Galaxy S20 quick settings

How to customize icon shape on Galaxy S20 and S10?

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

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

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

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 phone to see the new icon shape.

On Pixel or some other Android phones, app icon shape customization is integrated into home screen settings, and therefore you can preview and apply it on-the-fly.… Read the rest

How to enable and use Galaxy S20 developer options?

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

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

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

What are Galaxy S20 developer options?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You want to force all apps to be resizable so that you can use it in both pop-up view and split-screen view.
You want to force all apps (except system apps and pre-installed apps) to use the micro SD card. As explained in this guide, many app developers choose not to support the micro SD card. You can overwrite their settings on Galaxy S20! (read on)
You want to add a quick settings button to turn on and turn off all sensors when

… Read the rest

How to set Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to set the Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Power on Galaxy S20 (turn on, power up)

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

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

As shown in the Galaxy S20 layout, the Side key is located on the right side of the phone, below the volume key.

Power off Galaxy S20 (turn off)

There is no hardware button (key) to power off Galaxy S20. If you hold the Side key, Galaxy S20 will reboot (restart), instead of powering off the phone.

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

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

Galaxy S20 Power off button in notification panel or quick settings panel

As shown in the two screenshots below, the Power off button on the notification panel or the quick settings panel can be used to power off Galaxy S20.

The power-off button actually directs you to the Power button options (Power-off menu). Read on.

Galaxy S20 Power off button in Power button options (Power-off menu)

As mentioned earlier, the Power off button on the Galaxy S20 notification panel and quick settings panel only directs you the Power-off menu (Power button options).

The power button options (power-off menu) can be accessed from the Side key.

As explained in this guide, you can … Read the rest

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

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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 use Galaxy S20 LED back cover?

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Galaxy 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

Meaning of status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20

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Understanding the meaning of status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20 can help you get quick information about the phone status, system health, and notifications.

This Galaxy S20 guide first covers the differences between status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20, then explains the meaning of Galaxy S20 status icons and notification icons in Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

Because Samsung uses slightly different icons in different regions or for some carriers, you may get the notification icons or status icons that are different from shown in this guide. It is normal. If you cannot figure out the meaning of those icons, you may share the screenshot on our FaceBook page so that others can help you identify them.

What is the difference between status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20?

All Android phones including Galaxy S20 use the top part of the screen as the status bar to display some icons indicating the system status, alerting you possible issues and notifying you about incoming notifications.

Traditionally, a status icon refers to the icons telling you the phone status (e.g., mobile network status, WiFi status, battery percentage, or battery charging status), They are typically displayed on the right side of the status bar and aligned to the right side of the screen.

The status icons on the Galaxy S20 are always shown on the left side of the status bar, as shown below. These notification icons include notifications from all apps(system apps and normal apps).

Since Android 9, Google has moved the time to the left side of the status bar. The notch or hole-punch for the front camera usually are located in the status bar. So, the space for notification icons becomes very limited.

To avoid the overcrowded notification icons, Galaxy S20 allows you to customize how the notifications are shown (all notification icons, the 3 most recent icons, or just the number of notification icons) as explained in this guide.

The differences between status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20 include:

Status icons are always related to the system; while notification icons are usually linked to specific apps (including a few system apps and third-party apps).
Status icons are shown on the right side of the status bar; while Galaxy notification icons always appear on the left side of the status bar.
Status icons are more or less universal

… Read the rest

Understand and use Galaxy S20 Camera Settings

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Galaxy 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:

Tap the Camera app icon on Galaxy S20 lock screen (without unlocking the phone).
Tap the Camera app icon on Galaxy S20 Home screen or Apps screen.
Quickly press the Side key twice to open the camera app. This Galaxy S20 camera quick launch is enabled by default and can be configured in the Side key settings.
Tap the QR code button in the quick settings panel. If you launch the camera app in this way, it will ignore the scan QR code settings in Galaxy S20 camera settings (read on). If there are no QR codes in the frame, you can take normal pictures.

Once you are in the Camera app, you can tap the Settings (gear icon) as illustrated here.

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 frame. Samsung uses its own … Read the rest

Master Galaxy S20 lock screen settings

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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

How to use and customize Galaxy S20 navigation buttons?

By simon 2 Comments

Galaxy S20 navigation buttons allow you to navigate across, into and back out from the different pages of an app, Galaxy S20 Home screen, Apps screen and lock screen.

Although Android 10 introduced the full-screen navigation gestures, Galaxy S20, by default, uses the traditional three navigation buttons for you to interact with the phone.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the three navigation systems on Galaxy S20 (navigation buttons, Android 10 full-screen navigation gesture, and Samsung navigation gestures) and the functions and usage of Galaxy S20 navigation buttons (Recents, Back, and Home). It also shows you how to customize the layout (order) of Galaxy S20 navigation buttons

The navigation buttons are identical on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, although we used Galaxy S20 in the guide.

What are the three navigation systems on Galaxy S20?

When you interact with Galaxy S20, you can use one of the following 3 navigation systems to navigate through different apps, or within an app, or through pages of Home screen, Apps screen, and lock screen:

Galaxy S20 navigation buttons (the default).
Android 10 full-screen navigation gestures.
Samsung’s full-screen navigation gestures.

The full-screen navigation gestures remove all buttons (including the Home button). This guide explains these gestures and illustrates how to use them on Galaxy S20.

On the contrary, Galaxy S20 navigation buttons keep and use the traditional 3 navigation buttons.

Although navigation buttons look old-fashioned, they can be more efficient for many Galaxy S20 owners. This is the main reason why Samsung keeps Galaxy S20 navigation buttons as the default option when you set up Galaxy S20.

Please note, since Galaxy S8, Samsung ditched the hardware capacitive navigation buttons and adopted the software-based navigation buttons.

In other words, Galaxy S20 navigation buttons are NOT physical buttons (see Galaxy S20 layout). They are generated by the Android system when needed. And therefore, it is possible to disable/hide them and switch to full-screen navigation gestures without using any of these buttons.

What are the Galaxy S20 navigation buttons?

As shown in the screenshot below, there are three navigation buttons on the Galaxy S20 navigation bar:

Home button
Back button
Recents button (aka, Overview button)

Please note, the screenshot shown below is the default navigation button layout on Galaxy S20 (and all Samsung phones), which is opposite to the layout on other Android phones.

In the stock Android, the Back … Read the rest