How to use Galaxy S7 S View cover (for S7 and S7 edge)?

What is Galaxy S7 S View cover?

Galaxy S7 S View cover (and Galaxy S7 edge S View cover) , as shown left is a special folio-type flip cover with a special plastic window, S View window. It is one of the official accessories for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Samsung first introduced S View cover for Galaxy S4 in 2013. Initially the S view window was a small rectangle. Since Galaxy Note 3, the S View window became larger (close to a square) as shown in this guide.

Different from other brands of flip covers, S view cover offers additional features through the plastic S View window. The features offered in S View window changed with time and phone models.

Prior to Galaxy S6, you have to remove the back cover to use S View cover.  Because Galaxy S6 (and S6 edge), Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge) have non-removable back panel, Galaxy S7 S View cover have to snap on the phone.

Galaxy S7 S view cover (and Galaxy S7 edge S view cover) offers the following special features:

• Auto sleep and auto wake. When you close the front lid of S view cover, Galaxy S7 or S7 edge will automatically sleep. The screen will wake up once you open the front lid. If you lock screen security is set as swipe or none, opening the front lid will direct you to Galaxy S7 home screen.
• Answering and rejecting calls from S View window. You can answer or reject calls by swiping on the S View window as instructed.
• Take photos or record videos from S View window.
• Check notifications from S View window. This follows your lock screen notification settings.
• Share same app shortcuts in S View window as Galaxy S7 lock screen.
• Control music playing in S View window.
• Check time, weather and status icons from S view window.
• Use quick setting buttons (first 10) in S view window. You can use the first 10 quick setting buttons from S View window to change phone settings and features.
• Set separate wallpaper for S View window.

So, in addition to protecting the phone (and the screen), Galaxy S7 S view cover offers these exclusive features.  These features can be very useful for some Galaxy S7 or S7 owners.

Please note, in the market, only Samsung’s Galaxy S7 S view cover offers such features. Many knock-offs may have a plastic window, but they don’t have these S View window features.

Is Galaxy S7 S view cover interchangeable with Galaxy S7 edge S View cover?

Because the size differences between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Galxy S7 S view cover cannot be used on Galaxy S7 edge. And vice versa.

But the features in S View covers for Galaxy S7 and for Galaxy S7 edge are identical.

The usage is also identical.

So, when you decide to buy a S View cover, you need to know (who doesn’t?) you are using Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.

How to set up S View cover for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Once you snap Galaxy S7 (or S7 edge) S View cover to the phone,  Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will detect the cover immediately thanks to the chip inside the cover.

And now, in your Galaxy S7 Settings, you can set and customize the Galaxy S7 S View cover.

Go to Settings—Accessories as shown below.

In Accessories page, you can find S View cover settings as shown below after S View cover is attached to Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

As illustrated in the screenshot below, you can customize S View cover settings:

1. Automatic unlock. By default, when you flip the cover open, Galaxy S7 screen will wake up. When you close the cover, the screen will be turned off.
2. Info and app shortcuts. S View window uses the identical info and app shortcuts as Galaxy S7 lock screen. You may check this guide on how to set app shortcuts on lock screen.
3. Notification on lock screen. You can choose to hide notification, hide notification contents only or show notification contents on on S View window. Again, this setting is identical to that in Galaxy S7 lock screen.
4. S View window wallpaper. You can set separate wallpaper for the S View window only. By default, lock screen wallpaper is used on S View window. Read on.

Please note, settings for Info and app shortcuts, and notification on lock screen mentioned here are shared with Galaxy S7 lock screen settings. So, if you change the settings here, lock screen will also use the new settings automatically.

How to set S View window wallpapers for S View covers?

As mentioned earlier, S View window can have its own wallpaper.

As shown above, you can tap S View window wallpaper (marked as 4) to set the wallpaper for S View window.

As shown below,  you are directed to choose a wallpaper for the S View window. You can use any pictures on the phone as S view window wallpaper.

Please note, the wallpaper setting screen is shared with Galaxy S7 home screen (and locks screen) wallpaper. In other words, you can set S View window wallpaper from Galaxy S7 home screen as detailed in this guide.

As shown below, you can tap S View Cover to see options for other home screen, lock screen, and Home and lock screens.

Although most Galaxy S7 themes include own wallpapers for home screen and lock screen, S View window wallpaper normally is not included.

How to use cover camera in Galaxy S7 S View cover (and S7 edge)?

Galaxy S7 S View cover (and S7 edge’s) allow you to use camera to take photos without opening the cover.

By default, the camera app shortcut is in the bottom right of the S View window. Of course, you can move it to the left side or remove it if you want.

If you launch camera from the S View cover (S view window), the special camera mode, cover camera, will be used.

To launch camera in S view window, drag (tap and hold) the camera to the left side or upwards as shown below.

You will get the cover camera app interface as shown below.

As shown above, the S View cover camera app interface is quite simple, compared to the normal camera app as shown in this guide.

There are 5 buttons (matching the numbers in the screenshot above):

1. Take photos.
2. Record videos.
3. Go to Gallery.
4. Turn on/off flash.
5. Exit cover camera.

As front camera is blocked by the S View cover, you cannot take selfies from S View window.

Also, because the shape of S View window is close to a square, photos taken from S View window is always at 9.1M with 1:1 aspect ratio.  You cannot change the photo size or aspect ratio for cover  camera.

Photos taken by cover camera are saved in a separate folder in DCIM (camera folder). So, when you viewing photos in Gallery app, you can find an album named as CoverCamera.

How to turn on Always on display  (AOD) for Galaxy S7 S View cover?

With the recent firmware update, always-on display (AOD) now works with Galaxy S7 S view cover.

This means you can turn on always-on display on S View window.

You can turn on always-on display for Galaxy S7 S view cover (and Galaxy S7 edge S view cover) at Settings— Display—Always On Display — S view cover as shown below.

Please note, there is one limitation for always-on display in S View window: only basic clock face is used. If you choose other clock faces or choose calendar or background image  (under layouts), in S View window, it is still the basic clock.

If you want to know more on Galaxy S7 always-on display, please check this guide.

Review of Galaxy S7 S View cover

S View cover for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge provides limited protection for your phone.  If you drop your phone very often, this case is not for you. Please refer to our Galaxy S7 case guide or Galaxy S7 edge case guide for other cases.

Compared to many other similar Galaxy S7 flip cases, S View cover has these advantages:

• It fits your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge perfectly (because it is from Samsung).
• It feels good.
• Light weight.
• Matching phone colors perfectly.
• It is quite durable.
• Automatic sleep/wake/unlock.
• Accepting and rejecting calls on the cover directly.
• Checking notifications on the S view window.
• Using camera in the cover directly.

The drawbacks of the Galaxy S7 S View cover include:

• S View window can get dirty very quickly. It may make your touch screen with a dirty square mark, especially on Galaxy S7 edge.
• The front lid may be not always closed.
• The suggested retail price (MSRP. $49.99) is a bit overpriced.

Anyway, if you like the S View window features, you may consider this case.

Although the MSRP is not cheap ($49.99), you can get it from Amazon and other sellers with  less than $20. For example, $17.99 for Galaxy S7 S View cover, and $18.99 for Galaxy S7 edge S View cover.

Do you know how to use Galaxy S7  S View cover? Can you customize S View window on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

If you have any questions or encounter any problems on Galaxy S7 S View cover for your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, please let us know your questions or problems in the comment box below.

The community will try to help you.

You can get the official Samsung Galaxy S7 user manual (user guide) in your local language here, and Galaxy S7 edge user manual (user guide) in your local language here.

For other guides on using Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, please check Galaxy S7 online manual page.

For detailed Galaxy S7 how-to guides, please check Galaxy S7 how-to guides page.

For more Galaxy S7 camera guides, please check Galaxy S7 camera guide page.