Galaxy S8 Guides - A Community for owners of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

How to use app shortcuts in Galaxy S8 Home screen in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides, Galaxy S8 new features Leave a Comment

Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update allows you to add app shortcuts in Galaxy S8 Home screen.

App shortcuts let you access some features of supported apps very quickly from Galaxy S8 Home screen.

This Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update guide shows you how to add app shortcuts to Galaxy S8 Home screen (pinned app shortcuts) and how to use them.

What are app shortcuts in Galaxy S8 Home screen in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+?

App shortcuts are actually not a new feature in Android Oreo. Google introduced app shortcuts in Android Nougat 7.1.

Because Samsung’s Android Nougat firmware was based on Android 7.0, app shortcuts were not implemented in all Samsung phones with Android Nougat. Instead, Samsung offered own context menu in Android Nougat. But it is different from app shortcuts as explained in this guide.

App shortcuts give you quick access to some features of the corresponding apps.

For example, you want to check missed calls in Galaxy S8 with Android Oreo update.

The traditional way to get the list of missed calls includes these 5 steps:

Tap the Phone icon;
Tap Recents tab in the Phone app;
Tap the menu key;
Tap calls to show;
Tap missed calls.

You need 5 taps to get the list of missed calls.

But if you use app shortcuts in Galaxy S8 Home screen in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+, you can get it with just 2 taps:

Tap and hold (long tap) the Phone app icon;
Tap Missed calls (which is one of the available app shortcuts for the Phone app).

That’s it.

App shortcuts in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update also work on Galaxy S8 apps screen identically

In Android … Read the rest

Use notification dots/notification number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 46 Comments

The notification number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update is different from the number badge in previous versions of Android in Samsung phones.

You may find the new notification number badge (aka app icon badges) does not work as what you expected.

This Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update guide explains the new features and behaviours of the n0n Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update. We also show you how to manage and customize notification number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update.

What’s new in notification number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update?

One of the prominent new features in Android Oreo is the notification dots, which shows a dot in the app icon for unattended notifications.

You may think this is nothing new because Samsung has the notification number badge for a long time.

But you may not know there are some substantial changes in the notification number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update.

Compared to the number badge in previous versions of Android in Galaxy phones, the new number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update has the following changes:

It is renamed officially as App icon badges.
You can now customize the notification number badge in Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update.
You can use dots, or numbers for the notification number badge.
You can turn on/off notification number badge for individual apps.
All apps are supported.
Only unattended (not dismissed) notifications are counted.
Unread messages (SMS, MMS, emails) are NOT counted.
If you dismiss the notification in Galaxy S8 notification panel, the notification number badge in the corresponding app icon will be reset (cleared). You should snooze the notification if you need to check it later.
You can turn on/off notification info in Galaxy S8 Home screen and Apps screen

… Read the rest

How to Install Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Update for Galaxy S8 and S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 2 Comments

Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update is the first major update for Galaxy S8 and S8+. And it updated the Android version from 7.0 (Nougat) to 8.0 (Oreo).

Typically, Samsung only releases two major updates for flagship phones in most regions in their lifetime.

This Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update guide shows why and how to install Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+. A few questions you may have about installing the Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+ are also answered in the guide.

Why should you install Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Galaxy S8 and S8+ are powered by Android OS. In each version of Android, Google adds some new features and improvements to match the hardware development, R&D achievements and user demands.

Android Oreo is currently the latest version of Android. Galaxy S8 and S8+ were released with Android Nougat (Android 7.0).

So, without the Android Oreo update, Galaxy S8 and S8+ will not be able to enjoy the new features and improvements in Android Oreo.

Secondly, the monthly Android security update is an important part to keep your Galaxy S8 or S8+ safe from prying eyes. Samsung will release the security update for Galaxy S8 and S8+ based on Android Oreo only.

So, if your Galaxy S8 or S8+ is still running Android Nougat, unlikely you will get any security updates after Q2 2018. You are putting your phone at risk if you skip the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Thirdly, Samsung also updated Samsung Experience 8.0 to 9.0 with the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update. Samsung Experience is the UI in Samsung Galaxy phones released in last two years.

In Samsung Experience 9.0, which is used in Galaxy S9 … Read the rest

New status icons in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+

New status icons for data saver and no preferred SIM card in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 4 Comments

After updating Galaxy S8 or S8+ to Android Oreo, you may encounter a few new status icons in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+, in addition to the existing icons explained in this guide.

This Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update guide explains two of the frequently encountered new status icons in Android Oreo update forGalaxy S8 and S8+: data saver icon and no preferred SIM card icon (for dual-SIM versions of Galaxy S8 and S8+ only).

Please note, these two new status icons can be found in all Samsung Galaxy S, Note, and A series phones with Android Oreo update. They are not limited to Galaxy S8 or S8+.

New status icons in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+

As mentioned in the new features of Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+, Android Oreo update brought a new version of UI: Samsung Experience 9.

In addition to changes and improvements in some features, Samsung also updated some icons, including the status icons.

Most of the updates of status icons in Android Oreo update are trivial. They are either similar to corresponding icons in previous versions of Samsung Experience (TouchWiz), or similar to those in the stock Android.

But there a few exceptions. Some of the new status icons are substantially different from those in the old versions or in stock Android

For example, Samsung used a new status icon for data saver in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Samsung also added one more icon for preferred SIM card when you choose to select SIM card when making calls (for the dual-SIM version of Galaxy S8 and S8+ only)

Data Saver status icon in Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+

… Read the rest

Top 10 new features of Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides, Galaxy S8 new features 2 Comments

Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+ has been rolled out in some regions. More and more Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners want to know how to use the new features of Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+.

In this Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung updated the UI (Samsung Experience 9.0) and added Android Ore0 8.0.

This Galaxy S8 guide explains the top 10 new features of Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+.

You may check this Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update guides page for step-by-step guides on how to use these new features.

For new features of Android Oreo 8.0, you may check this guide.

#1. Notification channel (categories)

In Android Oreo, notification channels (notification categories) were introduced so that the app developer can “categorize” their notifications.

These categorized notifications can then be pushed through notification channels, just like radio channels. You, as an app user, can then turn on/off individual notification channel to get what you want to receive and block what you don’t.

You may find more info on notification channel on Android Oreo here.

#2. App shortcuts support in Home screen

When you tap and hold (long tap) an app icon in Galaxy S8 home screen, you have some options.

In Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and S8+, you get additional options to launch some special features of the app directly (if the app developer enabled this feature).

Compared to the traditional way to access such app features, app shortcuts are faster.

Such app shortcuts are shortcuts to certain features of the corresponding apps.

App shortcuts in Home screen were introduced in Android Nougat 7.1. The firmware for Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ was based on Android Nougat 7.0 … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S8 secure folder in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides, Galaxy S8 new features 10 Comments

You can use Galaxy S8 secure folder to run one additional private copy of any apps.

You can also use secure folder in Galaxy S8 and S8+ to hide any apps and private data.

This Galaxy S8 how to guide explains everything you need to know about secure folder in Galaxy S8 and S8+: what is Galaxy S8 secure folder, when will you need secure folder, how to enable secure folder in Galaxy S8 and S8+, how to add apps and files to secure folder, how to add shortcuts of secure folder app to Galaxy S8 home screen, how to customize app icon and name for secure folder, how to hide secure folder, and how to reset and uninstall secure folder in Galaxy S8 and S8+….

Because secure folder is similar in all Samsung Galaxy devices, this guide also applies to secure folder in Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 8.

What is Galaxy S8 secure folder?

Normally, you can secure your Galaxy S8 and S8+ with Galaxy S8 lock screen using pattern, PIN, password, fingerprint or iris scanner.

But for some owners, this may be not sufficient.

Galaxy S8 secure folder allows you to creates a private and encrypted space for your apps and files on Galaxy S8 or S8+.

Apps and files in Galaxy S8 secure folder are independent of the same app outside of the secure folder. These apps and files are further secured with Samsung KNOX framework

Essentially, you can run another copy of any apps in a secured environment. You can also move or copy files to this secured environment.

It should be noted that Galaxy S8 folder is NOT just another copy of the app or files. It is actually a more secure (and more restrictive) environment which most enterprise data can … Read the rest

How to set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides Leave a Comment

You can set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+ to save battery without sacrificing user experiences.

Samsung introduced the feature of adjustable screen resolutions in Android Nougat firmware. This is not a feature of stock Android Nougat.

This Galaxy S8 how-t0 guide explains the rational behind setting Galaxy S8 screen resolution and how to set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

What are the supported Galaxy S8 screen resolutions in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

According to the Galaxy S8 hardware specs, both Galaxy S8 and S8+ have a screen resolution of 2960×1440 (WQHD+).

This is the hardware limit of the number of pixels in Galaxy S8 and S8+ dispaly.

Because the pixel density (570PPI for S8 and 529 for S8+) is too high for normal human eyes, it is possible the scale down the resolutions to save battery and users may not notice the difference.

3 different screen resolutions are supported in Galaxy S8 and S8+:

WQHD+ (2960×1440).
FHD+ (2220×1080).
HD+ (1480×720)

By default Samsung set the screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+ as FHD+, not the highest resolution because most owners actually do not need such a high resolution in a 5.7″ or 6.3″ screen.

Why you may want to change screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

For normal human eyes, for a 6.3″ screen, full HD is probably the limit when you watch the screen from a distance of 8″.

This is one of the reasons why Samsung preset the screen resolution to FHD+ in new Galaxy S8 and S8+.

When you lower Galaxy S8 screen resolution, there will be less pixels to handle for the GPU/CPU. This translates to battery saving.

If you want to save battery aggressively when you cannot charge Galaxy S8 or S8+ for an extended … Read the rest

How to move apps to SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 2 Comments

Although Samsung removed the adoptable storage (i.e., using SD card as internal storage) feature, you can still move apps to SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+ to free up some space in the internal storage .

The procedure to move apps to SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+ is different from that in old Galaxy devices with Android Lollipop or earlier.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide shows you how to move apps to SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+. It is assumed that the SD card was added to Galaxy S8 or S8+ already.

Why only some apps can be moved to SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Whether an app can be moved to SD card or not is determined by the app developer, not your Galaxy S8 or S8+. For example, some apps like WhatsApp do NOT allow you to save anything to external SD card.

Some apps like Google Music allow you to save downloaded contents to SD card. Other app data must be in the internal storage.

You can check whether an app can be moved to SD card in Galaxy S8, and move it to micro SD card if supported, through application manager.

Anyway, if you cannot move an app to the SD card in Galaxy S8 application manager, it means the app developer disabled the usage of external SD card. You can try to feedback to the app developer.

After I move apps to SD card in Galaxy S8, the space freed is far smaller than the app used?

When you move apps to SD card in Galaxy S8 or S8+, actually only part of the app data, not the whole app, were moved to SD card.

So, it usually frees less space in internal storage than you expected.… Read the rest

Use micro SD card in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 4 Comments

You can use micro SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+ as portable storage to expand the storage if you want to keep a lot of offline media files with you in the phone.

In dual SIM version of Galaxy S8 (and S8+), slot 2 in the SIM card tray can be used for either a SIM card or a micro SD card, but NOT both. In other words, if you are using two SIM cards in Galaxy S8 and S8+, you cannot use micro SD card.

Since Android Marshmallow, adoptable storage, i.e., using micro SD card as internal storage, has been introduced. But Samsung blocked this feature and therefore, you can only use micro SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+ as portable storage, not internal storage. For the differences of using SD card as portable storage and using it as internal storage, please check this guide.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide explains how to add and remove micro SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+, how to move app data to SD card in Galaxy S8, and how to manage the SD card storage in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

How to add SD card in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+?

In Galaxy S8 and S8+, micro SD card is placed in slot 2 of the SIM card tray.

To add SD card in Galaxy S8 and S8+, you may follow these steps.

Step 0: Power off Galaxy S8 or S8+.

It is recommended to power off Galaxy S8 or S8+ when adding or removing a micro SD card, although it is not required.

You can hold (aka long press) the power button for more than 2 seconds to get the power button option, then choose to power off the phone.

Step 1:

… Read the rest

How to wipe Galaxy S8 cache partition?

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You can wipe Galaxy S8 cache partition to solve many problems in Galaxy S8 and S8+ by yourself without affecting your data, or settings.

It is also the last method in solving software related problems before resetting your Galaxy S8 and S8+.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide first explains what Galaxy S8 cache partition is and why and when you may need to wipe Galaxy S8 cache partition, then shows you how to clear Galaxy S8 cache partition.

What is Galaxy S8 cache partition?

Galaxy S8 cache partition in Galaxy S8 and S8+ is a special (and reserved) part of the phone storage. But it is not user accessible in normal mode.

As suggested by the name, this special partition stores and serves the cached files for the phone. This is needed in all Android phones to speed up the apps.

For most owners of Galaxy S8 and S8+, it is not necessary to know the existence of such a cache partition. Of course, they do not need to wipe Galaxy S8 cache partition in the lifespan of the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The cache partition is normally well managed by the Android system. The partition will be refreshed automatically for example, when a major update is applied.

But occasionally, something in your Galaxy S8 or S8+ may go wrong and you may try to clear Galaxy S8 cache partition to avoid a factory data reset.

When you may need to wipe Galaxy S8 cache partition?

As mentioned, normally Android is smart enough to properly manage the cache partition in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

But in some cases, you may need to manually wipe cache partition in Galaxy S8 and S8, for example:

after a major update. Although any major update should clear and refresh cache partition when you

… Read the rest

How to disable Bixby button in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides, Galaxy S8 new features Leave a Comment

Some Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners hate the Bixby button. With recent updates, you can now disable Bixby button in Galaxy S8 and S8+ (Galaxy Note 8 as well). You can totally disable Bixby button for short press AND long press.

Many Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners are not fans of Samsung’s half-baked Bixby Assistant. One of the most disturbing features of Bixby is the Bixby button in the left side of Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Often you may press the button accidentally when you want to adjust volume. This can be very annoying.

Samsung also quietly blocked the possibility of remapping Bixby button to other features.

Anyway, you can now fully disable Bixby button in Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8. This Galaxy S8 how-to guide will show you how to disable the annoying Bixby button completely.

What is Galaxy S8 and S8+ Bixby button?

As shown in Galaxy S8 layout, Bixby button is located in the left side of the phone, below the volume keys.

The Bixby button have at least two basic functions currently:

1. Press it once (short press) to launch Bixby Home page at any time even after you hide Bixby home from Galaxy S8 home screen. If you are on Bixby Home page already, you can press Bixby button to exit Bixby home. By default, Bixby Home page is in the leftmost panel of Galaxy S8 home screen.

Of course, you can hide or remove Bixby Home from Galaxy S8 home screen as explained in this guide. But this does not disable Bixby Home page. You only hide/remove it from the home screen.

2. Long press (press and hold) Bixby button to launch Bixby voice assistant.

After Bixby voice assistant is activated, you can … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S8 safe mode?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 7 Comments

Galaxy S8 safe mode helps you troubleshooting issues related to third-party apps installed by you.

You can identify whether the problem is caused by the system or by third-party apps.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide explains the details of Galaxy S8 safe mode in Galaxy S8 and S8, two ways to reboot Galaxy S8 or S8+ into safe mode, and how to use and exit Galaxy S8 safe mode.

What is Galaxy S8 safe mode?

Sometimes, your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+may behave in some odd ways.

And you want to find out whether such problems are caused by third-party apps or pre-installed apps.

Galaxy S8 safe mode is the right tool for such problems.

Like in other Android phones, Galaxy S8 safe mode is a special mode for Galaxy S8 and S8+. Within this mode, all third-party apps (including some pre-installed Google apps) will be disabled temporally.

So, only some essential apps from Samsung and Google are enabled in Galaxy S8 safe mode.

If you still experience the problem in Galaxy S8 safe mode, then you can conclude that the problem is caused by the firmware or some of the essential apps. You may have to reset Galaxy S8 or S8+.

If the problem disappears in safe mode, you can then conclude that the problem is very likely caused by some apps installed by you.

Unfortunately, Galaxy S8 safe mode can only tell you whether the problem is caused by third-party apps or not. It is unable to tell you which app is causing the problem.

Two ways to reboot the Galaxy S8 or S8+ into Galaxy S8 safe mode?

There are at least two different ways to boot into Galaxy S8 safe mode.

Method 1: Use power button options to reboot Galaxy S8 and S8+ into safe

… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S8 themes to customize Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Everything you need to know about Galaxy S8 themes for Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+!

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides Leave a Comment

You can use Galaxy S8 themes to customize the look and feel of Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide shows you how to find, download, install, apply, and manage Galaxy S8 themes. It also shows you how to disable the annoying Samsung themes notification in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Please note, Galaxy S8 themes applies to Galaxy S8 and S8+ only. You cannot use Galaxy S8 themes in Galaxy S7 or any future Galaxy phones either.

What are Galaxy S8 themes?

Since Galaxy S6, Samsung introduced themes for owners to customize the phone systemically.

But at that time, there were very limited support from developers and the choices are very limited for third-party themes.

Now, for Galaxy S8 and S8+, you have so many choices of Galaxy S8 themes.

Galaxy S8 themes allow you:

to change the system color schemes of Galaxy S8 notification panel, Galaxy S8 quick settings panel and Galaxy S8 Settings;
to change wallpapers for Galaxy S8 Home screen, apps screen, and lock screen;
to change app icons of some pre-installed Samsung apps;
to add “effects” of other app icons in Galaxy S8 and S8+.
to change the color scheme of Phone, Contacts and Messages app.
to change the look of Galaxy S8 always-on display (AOD).

For example, some Galaxy S8 owners may not like the default white color scheme. They may prefer a dark theme.

Galaxy S8 themes will solve such issues and demands.

If you are using official Samsung covers (cases), for example, Galaxy S8 clear view cover, you will be prompted to choose a Galaxy S8 theme to match your Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Although Galaxy S8 themes can change the look of your Galaxy S8 and S8+, third-party apps will NOT be changed. … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S8 Settings to customize Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+?

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Galaxy S8 settings allows you to change the settings of almost all aspects of Galaxy S8 and S8+ to meet your requirements.

But sometimes, it is a bit overwhelming to read so many options in Galaxy S8 settings.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide shows you how to access Galaxy S8 settings in 4 different ways, how to use Galaxy S8 Settings and the relationship between Galaxy S8 quick settings and Galaxy S8 settings.

What are Galaxy S8 Settings?

Galaxy S8 and S8+ have so many features and there are so many customization possibilities.

So, you need to use Galaxy S8 settings to change and settings and customize the phone to meet your needs.

Galaxy S8 Settings may have two interconnected meanings:

A system app named Settings.
All settings in Galaxy S8 (or S8+).

Actually, in all Android phones, there is a system app named Settings.

Galaxy S8 (and S8+) is not an exception.

Inside the Galaxy S8 Settings app, you can then find all entries of Galaxy S8 settings.

4 different ways to access Galaxy S8 settings in Galaxy S8 and S8+

Because Galaxy S8 Settings are used very frequently, Samsung made it is very easy to access them with different methods.

Method 1: use settings (gear) icon in notification panel

As shown in the screenshot below, you can find the gear icon (settings icon) in notification panel.

You can access notification panel in Galaxy S8 and S8+ by swiping down from the status bar.

Tap the icon to open Galaxy S8 settings.

Method 2: use settings (gear) icon in quick settings panel

You can find the same gear icon in Galaxy S8 quick settings panel as shown below.

To access quick settings panel, you can swipe down from status bar with two fingers, or swipe down twice (with … Read the rest

How to move Galaxy S8 brightness control bar to notification panel?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides Leave a Comment

You can quickly adjust Galaxy S8 screen brightness using Galaxy S8 brightness control bar without opening Galaxy S8 Settings.

But in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, the brightness control bar was relocated from notification panel as in previous generations Galaxy devices to quick settings panel.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide shows you how to customize the location of Galaxy S8 brightness control bar and move it back to Galaxy S8 notification panel.

What is Galaxy S8 brightness control bar?

Although auto brightness in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ is extremely useful, sometimes, you may still need to manually adjust Galaxy S8 brightness level.

For example, Galaxy S8 or S8+ may vibrates when you get an emergent call in the cinema. The default brightness level in Galaxy S8 display is probably too high in this case.

To make it easily adjust Galaxy S8 display brightness, the Galaxy S8 brightness control bar is included in the quick settings panel.

You can use Galaxy S8 brightness control bar to quickly adjust the screen brightness of Galaxy S8 and S8+ without fiddling around the Galaxy S8 Settings.

In previous generations of Galaxy devices, the brightness control bar is usually in the notification panel (and below the quick settings bar). And there is no customization for its location.

But in Galaxy S8 and S8+, by default, you will not find the Galaxy S8 brightness control bar.

Where is Galaxy S8 brightness control bar?

In Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung makes the location of Galaxy S8 brightness control bar customizable.

The default location of Galaxy S8 brightness control bar, as mentioned earlier, is located in Galaxy S8 quick settings panel, not notification panel.

This means you need swipe twice to access Galaxy S8 brightness control bar.

But it is very easy to … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S8 screen zoom ?

by simon in Galaxy S8 accessory guides Leave a Comment

You can use Galaxy S8 screen zoom to adjust the display of almost all pages (and all apps) in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Galaxy S8 screen zoom is a customized Android Nougat feature of display size. But they are different in adjusting the size of app icons in home screen and apps screen, and in controlling the size of the lock screen keypad.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide explains you what Galaxy S8 screen zoom is, when you need it, and how to use this feature in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+.

What is Galaxy S8 screen zoom? Why you need it?

Prior to Android Nougat, you can only adjust the font size for the system display (e.g., text size in Settings page).

And some system display settings are even hard-coded and you cannot change them at all. For example, the notification text does not change with font size in most Android phones.

So, in Android Nougat 7.0, Google added a feature named display size, with which you can adjust all display elements. And it works in all apps.

In Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung, as usual, customized display size and rebrand it as Galaxy S8 screen zoom.

In addition to changing the name from display size to screen zoom, Samsung also changed a few features in display size. For example:

Screen zoom does NOT affect lock screen keypad size in Galaxy S8 and S8+. Samsung hard-coded the keypad in Galaxy S8 lock screen. In stock Android Nougat, you can adjust the keypad size with display size.
Screen zoom does NOT affect app icon size in Galaxy S8 Home screen and Apps screen. In Galaxy S8, you need to use screen grid to adjust the app icon size. In stock Android Nougat, app icon

… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S8 quick settings in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 accessory guides 6 Comments

You can use Galaxy S8 quick settings bar to toggle on and toggle off some features on-the-fly.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ also have a full-page quick settings panel with more quick setting buttons for you to change the phone settings conveniently without opening phone settings.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide explains the difference between quick settings bar and quick settings panel in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, and how to use and customize Galaxy S8 quick settings in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

What is Galaxy S8 quick settings in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Although you can change almost all settings of Galaxy S8 and S8+ in the Settings page, you may want to access some settings quickly, e.g., quickly toggle on/off WiFi or Bluetooth very often.

Galaxy S8 quick settings in Galaxy S8 and S8+ are exactly designed to address such demands.

Actually, this is a feature in almost all Android phones nowadays, although the implementation differs from manufacturers to manufacturers.

In Android Nougat, an additional quick settings bar was officially added to the notification panel.

But Samsung has used the quick settings bar for many years, together with the quick settings panel.

Anyway, Galaxy S8 quick settings includes two components:

Quick settings bar in notification panel.
Dedicated quick settings panel.

The quick settings bar offers more convenience for you to turn on/off some features. You may consider it as an quicker feature of quick settings panel.

Another commonly used, but unrelated “quick” feature is Galaxy S8 camera quick launch.

How to access Galaxy S8 quick settings bar in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

You can swipe down from top of the screen (status bar) to access Galaxy S8 quick settings bar as shown below.

This is actually the notification panel. As mentioned, quick settings bar … Read the rest

How to use device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+?

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides 24 Comments

Device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and S8+ makes it easy to clean up and optimize the phone: free storage, clean up memory, close background apps, check abnormal battery usage and scan malware.

You can do it with one tap.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide explains to you what you can do with device maintenance, and how to use these features.

What is device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+?

Device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and S8+ is not a new feature.

In Galaxy S6, Samsung introduced controversial smart manager. In Galaxy S7, Samsung corrected the mistakes in smart manager and rebranded it as device maintenance.

In Galaxy S8, new features were added and old features were further polished.

Most Galaxy S8 owners use device maintenance to clean up the phone.

But device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ can do more. Some commonly used features include:

You can optimize (clean up) the phone with one tap.
You can check battery usage.
You can enable and customize battery saving modes.
You can enable and customize different performance modes.
You can check memory usage of all apps and clean up the memory.
You can manage the storage in Galaxy S8 and S8+, and to free up the storage.
You can scan the phone for malware.

So, device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and S8+ actually is a collection of tools to manage and optimize the phone.

How to access device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+?

There are at least three different ways to access device maintenance in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

Method 1: from Galaxy S8 Settings

You can start Settings app, or tap Settings icon in notification panel to access Galaxy S8 settings.

In the Settings page as shown below, you then tap Device maintenance… Read the rest

Galaxy S8 apps screen guide

Everything you need to know about Galaxy S8 apps screen in Galaxy S8 and S8+!

by simon in Galaxy S8 How-to Guides Leave a Comment

Galaxy S8 apps screen is a place-holder for all apps installed in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. You need to know how to use it.

In addition, there are several new features in Galaxy S8 apps screen. For example, you can access apps screen using touch screen gesture and hide apps screen button. You can also hide Galaxy S8 apps screen.

Please note, although Galaxy S8 is used in this page, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ share the identical home screen and apps screen.

The differences between Galaxy S8 apps screen and Galaxy S8 Home screen

In all Android phones, in addition to home screen, there is always an apps screen, aka app drawer, where all apps are listed. But some launchers may hide this screen and show all apps in home screen.

Technically, apps screen is just a special page of Android Home screen.

Galaxy S8 apps screen is different from Galaxy S8 Home screen. The differences include:

Apps (app icons) in Galaxy S8 Home screen are just shortcuts to the app. While Galaxy S8 apps screen is a holding place for all apps.
You can add multiple copies of the same app in Galaxy S8 Home screen. But in Galaxy S8 apps screen, you can only have one copy.
You can set wallpapers, themes, screen grid and other settings in Galaxy S8 Home screen, but not from apps screen.
You can add widgets to Galaxy S8 Home screen. In Galaxy S8 apps screen, widgets are hidden by default.
You can create empty panels (pages) for Galaxy S8 home screen. In Galaxy S8 apps screen, empty pages will be removed automatically.
You can hide Galaxy S8 apps screen; but you cannot hide Galaxy S8 Home screen.

Many third-party launchers may have additional features for home … Read the rest

Everything about Galaxy S8 Alcantara Cover

by simon in Galaxy S8 accessory guides 2 Comments

Samsung introduced the Galaxy S8 Alcantara cover for Galaxy S8 and S8+. These are the first Android phone cases made with the premium material of Alcantara.

Although Alcantara is not new, but an Android phone case made by Alcantara is new to most users.

This Galaxy S8 accessories guide explains what is Alcantara, the advantages (and disadvantages) of Galaxy S8 Alcantara cover and whether such Alcantara covers are the right case for your Galaxy S8 and S8+.

What is Alcantara in Galaxy S8 Alcantara Cover for Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Alcantara actually refers to 3 related and different entities:

Alcantara is a proprietary synthetic composite material.
Alcantara is the trademark of this material.
Alcantara is the company manufacturing this material and owning the trademark. The full name of the company is Alcantara S.p.A.

For Galaxy S8 Alcantara cover, we are interested in the “material” of Alcantara.

Alcantara was developed by a Japanese scientist in early 1970s. The recipe is still a secret and only Alcantara S.p.A. produces and distributes the material.

Alcantara emulates the organic material of suede, but offers greater stain and abrasion resistance than suede.

Instead of offering one “material”, Alcantara can be easily customized in color, thickness, technical properties (e.g., water repellence, fire retardancy and breathability), and surface finishing (e.g., printing, embossing, embroidery and electro-welding).

In short, Alcantara feels like suede with even better abrasion resistance and durability, and more customization options.

In many high-end cars, Alcantara were used in spots which were susceptible to stains. You can also find Alcantara in yachts, airplanes, furnitures, consumer electronics (e.g., Sennheiser’s Momentum On-Ear headphone and Surface Pro Signature Type Cover) and accessories.

Advantages of Galaxy S8 Alcantara Cover for Galaxy S8 and S8+

Compared to other back covers for Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S8 Alcantara … Read the rest