Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides

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

Galaxy S20 Settings

Use advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers on the lock screen and home screen

By Leave a Comment

Use advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers on the lock screen and home screenMany Galaxy S20 owners customize Galaxy S20 wallpapers once they migrate the data from the old phone and finish the initial setup.

But most owners may not be aware that Galaxy S20 wallpapers are not just a few pictures. You can also use videos, random photos, or Samsung curated photo packs as Galaxy S20 wallpapers.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the differences between Galaxy S20 Home screen wallpapers and lock screen wallpapers, the advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers (multi-pack, live wallpapers, video wallpapers, dynamic lock screen, Samsung Global Goals), and how to customize Galaxy S20 wallpapers with these advanced features.

The difference between Galaxy S20 lock screen wallpapers and home screen wallpapers

Samsung made some changes on the wallpapers on the home screen and lock screen on Galaxy S20. Other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android 10 (e.g., Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10) also have identical wallpaper settings.

The major differences between Galaxy S20 lock screen wallpapers and home screen wallpapers include:

  1. Live wallpaper is NOT supported on Galaxy S20 Home screen. The infinity effect (and motion effect) of wallpapers does not work on Galaxy S20 Home screen either.
  2. Multi-pack is NOT supported on Galaxy S20 Home screen.
  3. Random photos (photo slideshow) works on Galaxy S20 lock screen only.
  4. Videos can be assigned for wallpapers on the lock screen only.
  5. The Dynamic Lock is for Galaxy S20 lock screen only.

In a nutshell, without using a third-party app, you can only use one static image for the Galaxy S20 Home screen wallpaper.  For the lock screen, you have many options.

If you just migrated from an old Galaxy phone, you may find the live wallpapers are missing from the Galaxy S20 Home screen.

5 advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers on the lock screen and home screen

Samsung tried hard to improve the wallpapers on the lock screen. But at the same time, they keep removing features from the home screen wallpapers.  It is a very confusing move.

Most of the advanced features of the Galaxy S20 wallpapers discussed here are mainly for the Galaxy S20 lock screen.  Only the dark mode for wallpapers is for both the Home screen and lock screen.

Here are the five (5) noteworthy advanced features of Galaxy S20 wallpapers.

#1. Dark mode for Galaxy S20 wallpapers

Galaxy S20 dark mode is excellent. It may significantly reduce your eye … Read the rest

How to enable and use Galaxy S20 developer options?

By Leave a Comment

enable and use Galaxy S20 developer optionsYou 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 lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout to prevent unintentional changes?

By Leave a Comment

ock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout to prevent unintentional changesYou can lock the Galaxy S20 lock screen layout to avoid unintentional modifications of the home screen.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains when you need to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout, how to do it, and the side effects of locking the layout of Galaxy S20 Home screen.

Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra share the same launched and the identical home screen settings. So this guide applies to all Galaxy S20 phones, although we use Galaxy S20 in the guide.

Besides, because locking the home screen layout is a feature of Samsung’s One UI launcher, you can find and use this feature on all other Galaxy phones with One UI, including, Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, Note 9, and Note 10, as well.

When do you need to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout?

Thanks to the useless “curved” screen since Galaxy S6 edge, you may very easily touch the screen inadvertently and therefore move or remove some app icons or widgets on the Home screen.

Although Galaxy S20 makes the curved part of the screen less obvious, it is still a big distraction and a big waste (of usable screen space).

So, it is not uncommon that you may get surprised at the “new” Galaxy S20 Home screen: some app icons disappear, some app icons moved.

In the worst scenario, you may uninstall some apps inadvertently from the Galaxy S20 home screen when the phone is in your pocket or bag.

You can minimize such accidental modifications by locking the home screen layout.

How to lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen layout?

By default, the layout of the Galaxy S20 Home screen is not locked.

For example, when you install new apps on Galaxy S20, the app icon (a shortcut to the app) will be added to the Galaxy S20 Home screen.

To lock the Galaxy S20 Home screen, you may follow the following steps.

Step 1: Enter the edit mode for Galaxy S20 Home screen

The quickest way to access Galaxy S20 Home screens settings is through the edit mode.

On Galaxy S20 Home screen, you can pinch to enter the edit mode of Galaxy S20 Home screen, as explained here.

You may also tap and hold (long tap) any blank area to enter the edit mode, as explained here… Read the rest

How to use a micro SD card on Galaxy S20?

By Leave a Comment

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 set Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

By Leave a Comment

set Galaxy S20 display refresh rateThe 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 use Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD) effectively?

By Leave a Comment

use Galaxy S20 always-on display (AOD)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 hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing it to boost security of your phone?

By Leave a Comment

How to hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing it to boost security of your phone?You can hide password on Galaxy S20 even when you typing it to make your phone more secure.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains why you may need to hide password when typing it, how to hide password on Galaxy S20.

In this guide, Galaxy S20 refers to all three Galaxy S20 models, Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Why you may need to hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing it?

By default, the password or PIN field on Galaxy S20 will display *s or dots, instead of the actual characters, to protect your password or PIN from prying eyes.

But when you type the password or PIN on Galaxy S20, the last typed character will show briefly on the screen.

It was designed for you to check the typed the password or PIN.

But this could be a big concern when you need to type password or PIN in the crowded public places. For example, in the crowded subway, it is hard to prevent others from seeing your screen.

So, you may want to hide password on Galaxy S20 even when typing, i.e., make the password invisible when typing.

Please note, if you use a PIN to unlock the phone, you can hide the PIN and confirm PIN without tapping OK on Galaxy S20. But for the password, you can only hide it when typing, and you have to tap OK or enter to confirm.

How to hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing it?

As mentioned, by default, the last typed character of the password or PIN is visible on the screen briefly.

You can follow these steps to hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing.

Step 1: Access Galaxy S20 Settings

You can access Galaxy S20 settings in different ways, for example,

You can even use voice command to launch Galaxy S20 settings.

Step 2: Access Biometrics and security settings

On Galaxy S20 Settings page, tap Biometrics and security, as shown in the screenshot below,

Galaxy S20 Settings hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing it: biometrics and security

In the Biometrics and security settings page, tap Other security settings, as shown above.

Step 3: Hide password on Galaxy S20 when typing

Now, on the other security settings page, you can … Read the rest

How to easily take a screenshot on Galaxy S20 without using any third-party apps?

By Leave a Comment

How to easily take a screenshot on Galaxy S20 without using any third-party apps?Galaxy S20 provides the native capability for you to take a screenshot on Galaxy S20 easily without installing any third-party apps.

The built-in Galaxy S20 screenshot toolbar can also further help you take screenshots for elongated pages automatically, edit, and share the captured screenshots efficiently.

This Galaxy S20 guide shows you the 4 easy ways to take a screenshot on Galaxy S20 without using any third-party apps and explains how to use the screenshot toolbar to take a screenshot for scrollable pages, edit, share, and add tags to the captured screenshot.

This guide applies to Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and S20 Ultra, although we use Galaxy S20 in the text.

4 easy ways to take a screenshot on Galaxy S20

Taking screenshots on Galaxy S20 is not only easy but also fun. There are a few different ways to take a screenshot on Galaxy S20 without using any third-party apps.

In this guide, I will show you the four easiest ways to take screenshots on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

Hardware key method (Side key + volume down key)

In all Android devices, the built-in method of taking a screenshot is holding the power key and volume down key simultaneously.

On Galaxy S20, the Side key replaces the traditional power key.

So, the corresponding method of taking a screenshot on Galaxy S20 is to hold the Side key and volume down key simultaneously, as illustrated below (you may check Galaxy S20 layout on the location of the side key and volume key).

Hardware key method (Side key + volume down key) to take a screenshot on Galaxy S20

The only requirement is to hold the two keys simultaneously.  It needs some practice if you are new to this method:

  • If you get the volume adjustment bar, it means you press the Side key too late.
  • If you get the power button option (power-off menu), then it means you press the volume down button too late.

Anyway, you may try to hold the Side key slightly earlier than the volume down key.

Palm Swipe to capture

The funniest way to take a screenshot on Galaxy S20 is to swipe your palm over the screen, as illustrated below.

Palm Swipe to capture method to take screenshots on Galaxy S20

This method is a bit tricky. Your palm should “slightly” touch the screen.

If the palm is too far from the screen, then swipe will not be registered. If it touches the screen too hard, then the swipe may be registered as a touchscreen gesture or navigation gesture.… Read the rest

How to confirm PIN without tapping OK on Galaxy S20 (and other Galaxy phones)?

By Leave a Comment

How to confirm PIN without tapping OK on Galaxy S20 (and other Galaxy phones)?When you unlock Galaxy S20 with a PIN, you can confirm PIN without tapping OK to unlock the phone directly to Galaxy S20 Home screen.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains why you may need to confirm PIN without tapping OK, then shows you how to enable and disable this feature. Some FAQs related to conforming PIN without tapping OK on Galaxy S20 are answered.

This feature is available in most Samsung Galaxy phones including all 3 models of Galaxy S20 (Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra), Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S9 and many others.

Please also note, this feature works only for screen lock type as a PIN. If you set the screen lock type as password, you always have to manually confirm the password.

Why do you need to confirm PIN without tapping OK on Galaxy S20?

By default, when you unlock Galaxy S20 with a PIN, you have to type the PIN, then tap OK on the keypad to confirm.

Many owners think this is “natural” because they have done this from day one of using a smartphone.

If you want to unlock the phone more quickly without tapping the OK to confirm the typed PIN, then the solution exists on Samsung Galaxy S20 and many other Galaxy phones.

In other words, you can just type the PIN and unlock the phone instantly. When typing, if the typed PIN matches the lock screen PIN, then Galaxy S20 will be unlocked automatically.

Obviously, this is a more efficient way to unlock the phone with a PIN.

Unfortunately, this feature is not enabled by default. You can enable it when setting up the phone, or you can enable and disable it at any time. Read on.

Of course, this feature is not for everyone. But it can be beneficial if you can confirm PIN without tapping OK for many Galaxy S20 owners.

If you need to unlock the phone faster.

Without tapping OK not only save you one tap but also save the time for you to switch from tapping to mentally confirm the PIN.

If you use a similar PIN on different devices, you can just use a PIN with different length.

It is a bad practice to use the identical PIN on all devices.

But if you use totally different PINs, it is a pain to remember all … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S20 LED back cover?

By Leave a Comment

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

Meaning of status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20

By Leave a Comment

Meaning of status icons and notification icons on Galaxy S20Understanding 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

How to use Galaxy S20 navigation gestures?

By Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who should use Galaxy S20 navigation gestures?  Who should use navigation buttons on Galaxy S20?

It depends on the individual owner, whether the Galaxy navigation gestures or navigation buttons is the better choice.

Generally speaking,  you … Read the rest

Master Galaxy S20 lock screen settings

By Leave a Comment

Galaxy S20 lock screen settingsYou 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:

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 2 Comments

use and customize Galaxy S20 navigation buttonsGalaxy 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:

  1. Galaxy S20 navigation buttons (the default).
  2. Android 10 full-screen navigation gestures.
  3. 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:

  1. Home button
  2. Back button
  3. 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