Introduction: In most regions, Galaxy S23 ships with two app stores for you to get apps from reliable sources. Galaxy Store is offered by Samsung and is only available for Samsung Galaxy phones. Play Store is the official app store for Android. It is managed by Google. If one app is available on both stores, it is better to get it from Google Play Store because app developers usually update apps on Play Store with a high priority. Also, Google did a vigorous security scan on the app store.
Managing apps on Galaxy S23 can be performed on the Application Manager, which is the “old” name. You can also manage apps directly on the Home screen and Apps screen. Some features of apps, e.g., notifications and privacy, are managed in the separate parts of the Settings.
Some pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled. You can only disable them. These apps are normally updated automatically with new features when the phone is updated. For example, the Android 14 (One UI 6) update for Galaxy S23, S22, and S21 updated the Camera app with some new features, e.g., Auto Scan and camera widget.
Table of Contents
Galaxy Store
Purchase and download apps. You can download apps that are specialized for Samsung Galaxy devices.
Open the Galaxy Store app. Browse apps by category or tap 
to search for a keyword.
- This app may not be available depending on the carrier or model.
- To change the auto update settings, tap Menu →
→ Auto update apps, and then select an option. - Some widgets are also listed as apps in the Galaxy Store. For example, the Gallery Widget is part of the Gallery app.
→ Auto update apps, and then select an option.Play Store
Purchase and download apps.
Open the Play Store app. Browse apps by category or search for apps by keyword.
To change the auto update settings, tap your account icon, tap Settings → Network preferences → Auto-update apps, and then select an option.
Managing apps
Uninstalling or disabling apps
Touch and hold an app and select an option.
- Uninstall: Uninstall downloaded apps.
- Disable: Disable selected default apps that cannot be uninstalled from the device.
Some apps may not support this feature.
Enabling apps
Open Settings, tap Apps → 
→ Disabled → OK, select an app, and then tap Enable.
Setting app permissions
For some apps to operate properly, they may need permission to access or use information on your device.
To access your app permission settings, open Settings and tap Apps. Select an app and tap Permissions. You can check the app’s permissions list and change its permissions.
To check or change app permission settings by permission category, open Settings and tap Apps → 
→ Permission Manager. Select an item and select an app.
If you do not grant permissions to apps, the basic features of the apps may not function properly.
If the Camera, microphone, or location is accessed, you will see the corresponding status icons.
Other Galaxy S23 Online User Manual pages
Pages also in this part:
List of all pages of Galaxy S23 Online User Manual:
You may check other Galaxy S23 guides organized in the following 4 sections.
- Galaxy S23 new features guides. Galaxy S23 new features guides explain the new features of Galaxy S23 and show you how to use them. New features in the One UI 6 (Android 14) update are also covered in this section.
- Galaxy S23 how-to guides. Galaxy S23 how-to guides show you how to use and customize Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra to meet your needs.
- Galaxy S23 camera guides. Galaxy S23 camera guides show you how to use Galaxy S23 camera features to shoot the best photos and videos with the top-notch camera system in Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. The new camera features in the One UI 6 (Android 14) update are also covered.
- Galaxy S23 accessories guides. Galaxy S23 accessories guides explore useful Galaxy S23 accessories and show you how to use them to protect your phone or increase your productivity (or fun).
Besides, you can read and download (in PDF format) the official Galaxy S23 user manual (including the updated Galaxy S23 user manual for Android 14 (One UI 6).
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Enjoy your Galaxy S23!
