enable/disable different shooting methods for Galaxy S20 camera

You can manage, enable, and disable individual shooting methods in Galaxy S20 camera settings.

You can use various … Read the rest

A Complete Guide Of Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu

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A Complete Guide On Galaxy S20 Assistant MenuGalaxy S20 Assistant Menu is more than an accessibility feature. It offers many shortcuts to help you improve your productivity with Samsung Galaxy S20.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains what Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu is, what it can do, how to enable, use and customize it, and how to use Assistant Plus to get even more from the Assistant Menu on Galaxy S20.

As Assistant Menu is more or less universal on all Samsung Galaxy phones, this guide applies to other Samsung Galaxy phones as well.

What is Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu?

Samsung Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu, a semi-transparent floating button overlayed on the phone screen, was initially designed for owners who need assistance for motor control and other physical impairments.

But it has been used by many seasoned Samsung phone owners to get faster access to some functions and features.

You may find the Assistant Menu very handy if you get used to it. It is more than an accessibility feature: it is also a productivity feature.

Of course, the Assistant Menu is not a new feature of Galaxy S20. Samsung introduced this feature since Android 4.0 and maintained it in all Galaxy phones and tablets.

What can Samsung Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu do?

With Galaxy S20 Assistant Menu, you can:

  • Access navigation buttons regardless of the navigation method (navigation gestures or navigation buttons) you are using.
  • Access power button option (power menu). You can power off or restart the phone without using the power button (side key). You can also invoke emergency mode or lockdown mode for Galaxy S20. You may use it to power off the phone, then boot into Galaxy S20 safe mode or Galaxy S20 recovery mode. Please refer to this guide on how to enable and activate Galaxy S20 lockdown mode.
  • Access notification panel. You can access notification panel by tapping the button in the Assistant Menu, instead of swiping down from the top of the screen.
  • Add a touchpad on the screen and use a cursor to navigate to anywhere of the screen.
  • Add a circle touchpad (page control) to scroll up and down and to navigate among pages (panels).
  • Adjust volumes.
  • Turn off the screen.
  • Take a screenshot.
  • Adjust screen brightness.
  • Rotate the screen.
  • Use a magnifier on the screen.
  • Open Bixby.
  • Talk to Bixby.
  • Send SOS
… Read the rest

How to manage location services on Galaxy S20 to protect your privacy?

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How to manage location services on Galaxy S20 to protect your privacyLocation services collect your location info and offer them to apps that request such info (and approved by you). It is usually one of the core parts of privacy settings.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains why you should manage location services on Galaxy S20, how to turn on and turn off location services, how to manage location services for individual apps, and how to hide or remove location info when sharing photos through Google Photos or Samsung Gallery app.

As privacy settings (including location services) are almost identical on all Galaxy phones with Android 10, this guide applies to not only Galaxy S20 phones (including Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, and S20 FE) but also  Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 9.

Why is it important to manage location services on your phone?

For most phone owners, the location info is part of the critical private data. It reveals your whereabouts. It reveals your movement path and history.  Smart guys or some AI apps can even figure out what you were doing based on the location information.

Of course, you do not want spammers, scammers, and bad guys to get such information.

Even for close friends or family members, occasionally, you may be reluctant to share such sensitive information.

But you cannot just turn off location services on Galaxy S20. Many apps need the info to function properly.

For example, most banking apps require location info for any transactions.  Some shopping apps may also demand such info to reduce fraud.  Of course, location-based apps or games, like Pokemon Go,  Google Maps, or the weather widget on Galaxy S20 Home screen, rely on your location info to provide functions or services.

So, it is important to manage location services on Galaxy S20 so that only apps that genuinely require location info get the access. Other apps will be limited for accessing such info.

How to turn on and turn off location services on Galaxy S20?

You can categorically turn off location services on Galaxy S20 in Settings — Location, as shown in the screenshot below (marked as 1).

In this case, some apps, for example, the camera app, will remind you that the location is not available and ask you to enable it.

Please note once you turn off the location service, no apps can get the location info … Read the rest

How to use, manage and master Galaxy S20 camera modes?

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Galaxy S20 camera modesGalaxy S20 camera modes allow you to easily take photos in different scenarios without fiddling around the settings.

This Galaxy S20 camera guide explains how to access different Galaxy S20 camera modes, how to add frequently used camera modes to the preview screen so that you can access them quickly.  A detailed explanation of all Galaxy S20 camera modes and their usages concludes this guide.

Although the three models of Galaxy S20 phones differ significantly in camera specs, the camera modes on Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra are actually identical. So this guide applies to all these three Galaxy S20 models.

How to access Galaxy S20 camera modes?

By default, when you open the camera app (including using Galaxy S20 camera quick launch), you are in the Photo mode (aka auto mode). This is the default Galaxy S20 camera mode.

Please note, if you open the camera again shortly after you closed it, or from the Recents screen, it may start with the last used camera mode depending on whether the process is stopped completely or not.

As shown in the screenshot below, in the preview screen, you can find Galaxy S20 camera modes located above the shutter button.

By default, there are four buttons. Three of them are for single-take camera mode, Photo mode, and video mode, respectively. The last one is the More button.

You can tap the More button to reveal all other available Galaxy S20 camera modes.

To access or use any of the Galaxy S20 camera modes, you simply tap on the mode. Galaxy S20 camera will change the camera mode to the tapped one instantly.

You can then take photos using that camera mode.

Please some Galaxy S20 camera modes are for the rear camera only. If you choose that mode, Galaxy S20 will switch to the rear camera immediately without warning if you are using the front-facing camera.  Unlike that in previous Galaxy phones, Galaxy S20 does not grey out inapplicable camera modes for the front camera.

Besides, the look of the shutter button may change slightly for the single-take mode and video mode, as explained here.

Galaxy S20 camera app access Galaxy S20 camera modes

List of Galaxy S20 camera modes

By default, as shown in the screenshot above, there are 13 Galaxy S20 camera modes (excluding the burst mode):

  1. Photo mode (auto mode).
  2. Single-take mode.
  3. Video mode.
  4. Pro Mode (rear
… Read the rest

How to use different camera lens to zoom in and zoom out on Galaxy S20?

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use different camera lensesGalaxy S20 is all about the camera. The three primary camera lenses on the back of Galaxy S20 allows you to zoom in and zoom out quickly to capture any objects/scenes far or close.

For example, Galaxy S20 Ultra offers up to 100x super-resolution zoom and up to 10x hybrid zoom.

But many Galaxy S20 owners are a bit confused on choosing the correct camera lens and set the proper zoom levels.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the differences among the three main (rear) cameras, the link between zoom and camera lenses,  how to choose different camera lenses, and how to zoom in and zoom out properly.

In this guide, we mainly use the Galaxy S20 Ultra rear cameras as an example. When there are any differences, we will highlight whether the feature is for Galaxy S20 Ultra, or Galaxy S20 (and S20+). All camera software features on three Galaxy S20 models are identical, although Galaxy S20 Ultra has better hardware specs for the primary wide-angle camera and the telephoto camera.

What are the different camera lenses on Galaxy S20?

Besides the depth sensor camera on Galaxy 20+ and S20 Ultra, on all three models of Galaxy S20 phones, there are three camera lenses for different purposes:

  1. Wide-angle camera.
  2. Ultra-wide-angle camera.
  3. Telephoto camera.

Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy S20+ share the identical hardware of these three camera lenses. Galaxy S20 Ultra has an upgraded camera system. But the camera app is identical on all these phones. You can also use different shooting methods as well on all of these phones.

Wide-angle camera

The 12MP (or 108MP on Galaxy S20 Ultra) wide-angle camera is the primary shooter. By default, you will take photos and record videos (except 8K videos) with this camera lens. Of course, you can choose other lenses if you want (read on).

On Galaxy S20 Ultra, you can choose to save the pictures as 12MP (at the aspect ratio of 4:3) after combining pixels, or as 108MP (which take s far more storage). Usually, you should save the photo as normal 12MP in indoor or low-light conditions. You may consider the108MP option when lighting is excellent (e.g., outdoor in sunny days).

Ultra-wide-angle camera

The 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera is identical on all three Galaxy S20 models.

With a field of view (FoV) of 120˚, this camera allows you to capture … Read the rest

How to customize icon shape on Galaxy S20 and S10?

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customize icon shape on Galaxy S20 and S10You 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

How to use app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screen?

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manage and use app shortcuts on Galaxy S20 lock screenYou 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 avoid mirrored photos (selfies) on Galaxy S20?

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avoid mirrored photos (selfies) on Galaxy S20By default, Galaxy S20 front camera will save the mirrored photos (flipped photos) when taking selfies.

This Galaxy S20 camera guide shows you why you get the mirrored photo by default, how to change the default setting to avoid mirrored selfies on Galaxy S20, and how to edit (flip) the existing mirrored photos on Galaxy S20 with the Gallery app.

Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra share the identical front camera settings, so, this guide applies to all these 3 Galaxy S20 models although we only use S20 in the text.

Why do I get mirrored photos (selfies) on Galaxy S20?

When using the Galaxy S20 front camera, on the preview screen, you will see yourself (and everything) like using a mirror.

All smartphone cameras are designed and coded to work in this way. It is not by a random mistake.

It is actually related to the visual perception of seeing ourselves.  Most of the time, we see ourselves through mirrors. Therefore, our brains train us to recognize such images. When we are in a video call, we will perceive our “flipped” video as natural and usual.

If you give a flipped and non-flipped selfie of a person to himself, very likely, he will tell you the flipped one is “more” natural until he notices the reversed (and therefore strange) text.

When Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210 first introduce the front-facing camera in 1999, it was mainly designed for video calls, although it can take photos as well.

But if you look at the mirrored photos carefully, you will notice it is hard to read the text, whose direction is reversed. It is similar to the text in an ambulance car. The text in the ambulance car is mirrored so that drivers can read it correctly from the rearview mirror and give way to it.

Anyway, it is a standard implementation in the industry to flip front-camera photos.

Of course, as the photos or selfies are just mirrored (flipped), you can easily flip them back.

And most smartphones offer the option for you to flip back the mirrored photos when saving them.

How to avoid mirrored photos (selfies) on Galaxy S20?

As mentioned, you can flip the mirrored photos on Galaxy S20 (read on). But sometimes, many users may want to avoid the flipped photos when tapping the shutter button.

Please note, there is NO way … Read the rest

How to use a micro SD card on Galaxy S20?

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use a micro SD card on Galaxy S20Samsung 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

How to use single take camera mode on Galaxy S20?

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use single take camera modeSamsung 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.

  1. It uses all available camera lens/sensors to take many photos and record a few videos with various settings based on the scene detected.
  2. It analyses all photos and videos taken.
  3. 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 take burst shot photos with Galaxy S20 burst mode like a pro?

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ake burst shot photos with Galaxy S20 burst modeYou 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.

take burst shot photos with Galaxy S20 burst mode

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

How to use Galaxy S20 LED back cover?

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use Galaxy S20 LED back coverGalaxy S20 LED back cover is one of the official accessories for Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

This Galaxy S20 accessories guide explains the Galaxy S20 LED back cover unique features including mood lighting. LED icons, the camera LED icon, and camera timer countdown,  and how to use and customize these features. Galaxy Friends features for Galaxy S20 LED cover are explained. A concise review of Galaxy S20 LED back cover is also included in this guide to help you decide whether you should get this cover or not.

The features of the LED cover on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra are identical, although the physical dimensions of the case for these 3 phones are different. So, in this guide, Galaxy S20 refers to Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

What are the unique features of the Galaxy S20 LED back cover?

Samsung introduced the first generation of LED back cover with Galaxy S10. It was slightly changed for Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+).

So, Galaxy S20 LED back cover (aka Galaxy S20 LED cover in some regions) is actually the second generation of this cover with dramatic changes in materials.

Please do not confuse LED back cover with Galaxy S20 LED View (wallet) cover. The later is a flip cover with a pocket inside for a card. While Galaxy S20 LED back cover (or Galaxy S20 LED cover) is a one-piece back cover.

The unique features of the Galaxy S20 LED back cover includes:

  • Light up when facedown. The back cover can light up when you put the phone face down.
  • Customizable lighting style: mood lighting or LED icon.  When Galaxy S20 is facing downwards, You can customize the lighting as mood lighting or a LED icon.
  • LED notification icons for message apps and incoming calls. You will see the notification icons on the back when a notification from any message apps comes or when there is an incoming call. Please note, the notification LED icon is only available for messages apps including Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Facebook Messenger and a few others. The notification LED icon cannot be customized (this is different from the Galaxy S20 LED View Wallet Cover).
  • Camera timer countdown. If the timer for the rear camera is turned on, the countdown will be shown on both the screen and the cover.
  • LED icons
… Read the rest

Understand and use Galaxy S20 Camera Settings

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Galaxy S20 camera scene optimizerGalaxy 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:

Once you are in the Camera app, you can tap the Settings (gear icon) as illustrated here to access Galaxy S20 camera settings.

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 … Read the rest

How to remap and use Galaxy S20 Side key?

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remap and use Galaxy S20 Side keyGalaxy 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:

  1. Single press.
  2. Double press. The default function is Galaxy S20 camera quick launch.
  3. 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.… Read the rest

The Ultimate Guide of Galaxy S20 Touchscreen Gestures

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Galaxy S20 Touchscreen GesturesYou 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:

  1. Tapping (single tap).
  2. Double-tapping.
  3. Triple tapping.
  4. Long tapping (tap and hold).
  5. Swiping.
  6. Dragging.
  7. Pinching.
  8. 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
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