Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides

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

Galaxy S20 camera quick launch

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

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 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 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

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
… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S20 camera app?

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

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

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

Please note, the camera app on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra is identical, although the camera systems on these 3 models differ significantly (as explained in the differences among Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra). So, this guide applies to all Galaxy S20, S20+, S20FE, and S20 Ultra.

Understand items on Galaxy S20 Camera app interface

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

In this mode, you can find the following items:

  1. Preview screen.
  2. Shortcut to Gallery
  3. Shutter (capture) button
  4. Rear/front camera switch
  5. Camera modes (shooting modes)
  6. Zoom control
  7. Scene optimizer
  8. Camera settings
  9. Flash
  10. Timer
  11. Photo size
  12. Motion photo
  13. Camera effects

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

Galaxy S20 Camera app interface

#1. Preview screen

You can preview the photo before tapping the shutter button.

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

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

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

#2. Shortcut to Gallery

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

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

Please note, if you are using the Assistant Menu, you can use Assistant Plus to add the shortcut to Gallery.

#3. Shutter (capture) button

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

Of course, you can also use the volume key, floating shutter button, voice control, or gestures (show palm) … Read the rest