Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides

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

power mode

How to use and customize power mode on Galaxy S20?

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use and customize power mode on Galaxy S20You can use Galaxy S20 power mode to balance the performance and battery life based on your needs and habit.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the importance of using the proper power modes on Galaxy S20, what are the 4 power modes on Galaxy S20, when and how to use each of these four power modes. The guide also shows you how to manage, customize, and limit battery usage (and background activities) for individual apps from app power management and application managers.

Samsung adopted almost identical power modes (power-saving modes) on all Galaxy Phones with Android 10. So, in addition to Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and Galaxy S20 FE, this guide also applies to most of the recent Galaxy phones, including all variants of Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 20, and  Galaxy Note 10.

Update: Samsung introduced the Enhanced processing option under battery settings in Android 11 update for Galaxy S20.

Why is Galaxy S20 power mode important to balance performance and battery life?

Battery life is a major concern for many Galaxy S20 owners, although Galaxy S20 supports up to 45W super-fast charging and fast wireless charging 2.0.

Most of Galaxy S20 owners expect the phone worked when they want to use it. Running out of battery can be very disturbing nowadays, especially if you pay more than $1000 for the gadget.

Unfortunately, current Li-ion battery technologies still pose a hard limit on the battery capacity given the limited available space in the phone and possible and safety considerations.

So, one way to extend battery life so that you have enough battery before you can access a charger is to “save ” battery, i.e., reducing or optimizing the usage of the battery.

Basically, it is not necessary to let the Galaxy S20 run at its peak performance. For more than 90% of owners of Galaxy S20,  the phone offers more processing power than what you need.

Even for heavy gamers, the high processing power is only needed when you play some large games. You do not need to keep the phone running in its peak state all the time.

Power mode in Galaxy S20 lets you balance the performance and battery life.

What are the 4 power modes on Galaxy S20?

On Samsung Galaxy S20, there are 4 power modes:

  1. Optimized (default).
  2. High performance.
  3. Medium power saving (aka, power saving)
… 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 set Galaxy S20 display refresh rate?

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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 set battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, Note 10, and S10?

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set battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, Note 10, and S10Wireless PowerShare is a convenient feature allowing you to charge accessories with Galaxy S20 battery.

When the feature was first introduced in Galaxy S10, the battery limit for wireless Powershare is fixed at 30% (of the phone battery). In Android 10 update for Galaxy S10 and Note 10, Samsung allows owners to raise the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare.

Galaxy S20 also allows you to adjust the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare. And it works identically to Galaxy S10 and Note 10.

This Galaxy S20 guide shows you how to adjust the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20, S10, and Note 10. Some questions on setting the battery limit for Wireless PowerShare are also answered.

What is Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S20?

Wireless PowerShare turns your Galaxy S20 into a Qi-wireless charger. So, you can use your Galaxy S20 to charge accessories and even other phones that support wireless charging.

The typical usage of Wireless PowerShare is to charge your smartwatch, earbuds (e.g., Samsung Galaxy Buds,  Galaxy Buds+) with your Galaxy S20’s battery. You can use it to charge other phones. But the speed is not so fast (it is the standard wireless charging. No fast wireless charging.)

Samsung first introduced this feature with Galaxy S10. It is one of a few well-received new features in Galaxy S10.  Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S20 implemented the wireless Powershare similarly.

A detailed guide on how to use Wireless PowerShare can be found here. It applies to all Samsung devices supporting Wireless PowerShare.

The original implementation of the Wireless PowerShare in Galaxy S10 and Note 10 hardcoded a battery limit of 30%. Wireless Powershare will stop automatically if the phone battery is lower than 30% of its full capacity.

Because the phone battery drains faster  (most of us can “feel” it) when the battery level is low,  some owners want to reserve more battery, especially when charging other phones. The 30% limit may be too low for them.

So, in Android 10 update, Samsung added the option for you to set battery limit for Wireless PowerShare on Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10.  Galaxy S20 has this feature from day 1.

Please note some official Samsung Galaxy S20 cases, like Galaxy S20 LED View Cover, Galaxy S20 Clear View /S View Cover, and Galaxy S20 LED back cover, may affect wireless … Read the rest

How to charge Galaxy S20 battery?

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charge Galxy S20 battery super fast charging 2.0You need to charge Galaxy S20 battery properly to maximize the battery life without sacrificing usage.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains to you everything you need to know on charging Galaxy S20 battery: two ways to charge Galaxy S20, how to use USB charging, how to use wireless charging, typical charging time for Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. The guide also answers questions you may have on charging Galaxy S20 battery.

Charging Galaxy S20 battery is identical on Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. The only difference is that Galaxy S20 Ultra supports 45W super fast-charging; while Galaxy S20 and S20+ only support up to 25W.

Do you need to charge Galaxy S20 battery for 8 hours for the first time?

No, it is unnecessary to charge Galaxy S20 battery for 8 hours for the first time.

You can disconnect the charger once the battery is fully charged.

The old textbook may teach you to charge the new battery for 8 hours. It is outdated.

When you open the Galaxy S20 box, the battery level on your Galaxy S20 should be normally around 50-60%. You can use the phone immediately.

In some regions, Samsung does not offer a 1-to-1 exchange. You have to power on the phone on the spot to check the phone before you leave the counter.

Two ways to charge Galaxy S20 battery

You can charge Galaxy S20 battery in two ways:

  1. USB charging. You can charge Galaxy S20 with a USB cable, which connects to a USB power source (normally, a wall charger).
  2. Wireless charging. You can put Galaxy S20 on a wireless charging pad to charge the battery. You can use the USB port to connect other devices, e.g., a USB thumb drive.

In Galaxy S20 box, a 25W charger and a USB-C cable are included. You can use them to charge Galaxy S20 battery.

Of course, you can use other wall chargers, power banks, or USB hub to charge Galaxy S20. But the charging speed may be affected. For example, if you use a USB port on your PC or laptop to charge Galaxy S20, you may find it is too slow.

Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra all support Quick Charge (QC) 2.0, USB Power Delivery (PD) 3. As explained in this guide, all three Galaxy S20 models support super-fast charging. Galaxy S20 and S20+ … Read the rest